Matthew 12:46-50: Psalm 105:1-5

Matthew 12:46-50
This passage may seem troubling at first glance! However, we know from other passages that Jesus was always loving and respectful to His mother. He provided for her care even as He hung on the cross, and we know that He would have fulfilled the command to honor our father and mother. Rather, He is teaching that spiritual "family" is as important as physical family. He is laying the groundwork for the New Testament church where believers are truly brothers and sisters in the Lord. And the older men and women are to mentor younger believers in much the same way that parents rear children. As we look at the church as a family, we realize that it has many joyful blessings and many of the same heartaches and frustrations that we find in physical families. We have differences of opinions, and we might get on one another's nerves! We may think that some other member is difficult or downright strange. But isn't that much like a family reunion? We still love one another, and we defend one another, and we support each other and pitch in and help when we can. And we don't kick that irritable old grandmother out of the family! I hope you feel the love and security that a healthy, well-balanced body of believers can provide.

Psalm 105:1-5
This psalm is like several others that rehearses the history of Israel. Tonight we will just look at the first five verses. From these verses, let's look at ways that we can draw close to the Lord. Perhaps sometimes He seems far away. This is some advice for those times.

• Give thanks to the Lord. v. 1 I'm amazed at how many times this advice is given. It's hard to have a bad attitude when you are truly giving thanks.
• Call on His name. v. 1 Go to Him with everything on your heart.
• Make known what He has done. v. 1, 2 When we tell others of how good God has been, it makes our problems seem so small.
• Sing to Him, sing praise to him. v. 2  Every voice of praise is beautiful to God!
• Glory in his holy name. v. 3 Think of His attributes.
• Seek Him and rejoice! v. 3 The Bible tells us that those who truly seek Him will find Him.
• Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. v. 4 God is stronger than any struggle we have, and no problem stumps Him! He asks only that we trust Him.
• Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced. v. 5 This is one of the reasons for a psalm like this--to help us remember what God has done.

For our meditation: "Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." Psalm 105:4