Aaron Hufty

Hyssop

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 51:1–19 (day two)

Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. V. 7

Psalm 51 is incredible. You have likely heard it quoted on multiple occasions, and perhaps recited a few lines yourself. It not only reminds us that we are all broken sinners, but it also tells us that God can and will forgive us from that sin; AND he will continue to use us for his grand purpose. What struck me on my re-reading of this text today was the use of hyssop. Hyssop is a medicinal plant by itself, but has played a much more important role throughout scripture beyond physical healing. David’s reference in Psalm 51 is the use of the plant in a cleansing ritual to remove sin. Because it has a natural ability to absorb liquid, it serves some other purposes as well. Moses used it as a paint brush to paint the doorposts with lamb’s blood in order for the homes of the Israelites to be passed over. This creates a direct connection with Jesus as he is offered vinegar that has been dipped in hyssop. The sacrificed lamb whose blood painted the doorposts is now the sacrifice for all. We no longer need a plant to cleanse us from sin. Jesus’ sacrifice has made that ritual unnecessary. As we approach Holy Week, let us be thankful for God’s continual desire to cleanse us from sin. Let us be grateful for our ability to access that forgiveness, and may we live in a desire to share that forgiveness with others.

Wordless

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 19:1-14 (day two)

There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. V. 3

The language in the psalm is so descriptive that, at first glance, it seems to contradict itself. Depending on your translation, the opening verse states the heavens are telling, declaring, proclaiming. There is a lot of “talking” going on in this verse. It immediately takes a turn to say there is no speech or words. As a kid, I struggled with this verse, and as a professional choral musician I sometimes stumbled when I got to it because, words matter! Professional pride aside, when I examine what I know about myself, I find this verse to be on point. The music of creation is wordless, indeed. When I find myself riding my bike through the greenways of San Antonio during Spring, I am filled with wonder. Nothing need be said; creation declares its creator in a way that words never could. If a picture paints a thousand words, creation is a lexicon in itself. I have found this verse to be true over and over again. When I quiet my heart and marvel at the world God has made, I am refreshed, renewed, and reminded of our incredible Lord. So, as a child of God, created AND redeemed by Jesus, how should our bearing radiate that kind of declaration?

Wonder

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 14:1-7 (day two)

The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there are any who understand,
Who seek after God. v. 2

Isn’t it a wonder that God has given to us a curious nature, and a mind that seeks to understand the world? It is this curious nature that often moves the needle of our knowledge of the cosmos, and it is that nature which gets us into theological conundrums. It seems the more we know, the less we rely on God. Let’s be clear, God didn’t make a mistake when he gave us all a sense of wonder. He does ask us to acknowledge him in our limitations, our lack of understanding, and even in the things we do understand. The more we know should not diminish our dependence on God; rather it should reveal to us more of his incredible grace and mercy. Verse two tells us God is searching for those who are humble in their wisdom. May we always seek knowledge and understanding, and may we never cease to marvel at God’s supreme authority.

Songs for the Journey

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 30:1-12 (day two)

For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning. v. 5

The beauty of the Psalms is that they acknowledge the gamut of the human experience. They give voice to struggles with family, with sin, with conflict and make you feel as though real people wrote and experienced very similar circumstances to your own. They take the veneer off being “religious” and help make the journey of faith a real one. Life is challenging and sin is real. The psalms give us an avenue to express the height and depth of the journey. The more I read the psalms the more I realize they are written for all of us to aid in each challenge and victory. Every step we take, we can use these words to accompany the chapter we are in.

Kingdom Generosity 2.0

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 66:1-20 (day two)

Come and see the works of God,
Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men. v. 5

We have spent the past six weeks talking about stewardship in our series called Kingdom Generosity. I was struck as I re-read the text for today in light of that study. Much of our study was how we were to shepherd the resources given to us. This passage helped me remember that we are generous because God is generous. He has literally given everything to us – including, and, especially, Jesus. What a joy, then, to have the privilege to point people to God’s goodness. Our task is to tell others “Look how awesome God is!” Not a bad assignment.

Knowing Our Heart

Re:Verse passage – Matthew 25:14–30 (day two)

Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. v. 14

Before looking at the actions of the three servants, let’s consider the gift that the master gives. What possible reason would he have for giving his wealth to people who serve him? It is a miracle of grace that he would divide his treasure to give to people who are not his family. What is even more incredible when you consider the larger context of this parable is that God, who gives us his creation to steward, knows our hearts. He knows our greed and selfishness. Why would he freely give us these things? Unlike the master in this story, God does want us to be his family. He wants us to flourish in his kingdom. This doesn’t always mean in finances, but it does mean that we share in the inheritance of God the Father. Knowing our hearts, he still gave us Jesus. Isn’t that incredible?

Best Work

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 1:26–31, Romans 8:18–22 (day two)

God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. 31 a

When I was in graduate school, our conducting cohort often interacted with different disciplines within the school of music. There was a composition major who was interested in hearing his music performed. He handed the score to our professor and promptly told him “this isn’t my best work.” My professor handed it back to him and said, “when you do your best work, let me know and we will sing it.” There was a time and place for trying out new techniques and arrangements, but the top choral ensemble with limited rehearsal time, wasn’t it.

God didn’t experiment. What we see around us, from the mountains to the valleys, wasn’t a trial run at creation. It was perfect. He made everything, exactly as he desired. When he stopped, he looked and said it was very good. If creation speaks of its creator (Romans 1:20), then it needs to do it well. If God poured himself into his creation to testify to his goodness, then we ought to steward well this gift so that our children can enjoy and give glory to the maker of all things.

Priorities

Re:Verse passage – 2 Corinthians 8:1–9, 2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (day two)
…that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 8:2

We have difficulty prioritizing what is truly important in our society. Faith, for many years now, has been seen almost as a luxury or even a crutch. We often hear the argument that we will come to the church when we have more time, or when we have more need for things like faith. It is the same when it comes to our finances. We will give when we get a bit more ahead, or when the next raise comes, or when we get some debt paid off. You know as well as I do that something will always come along to fill in whatever “extra” is given. Paul is celebrating those believers who have rightly prioritized their giving as a privilege, as an opportunity, as a joy. The Lord has been faithful to you in uncountable ways. Paul’s reminder is that it is not an amount that God is looking for, it is an attitude of worship.

You

Re:Verse passage – 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Romans 12:4-8 (day two)

There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.

All of us have someone that we admire or desire to emulate. They may possess some quality that we would like to see developed in ourselves. We often seek out individuals to mentor us in hopes to refine skills and character traits which will benefit us in some way or another. God often puts these relationships in our lives to help nurture our growth. Ultimately, however, we must discern exactly who we are to be in and through Jesus. We have been created to fill a certain role in God’s kingdom. That should give you courage. You have a purpose. You are uniquely designed to be you. What did God place in your DNA that makes you indispensable? When you look at it in this light, it should give you purpose. God will accomplish his good work, but his plan is for you – the you that he created – to be a part of that plan.

Wise Time

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 5:15–17 (day two)

¹⁵Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,¹⁶making the most of your time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

The key phrase in this Pauline Proverb has to be “do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” When you work with people as long as I have, you quickly discover that not everyone is designed the same. We are all uniquely called and qualified to work out our salvation in the way we were created to accomplish it. This can be frustrating for some. We can fall into a trap of trying to be like Brother A or Sister B. We can listen to sermons on what your time management “should” look like. There are tools that help people manage the chaos of life, to be sure. I have used, and subscribe to a few currently myself. However, they are ways that help me manage what the Lord has given me; but the ultimate authority on my calling is the Lord. If you want to invest in ways to budget your time, I would encourage you, first, to turn to scripture; turn to prayer. There is a wise use of your time, and trusting the Lord to help you navigate the moment by moment and the big picture puzzles is foundational to that wisdom.