I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     Joseph’s testing of his brothers’ change of heart continues in today’s passage. He frames his brother Benjamin to see how his half brothers will react. When his servants overtake his brothers and discover the “stolen” cup in Benjamin’s possession, Joseph’s brothers all return to Egypt. When they get back to Egypt, they tell Joseph that they have all returned to be his slaves. Joseph tells them that only the man who “stole” the cup would be his slave. The rest were free to return to their father in peace. At which point Judah, the brother whose idea it was to sell Joseph into slavery, steps up to beg for his brother’s freedom. Judah makes an impassioned plea for Joseph to make him a slave and allow Benjamin to return to their father.
     All of the brothers stood by Benjamin when trouble arose. An important point to note is that none of the brothers knew that Benjamin had not stolen the cup. Then when their solidarity was not sufficient to save Benjamin, Judah stepped up and offered himself in Benjamin’s place. When that happened, Joseph could no longer contain himself and revealed to his brothers who he was. Joseph’s brothers showed that not only did they regret what they had done to Joseph, but they had changed and were willing to suffer to prevent the same thing from happening to Benjamin.

     Until today, I had never noticed that the reason Jesus attempted to go off by Himself in this passage was because He had just heard that Herod had executed John the Baptist, His cousin. When Jesus suggested to His disciples that they feed the crowd, they responded that they did not have enough food for that many people. This was after they had been sent out to heal the sick and cast out demons. They had seen Jesus do those things and had then done them, but this was something new. How often are we like that? When God calls us to something new, do we lack the faith to believe that He will provide us with the power to do it?
     The story of feeding the 5,000 is followed up with Jesus walking on the water. It is a kind of follow-up to the way the disciples reacted to Jesus telling them to feed the 5,000. This time when Peter sees Jesus walking on the water, he asks Jesus to tell him to come to Him. When Jesus tells Him to come, Peter gets out of the boat and begins walking on the water as well. However, Peter soon stopped focusing on Jesus and began thinking about the danger he was in. That is when he began to be overwhelmed and started to sink. But even then, he called out to Jesus to save Him. There are two important lessons for us as Christians here (actually, there are probably more than that, but I’m just going to look at two of them). First, if we are going to “walk on water” when God calls us to, we need to get out of the boat. That’s one that lots of people talk about, but it’s important enough for me to repeat. Second, when the distractions around us start to overwhelm us, we can call out to Jesus and He will rescue us from the danger that our lack of faith has gotten us into.

     At the beginning of psalm 18 the psalmist told us that he was at his end, about to be overtaken by death and his enemies. Then he called on God for deliverance. In response, God reached down from heaven and struck his enemies. The psalmist was victorious, but not because of his own strength and power. It was only through the strength which God gave him that he was able to stand up and defeat those arrayed against him. The important point of this psalm is that if we remain faithful to God, not only will He rescue us from desperate situations but He will give us the strength to completely defeat those who stand against us. If we are fighting to accomplish the goals which God has set us, we will completely overwhelm every person and force which stands in our way. But we will not do so through our own power, but with the power which God has given us.

The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!
May the God of my salvation be exalted!

     If we seek out wise teachers (and learn from them) and follow those who walk on straight paths, we will not be held back when we walk nor stumble when we run.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     There are a lot of lessons about God’s providence in this passage. One of the most important is the lesson that in times of plenty we should set aside some of our excess for when times are once again hard. God will provide for our needs, but we have to gather when times are good and save against the hard times. I will even say that God will provide for us in the good times enough so that, if we follow His will, we will be in a position to help those in need in the hard times.

     This is the passage from which the idea of “Kill them all, let God sort them out” derives. Although that phrase badly misses the point of what Jesus says here. He does indeed say, “Let God sort them out.” However, His point was that if we pull the “weeds”, we will inadvertently pull some of the “wheat” as well. Then we will lose some of the blessings which God intended for us to receive. The loss of the good that will happen when we try to decide who is “weed” and who is “wheat” is not worth the gain. Jesus message in this passage is, “Don’t kill any of them, let God sort them out (when the time is ripe).”
     Jesus follows this up with two parables about the Kingdom of Heaven that emphasize the fact that we should not underestimate the impact of doing the small things to which God calls us. The fact that we are few, or that something is minor, should not make us think that it is pointless to act. The mustard seed is very small, yet grows into a large bush. Yeast is a minor ingredient in bread, yet it changes the entire loaf. In the same way, we may start out as just a few people, yet if we do God’s will, He will draw many to us and the tasks He assigns us may seem minor, yet they will transform the community around us. Never think that you are too unimportant and insignificant for God to use you to transform the world.
     Finally, Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is a treasure that is worth us sacrificing everything we value to obtain. If we have truly understand the Gospel message, we will find no amount of hardship and suffering too much to gain the rewards it offers.

     Every time I read this psalm it makes me want to cry for joy. The Lord is my strength. I called out to Him in my distress and He saved me. If you have not read this psalm, read it now. It reads like a scene from an action movie: Our hero is about to be dragged to his death by his enemies. He cries out to God and God answers him. The earth quaked and the mountains shook. Smoke and fire poured forth as God descended on the wings of an angel to save the psalmist from his enemies. I cannot do it justice in my paraphrase, the visuals which the psalmist evokes are just so intense.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.

     The best advice a father can give his child, son or daughter, is contained in this proverb: Get wisdom and develop good judgment, never turn your back on wisdom.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     When Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt he came into the house of Potiphar, a powerful and influential man. Joseph was faithful to God and God was with him. As a result, Joseph quickly rose in Potiphar’s household, until he was in charge of everything. Potiphar’s wife soon began desiring Joseph and attempted to seduce him, but Joseph refused. Joseph told her that it would be wrong for him to overstep the bounds which Potiphar had set for him and that doing so would be a sin against God.
     Potiphar’s wife continued to pressure Joseph until one day she caught him in a compromising position, or at least one which she could make appear compromising. Yet Joseph still resisted her advances. She used the circumstances to accuse him of attempting to do what he had refused to do. Once again Joseph ended up in a bad position. The first time he ended up in a cistern and sold into slavery because he had done the wrong thing (bragging to his brothers that they would bow down to him). This time he ended up in a rather nasty prison because he had done the right thing. I am not going to go into much depth about the rest of this passage except to point out that Joseph had learned from his mistake of bragging to his brothers. When he was called before Pharaoh, he emphasized that he had no power to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, but that God was capable of doing so.
     This passage reminds us of how important it is to remain faithful to God in the face of sexual temptation. It also reminds us of the price we may sometimes pay for that faithfulness. It is worth noting that in this story the woman is the sexual predator. Of course, before anyone goes thinking that the Bible singles out women as the ones who always initiate sexual sin, it is worth noting that it was Joseph’s older half-brother Judah who was guilty of sex with someone he thought was a prostitute at the end of yesterday’s passage.

     Jesus told His disciples that they were permitted to understand His message but that a quote from Isaiah applied to many of those around them.

When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.

The quote continues by saying that those to whom it applies closed their own eyes so that they would not see. When I see the people around me who intentionally misconstrue God’s word so that they can ignore His commands it makes me want to cry because I know that God is offering them healing for the hurt they are experiencing. I see people all of the time seeking for something more, yet rejecting God’s message. Jesus told us this would happen in this passage. I pray that God’s Spirit will change the hearts of those who can be made willing to listen. As I write this I think of several of my friends to whom this applies and my heart breaks for them because they will not listen. They refuse to turn to God and let Him heal them. I will continue to pray for them that God’s Spirit may touch their heart.

     I always find this psalm a challenge. I know that when God has examined me that I have done wrong. Nevertheless, I am determined to not sin in what I say. I know that I shall from time to time fail in that determination. However, I also know that God will answer my prayers because I trust in the blood of Jesus. I pray that the day will come when the Holy Spirit will complete my transformation and I will be able to say that when God examines me He will find that I have done no wrong. In the mean time I am grateful for God’s wonderful grace.

     These proverbs are fairly straightforward, the results of being wicked are indistinguishable from being cursed, while the results of doing what is right will be blessings. It will appear as if life itself is mocking those who mock others, while it will be gracious to those who are humble. The wise will be honored, while fools will experience shame.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     We have here the story of Joseph’s early life. Since he was the first son of Rachel, Joseph was Jacob’s favorite. This resulted in him being spoiled. His father gave him gifts that were much nicer than those he gave his other sons and Joseph was a tattletale. Then to compound things, he had dreams which showed him ruling over his brothers, and over his father and mother. Worse, he told his brothers about his dreams, and, while the passage does not say so, I am pretty sure he talked about the obvious interpretation of the dreams and told his brothers he was their better.
     Later his father sent him to get a report about his brothers. When he arrived at where they were, his brothers decided to take out their resentment on him. However, Reuben, the eldest, had second thoughts and convinced the other brothers to throw him in a cistern, intending to return later and let him go. While Reuben was away from the rest of them, Judah had the idea of selling Joseph to a caravan of merchants. When Reuben returned and found Joseph gone, he lost his composure and worried what he would tell his (and Joseph’s) father. However, his brothers convinced him that they should dip Joseph’s coat in blood and send it to their father saying that they had found it.
     There is an important lesson for us in this passage relative to how Joseph handled his dreams, dreams which were messages from God. What we learn is that just because God has revealed something to us, we don’t necessarily have to tell everybody about it.

     A demon possessed man who could not see or speak. Jesus healed the man so that he could both speak and see. The crowds were amazed and began to ask if perhaps He might be the Messiah. The response of the Pharisees was that the only reason He could cast out demons was because He got His power from Satan. Jesus first points out that it makes no sense to believe that Satan would give someone the power to cast out demons, since that would mean that Satan was fighting against himself. He follows up this up by asking them who gives power to their own exorcists. He concludes this argument by telling them that if He casts out demons by the power of God it means that the Kingdom of God is among them. I think that He is suggesting that the reason they are denying that God is working through Him is because they are afraid to face the Kingdom of God in their midst.
     Jesus then tells us that those who are not with Him are against Him. That those who are not working with Him to bring God’s kingdom into this world are working against it. Those who attribute the acts of the Holy Spirit to Satan are committing the one sin which cannot be forgiven. Finally, Jesus tells us that we can judge people by the results of their actions. If others are better off because of what they do, they are good people. On the other hand, if others suffer as a result of their actions they are evil people.

     Who do we hold up as heroes? The successful athlete? The movie or television star? Or do we follow the example of the psalmist and hold up the godly people of the land as our heroes? I will strive to emulate the godly and hold them up for others to do the same. I will not imitate those who worship gods other than God. I will be content with what God has given me, with the inheritance which is mine from Him. No, I will not just be content, I will be glad for what God has given me, whether it is great or small in the eyes of this world.

     This proverb is a wonderful piece of advice about how to live a good life. If you can assist someone who needs help now, do not put it off. Do good for others when the opportunity arises. Further it tells us not to betray those who have reason to trust us. Finally it warns us against admiring those who use violence to advance their interests, or to succumb to the temptation to imitate them.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     I had never really noticed before that Jacob moved back to Bethel just after his sons Simeon and Levi had slaughtered all of the men of the town of Shechem because the son of the ruler had raped their sister. When Jacob learned what they had done, he was afraid that the people of the region would join together to take revenge on them by wiping out his entire family. God reminded Jacob that he had appeared to him once before when he was afraid for his life. Jacob packed up his family and moved to where God had appeared to him on that occasion.
     Jacob gathered his family and ordered them to make a clean breast of things. They were to get rid of all of their idols and all of their objects of worship of gods other than God. He took all of these goods and buried them under a tree near Shechem then they all traveled to Bethel. When they arrived, Jacob built an altar and renewed his relationship with God. Sometimes we need to do things like this. Put aside all of the things which distract us from God and go to a place where God had appeared to us before so that we can renew our relationship with Him. Jacob had named the town where he saw the stairway to heaven “Bethel”, which means the House of God. Where is the place that you think of as the House of God? Is it time for you to visit there once more?

     In this passage Jesus quotes Hosea, “I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.” This was in response to an accusation that His disciples had broken Sabbath Laws. This is followed by a story where the religious leaders are angry because Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath. The point of the two stories in today’s passage about the Sabbath is that God’s Laws are meant to encourage us to do good to those around us not to prevent us from meeting our own basic needs or caring for those in need.
     As an example of how I apply this passage: I avoid shopping on Sundays because I realized a few years ago that the only reason I did so was because I found it convenient to do so. There were times when I did not get my shopping done on Saturday because I figured I could do it on Sunday and there were other things (sometimes just being lazy) that I wanted to do on Saturday. I realized that this took away from my ability to do things related to worshiping God on Sunday, so I made the decision to stop doing so. I do not make this a rule I cannot break. I just plan my week so that I can get my shopping done on the other six days. This is a decision which I have reached and I recognize that others have schedules and needs which may make it necessary for them to shop on Sunday.

     The psalmist gives us a list of characteristics we should desire to make ours:

• live blamelessly

This means not to do the wrong thing.

• do what is right

However, not doing the wrong thing is not enough, we need to do the right thing.

• speak the truth

This is more than just “don’t lie.”

• refuse to gossip

This is often more difficult than it sounds.

• refuse to harm our neighbor

Considering what Jesus says about who are neighbors are, this is pretty comprehensive.

• refuse to speak evil of friends

I don’t think I need to elaborate on this.

• despise vile persons

These are the people who revel in doing nasty things to others

• honour the faithful

This is the flip side of the previous one. All too many despise the faithful and honour the vile.

• keep promises, even when it hurts

Sometimes it is inconvenient to do what you said you would do, do it anyway.

• lend to the poor for no gain

Helping the poor without making them dependent

• refuse bribes to tell lies

It is interesting that it does not just say “refuse bribes.” It appears to suggest that it is OK to accept a bribe to be honest and upright.

     If you want to live a life without fear, always think about what is the wise course of action and seek to understand what is going on around you. As we keep our eyes on God’s wisdom we will not be afraid of sudden disaster, nor ruin. As we seek course that reflects God’s wisdom, we will find ourselves under God’s protection.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     In this passage we are told that Jacob wrestled with God. Jacob was not passive in his relationship with God. He struggled against God, but trusted God and did God’s will. God does not ask us to put aside our intellect or our understanding. It is OK to question God. It is even OK to sometimes doubt God. Our walk with God will not always be easy, sometimes we will have to fight with God and with ourselves in order to understand what God’s will for our lives is.

     Jesus asked the crowd a rhetorical question. He asked them what sort of man they went out into the wilderness to see when they went out to see John. Then He answered His question. People do not go to gain spiritual guidance from someone who spouts what is popular this week, nor from those whose credentials derive from their economic success. Rather people seek out prophets for spiritual advice. Jesus then points out that the opinion leaders of the day are quick to find fault with those who challenge their lifestyles. If the challenger is frugal and lives an ascetic lifestyle they will condemn him as being too severe. If, on the other hand, the challenger enjoys life’s pleasures they will accuse him of being a hedonist.
     We need to remember both of these messages. If we want to reach people for Jesus we need to stand for something and not bend in every wind of popular culture. In addition, if we call people to live according to God’s will, others are going to condemn us for not living the way they think a religious person should…even if that means condemning one person for doing what they condemned another person for not doing.

     The psalmist tells us that only fools are able to convince themselves that there is no God. He goes on to tell us that such people are corrupt and evil, even when they are not obviously so. He goes on to tell us that to a degree we have all made the mistake, at some point, of thinking that God will not judge our actions. There is no one who truly does good, which is why we need God’s saving grace. Those who are willing to learn see that the path of wickedness leads to terror. While those who trust God need not fear because God will protect them.

     God designed the world with wisdom and understanding. He does not call on us to put our minds in park. He built the world so that it can be understood by those who are willing to think and reason and gave us those abilities so that we can learn to know and love Him.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     Jacob gathered his family and set off towards the land of his father while Laban was some distance away. While they were gathering their things, Rachel stole Laban’s household idols and took them with them. When Laban learned of Jacob’s departure he gathered a force and set out in pursuit, apparently planning on forcing Jacob to return to his lands (or perhaps to merely take Jacob’s wealth). However, just before he overtook Jacob, God appeared to Laban and warned him to not harm Jacob in any way. When Laban finally overtook Jacob he confronted Jacob over leaving secretly and stealing his idols. Laban told Jacob that the only reason he was not destroying him for the effrontery was because God had warned him not to the previous night. Jacob said that he was afraid that Laban would prevent him from leaving, or, if he allowed him to leave, would have prevented him from taking his wives, children, and possessions with him. Jacob then denied having taken Laban’s idols.
     Laban searched through Jacob’s possessions for his missing idols, but was unable to find them because Rachel hid them under her seat and claimed it was that time of month when Laban searched her tent. When Laban was unable to find his idols among Jacob’s possessions Jacob lost it with Laban and confronted him by laying out his grievances towards Laban over how Laban had treated him while he was with him. That the only reason Jacob was able to leave Laban with more than the clothes on his back was because God was with him. Laban was afraid to take his conflict with Jacob any further because of the vision he had had the night before, so he made a treaty with Jacob that neither would harm the other and that Jacob would treat Laban’s daughters, Leah and Rachel, well.
     When Jacob departed from Laban, he sent messengers ahead of himself and his family to inform Esau of his coming. The messengers went to Esau and returned to Jacob. When they got back to Jacob, they told him that Esau was coming to meet him with an army of 400 men. Jacob was terrified and made preparations so that at least part of his family might escape. Then Jacob called on God acknowledging all the good which God had done him and that he was unworthy of the blessings which God had given him. Jacob concluded his prayer by asking God to save him once more, to rescue him from his brother Esau. Let us follow the model which Jacob offers us with this prayer.

     Jesus begins today’s passage by reminding us that the student is not greater than the teacher nor is the servant greater than the master. Since Jesus was called the prince of demons, we can expect to be called much worse. If we truly understand why we should fear God, who is the only one who can destroy our souls, we will not fear those who can only bring harm to our bodies. We need to bear in mind that not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without God being aware of it. This means that we should have no fear because God values us much more than He values sparrows.
     If we acknowledge our relationship with Christ here on earth, He will acknowledge our relationship before God in heaven. But if we deny our relationship with Christ here on earth, He will deny our relationship before God in heaven. Those who show kindness and hospitality to use are showing kindness and hospitality to Christ, those who show kindness and hospitality to Christ are showing kindness and hospitality to God the Father. Then to make sure we understand His point, Jesus tells us that those who are receptive to a prophet because he is speaking the word of God will receive the same reward as the prophet himself. Those who are receptive to a righteous person because the person is righteous will receive the same reward as the righteous person.

     The psalmist was struggling with depression when he wrote today’s psalm. He recognized that the first step to facing and defeating depression is to trust and praise God. I will sing to the God, for He has rescued me. I may not see His rescue yet, but I know that the wheels are in motion.

     Wisdom offers long life, riches, and honor. Following the path of wisdom leads to a life of satisfaction and fulfillment. It is by choosing wisdom that we are able to find joy and happiness for the long term.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     When Jacob’s eleventh son, Joseph, is born, Jacob negotiates with Laban for wages once more (he received Leah and Rachel as his wives from his initial negotiations). Jacob and Laban agree that all of the speckled and spotted goats, and all of the black sheep in the herds which Jacob tends for Laban will be Jacob’s going forward. However, Laban knows something about genetics, so, before the agreement starts, he removes all of the goats and sheep which have the characteristics which would mark them as Jacob’s from the flocks which Jacob tends. Jacob, however, took actions which increased the likelihood that the strongest lambs and kids born to the remaining sheep and goats under his care would express the characteristics which made them his. He was successful in doing this to such a degree that Laban’s sons were jealous of his success.
     God blessed Jacob despite Laban’s attempt to cheat him. Modern knowledge of genetics suggests that Jacob’s tricks to get more spotted and speckled goats and black sheep would have had no impact on the numbers of such offspring, nevertheless, Jacob’s flocks increased. The message I take from this passage is that God will look out for our interests, even if those around us attempt to cheat us.

     Jesus sent out the twelve apostles, the Greek term here means something along the lines of “sent ones”, to minister to the people of Israel. He gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal physical problems. They were empowered to address the mental and physical problems of those they encountered. Jesus sent them out into the world to bring healing to the sick, to raise the dead, to cast out evil spirits, and to preach that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.
     This passage applies to us today in one way or another. Just as we have freely received from God the means to meet our needs, so we are to freely give to those in need, whether that need is physical, mental, or spiritual. Part of me says that not all of us are apostles, those sent by God. That some of us are called to be those in whose homes the apostles stay. And this is true. Yet part of me says that we are all sent out by Jesus to be His ambassadors, His messengers, His apostles. And this is also true. There are times when we are to accept hospitality as we deliver God’s message to those around us. And there are times when we are to provide hospitality to those who are bringing God’s message.
     There is a part of this passage that I am convinced wholly applies to all of us. When Jesus says that He is sending them out as sheep among wolves, He is talking to all of us. As He sends us forth into the world, He wants us to be innocent, but not naive. There is another very important message for us in this passage. Jesus tells us that we will be persecuted for our faith. He follows that up by telling us that when we are brought before the authorities, we should not worry about what we will say, the Spirit will speak through us, giving us the words to convey God’s message for that situation. I believe that this statement applies not just to when we are arrested, but also to any time when we are forced to make a statement. On the other hand, this instruction from Jesus is not meant to apply to those occasions when we choose to make a statement. In the latter case, we should very carefully select our words and plan what we will say, while allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us.

     We may live in a society that honors the wicked and rewards those who lie, but the psalmist reminds us that God will protect the oppressed and rise up to save the helpless. The wicked may think that none are able to stop them, but God will bring judgment upon them in the fullness of time. I will not be deceived into thinking that lies, deceit, and violence are the path to an easy life.

     Some people expend their energy searching for gold, silver, precious gems, or other physical treasures. I will spend my energy seeking wisdom because it is more valuable than all of those combined. Wisdom will return benefits far beyond those of any material wealth.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     While Jacob was on his way to his Uncle Laban’s he had a dream one night in which God appeared to him. When he woke up from the dream, Jacob said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” How often are we guilty of the same thing? Of being unaware that the Lord is in this place? All too often we forget that wherever we are, God is there as well. There is no place on the face of this earth where we can accurately say, “God is not in this place.” I will strive each day at every place that I find myself to remember that surely the Lord is in this place.
     The Lord is my God because He has been with me and protected me on my journey. He has provided me with food and clothing. He will lead me safely home to my Father’s house.

     In today’s passage we have four stories of Jesus healing people. A leader of a synagogue approached Jesus because his daughter had just died. He came to Jesus because he believed that if Jesus came and laid hands on his daughter, she would live once more. While Jesus was on the way to his house, a woman who had suffered for 12 years approached and touched his cloak. She was convinced that if she could just touch the hem of His cloak she would be healed. When Jesus got to the synagogue leader’s house, the people who had gathered to help the man mourn the death of his daughter laughed at Jesus for suggesting that the girl might live. It probably never occurred to them that by doing so they were laughing at the man they had come to comfort in his loss. As he left the man’s house two blind men followed Him to the place where He was staying, begging Him to have mercy on them. Finally, some people brought a man to Him who could not speak. The passage says that he could not speak because he was possessed by a demon, which suggests that there were more problems with him than just an inability to speak.
     In each of these cases, faith lead to action and action lead to healing. The little girl lived because her father believed that Jesus could heal her. In the face of ridicule, he went to Jesus and asked Him to come raise his daughter back to life. The woman was healed because she believed that just touching the barest edge of Jesus’ cloak could bring her healing. She went to where Jesus was and approached Him through the crowd so that she might touch Him. The blind men believed that Jesus could give them back their sight, so they followed Him to where He was staying to ask it of Him. The friends or family of the demon-possessed man believed that Jesus could drive out the demon, so they brought the man to Jesus. In each of these cases, the people acted upon their beliefs and were healed. Their faith was necessary for them to receive healing, but it was only when they acted on the basis of that faith that they received healing. If you want to receive healing, act on your faith.
     These four stories of faith are followed by an account of how, while Jesus had been teaching to vast throngs and healing the sick, He turned to His disciples and told them that there were not enough workers to do God’s work. They were to pray to God that He send more workers. Are we willing to pray this prayer as Jesus instructs us? Do we have faith that God will answer our prayer if we pray this prayer? Finally, are we willing to act on our faith so that our prayer may be fulfilled? If we want God to send more workers into His fields, we need to be prepared when God tells us that we are the workers He has chosen to send. Because we are the workers He has chosen to send. Will we do the work He has sent us to do?

     This psalm seems to me to be the answer to some of the things I read in the news and in posts I see on the Internet. People are saying we must run to the hills or other remote places, prepare to defend ourselves and our possessions because the foundations of law and order are being destroyed. While I see the same things they see, my response to them is the same as the psalmist’s: I trust in the Lord for my protection.
     As bad as things may seem, God still rules from heaven. He sees what is going on and watches what everyone does. The wicked may seem to prosper for a time, but God sees their actions and will bring judgment down upon them. On the other hand the righteous will see His face and live. God is in charge and will be my protection

     The writer reminds us not to be upset with God when He disciplines us by bringing hardship into our lives. Just as a father who loves his children will discipline his child in order to keep it safe, or to teach the child necessary life lessons, so will God discipline us in order to teach us how to live our lives to the fullest.