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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Proverbs 10:20-21     Do I value what the righteous people around me have to say? And, am I afraid of being held in poor regard by the wicked? If we listen to what the righteous have to say, we will be encouraged and prosper. Fools come to destruction because they discount the advice they receive from the righteous.

Psalm 44:9-26     Sometimes God’s plans for us seem cruel. We do not always face roses and parades when we follow God. We may not understand what God is doing in our lives, but God’s love is unfailing and He will rescue us. Actually, I am reminded of a thought I had while listening to a song. The song said that God turns ashes to gold, and there is truth to that. However, as I listened to that song I realized that too often we look at the ashes around the crucible, rather than at the gold which God used the fire to purify. When I have passed through the fires which God is using to purify me, I will strive to look at the gold he has brought to light, rather than at the ashes that are all that remain of the dross He destroyed to free that gold. (I know, I am not keeping my metaphor clean there, but I think you can understand what I am saying).

Mark 10:13-31     Mark recounts how some parents wanted to bring their children to Jesus for Him to bless them. His disciples rebuked the parents for wasting Jesus’ time. When Jesus saw what the disciples were doing, He was angry. He told them (and us) not to interfere with children coming to Him. I am a firm believer in adult baptism and am disturbed when I see young children being pressured to “make a decision for Jesus.” I think it is very important that someone be old enough to truly understand the decision they are making and to count the cost (as Jesus elsewhere tells us to do before we choose to follow Him). However, this passage makes clear that parents should bring their children to Jesus and that Jesus welcomes the children.

Leviticus 24-25:46     God commands the people of Israel to observe a Sabbath year and a Year of Jubilee. During the Sabbath year they are not to plant their fields or prune their grape vines. They are not to gather the grain which grows on its own into barns nor harvest the grapes that grow. They are allowed to eat what grows on its own, but they are not to cultivate anything during that year. In response to their fear that they will not have enough to eat God promises them that He will bless them with a surplus in the sixth year sufficient to tide them over.
The Year of Jubilee was to occur every 50 years. It was to be a Sabbath Year with additional provisions. It was to be a year of restoration where those who had done well would restore those who had suffered misfortune. The provisions can be analyzed many different ways, but the key concept is that we do not truly own anything. It all belongs to God and we are merely allowed to make use of it in trust from Him. The whole concept of the Year of Jubilee is a reminder that we are to use every thing which comes into our possession to bring glory to God.

     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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Proverbs 10:15-16

     This passage is a reminder that while acquiring wealth offers a bulwark against life’s storms, living a righteous life is more important than any amount of money.

Psalm 41:1-13

     This psalm follows on the proverbs passage so well. Its beginning so perfectly captures the message of the proverbs I just read. While wealth provides a bulwark against life’s storms, the key to making the most of it is to use that wealth to help the poor face those same storms. If we serve the Lord by using whatever wealth comes our way to assist those less fortunate than ourselves, God will bless us in ways beyond imagining (those blessings may include wealth, but are not primarily wealth).

Mark 7:24-8:10

     This passage concludes with Jesus feeding another large crowd starting with a small amount of food. Once again when Jesus asks His disciples to feed the crowd, they object that they cannot find enough food in the remote region they are in. And once again, Jesus asks them to share what little food they have. Jesus had the crowd sit on the ground, then He took the loaves of bread they had, blessed them, and gave them to distribute among the people. When He did this someone brought forth a few small fish, which Jesus blessed and gave to the disciples to distribute as well. When all had eaten their fill, they collected more leftovers than the amount of food they had started with.
     The disciples had seen Jesus feed a large crowd with a small amount of food once before and they had seen His many miracles. They had even been empowered by Him to go out and perform similar miracles. Yet, when He asked them to feed the crowd, their initial reaction was, “How can we do that?” How often are we the same way? We have seen how God has provided for our needs and how He has accomplished wonders, yet when He calls on us to serve others, all too often, our response is, “I do not have enough money, enough skill, enough…?” Isn’t it time we learned that when God calls on us to act, not only will He give us enough to do what He asks, but we will usually end up with a surplus?

Leviticus 16:29-18:30

     This passage contains a prohibition against anyone among the people of Israel offering sacrifices anywhere but at the Tabernacle (whether to God or otherwise). This prohibition served two purposes. First it was to ensure that no one offered sacrifices to other gods while pretending that they were sacrifices to God. The second purpose was to ensure the unity of the people. Overall this part of this passage is a reminder of the importance of worshiping within the larger body of those who serve God. It is important to gather together with our fellow believers on a regular basis to worship God. It is too easy to drift into self-serving understandings of God if we do not test our beliefs with others who are also striving to serve God.
     The passage then tells the people of Israel not to fall into any of the many negative sexual practices of the people of the land of Canaan. It is in this passage which God told the Israelites that homosexual sex was wrong, but homosexual sex was fairly far down the list. In a way if we look at this, we see that by the time we get to God forbidding homosexual behavior we have already broken many of his prohibitions about improper sexual behavior. All too often, we as Christians look the other way at what we consider “lesser” sexual sins, but draw the line at homosexual behavior. If we wish to be a prophetic witness to society about sexual behavior we need to be faithful on all aspects of sexual behavior, not just homosexual acts.

     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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Proverbs 10:11-12

     These proverbs are useful for analyzing my behavior. When I speak, do people find my words a life-giving fountain, or am I using them to hide violent intentions? Do my actions and words stir up conflict, or do they soothe the offenses that others have taken? If we are not sure that the answer to the first question is the former and to the second question is the latter, let us strive harder to make it so.
     It is my goal to speak words of life to everyone I meet on all occasions. Further, it is my goal to help others look past offenses and forgive them. I will strive to make peace between those who are angry with one another.

Psalm 40:1-10

     If we wait patiently for the Lord, He will turn to us and answer our cry. This is such a hard lesson to learn. He has done it for me before. When I waited patiently for Him, He raised me out of despair and set me on solid ground, showing me the path He had for me to follow. Let me live my life so that others will see what He has done for me and put their trust in Him. I have told people about God’s justice, but at times I have been afraid to speak out. Oh Lord, do not let me be afraid to speak any longer, do not allow me to keep your good news hidden in my heart. Compel me to share your faithfulness and saving power with all whom I meet. When I die, let it be said of me at my funeral, “He told everyone of your unfailing love and faithfulness.”

Mark 6:30-56

     When the apostles returned from the preaching tour Jesus had sent them on Jesus attempted to withdraw to a quiet place to debrief them. However, the crowds saw where they were going and met them when they got there. This passage contains one the most powerful images of those who came to hear Jesus teach. “They were like sheep without a shepherd.” This is a terrible indictment of the leaders of the day, especially the religious leaders. The thing is, it is also true of many people today. When I look at society around me, I see people being preyed upon because no one is acting as a shepherd to protect them from the predators of this world. Rather than being protected by those who shepherd them and lead them to pastures where they can thrive I see them being led by those who prey upon them and have no care for their well-being.
     I noticed something about the feeding of the 5,000 that I have never noticed before. I am sure that others have noticed it and commented on, but I have never come across it before. When the disciples asked Jesus to send the crowd away so that those in it could get food, Jesus told them to feed the crowd. The disciples replied that did not have enough money to get food to feed them all. Jesus told them to find out how much food they had. When the disciples returned with their five loaves of bread and two fish, Jesus had them sit the crowd down and shared the food out to the crowd. The point I never noticed is that Jesus asked the disciples to share their food with the crowd even though it was obviously not enough to feed everyone. When they followed His command, not only was there enough for everyone there were twelve basketfuls left over. The point here is that when we are evaluating an action, the first question to ask ourselves is not, “Is it practical?” The first question to ask ourselves is, “What does God want us to do?” This does not mean that we should not consider what is practical, but it means that just because something does not seem practical it is not what God wants us to do. Sometimes we need to step out in faith and trust God to make things work. Five loaves and two fish were clearly not enough to feed over 5,000 people. Yet when they gave them to Jesus, He gave them back and somehow not only was everyone fed, but more was left over than what they started with.

Leviticus 14:1-57

     The passage describes the procedure those who have been cleansed of serious skin disease are to follow. It is an acknowledgement that God has shed His grace on them by cleansing them of disease. This is followed by a description of what to do if a house has been contaminated with mildew. The mold/mildew described is known today to present a health risk to those who live in a house so contaminated. The passage describes how to repair such a house so as to eliminate the contamination, including determining that the house is so thoroughly contaminated that it is not repairable.

     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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Proverbs 10:8-9

     If you are trying to decide if you are wise or foolish, ask yourself this question, how do you feel about someone giving you instructions? Are you happy to listen to(and follow) those instructions? Or are you too busy telling them what you think about the subject?

Psalm 38:1-22

     Do we feel about our sins the way the psalmist felt about his? Does the very thought of our sins make us physically sick? Are we willing to confess our sins? Do we feel remorse and sorrow for them? Do we turn to God and ask Him for His forgiveness?

Mark 5:21-43

     This passage contains two stories of faith. The first is a father who is desperate to save his daughter. the second is a woman who had been suffering for years. In both cases they turned to Jesus. The woman’s thought was, “If I can just touch His rob, I will be healed.” Do we have that kind of faith? There is a truth here that we all need to remember. If we get close to Jesus and “touch His robe” we will be healed. Do we desire Jesus’ touch the way this woman did? There is something more for us to see here as well. When the woman came to Jesus, her suffering was over because of her faith. She had faith that Jesus could relieve her suffering and as a result He did. Do we have faith that Jesus can relieve our suffering?
     In the other story, people came to the father and told him it was too late, that not even Jesus could help any longer. Jesus had a message for him, them, and us. “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” No matter how bad things appear. Do not let people tell you it is too late. Just have faith. The crowd may laugh at us, but Jesus’ touch can make things better, no matter how far gone it all is. Everyone thought the man’s daughter was dead, but Jesus said she was sleeping. He took her hand, told her to get up, and she got up and walked around. If we know those who need Jesus’ touch, let us have faith that He can heal them. It is never too late for them to take His hand. Two people were healed in this story. One went to Jesus, touched Him and was healed. For the second, someone brought Jesus to them, He touched them and they were healed. Do you need healing? Go to Jesus and reach out to Him. He will heal you. Do you know someone who needs healing? Bring Jesus to them. He will reach out to them and heal them. In either case, just have faith.

Leviticus 11-12:8

     This passage gave the people of interest a list of animals they could and could not eat. In addition to listing many of the animals they were allowed and not allowed to eat, the passage explained what distinguished between these groups, going so far as to offer examples. Looking at the list it quickly becomes apparent that those which they were not allowed to eat posed a significant health risk if eaten (especially when we consider the food storage and preparation techniques available to them). In the modern day we have seen why it is not a good idea to eat just any animal. There have been several outbreaks of disease that resulted from people eating animals that it is unwise to eat. One interesting things about these outbreaks is that they were not the result of the impoverished eating whatever they could lay their hands on. Rather most(if not all) of them were the result of people who were eating these creatures as a delicacy.

     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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Proverbs 10:6-7

     If you want people to think well of you after you are gone (whether dead or merely traveled elsewhere), live a godly life. The names of the wicked are forgotten, or remembered as curse words.

Psalm 37:30-40

     The psalmist contrasts the godly and the wicked. The godly are trusted. They offer wise advice that will help those who listen succeed. The wicked, on the other hand, are looking for an excuse to bring down the godly. They seek to bring down others to make themselves look better. Trust in the Lord and live your life according to His commands and you will do well. The wicked may seem to thrive, but no sooner do they rise to prominence than they are gone. I will seek refuge in the Lord.

Mark 4:26-5:20

     Mark recounts two of Jesus’ parables about the Kingdom of God. The first one tells us that we will not, and cannot understand, how our actions will lead to the growth of the Kingdom. It is not our job to understand how it works. We are to do the things which God directs us to do and allow His Spirit to cause the Kingdom to grow just as a farmer does not need to understand how a plant grows, he just needs to plant the seeds at the proper time in the proper place. The second parable tells us that seemingly insignificant actions can have tremendous results. We need to do the small things that come our way each day because they have impact way out of proportion to their seeming significance.
     I have to touch on Jesus calming the storm. As He and His disciples crossed the lake, a storm came up. The storm was intense and the disciples were sure that they were going to die. Jesus, on the other hand, slept through it. Most of the time when we read this we talk about the fact that Jesus was able to calm the storm, but I don’t think that is entirely the point here. Jesus was able to sleep through the storm because He knew that the Father was in control. He knew that God had plans for Him and did not worry about the storms which might arise in the meantime. Jesus’ question to the disciples about their faith was about why were they worried and afraid. Didn’t they know that God was looking after them? Do we have the faith to trust that God will see us through the troubles this life brings our way?

Leviticus 9:7-10:20

     Once Aaron and his sons had been ordained, they took up the responsibilities of making the offerings for the people. Our dedication of ourselves to God is not just for our benefit. They did not go through the process of being cleansed and made holy before God for their own benefit. They went through this process in order to be of service to others. The same it true for us. God does not bring us to Him through Christ just for our benefit, but in order to prepare us to serve others.