Monthly Archives: June 2016

Daily Bible Study

June 21, 2016 Bible Study — How Do We Respond When God Calls Us?

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I am considering the way in which my approach to writing this blog changes over time. I noticed that the first couple of days there was a particular pattern to the way I was approaching my study of the Psalms. I can see that it has already changed as I write today’s blog.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 23-31.

    Today we start with Psalms 23, one of the most familiar passages from Scripture. I do not know why it struck me today, but in verse 3 it says:

He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.

This reminded me that God guides us along paths which bring honor to His name. This helps us know which path God wishes us to follow, it is the one which will bring honor to His name. If we honor God, He will honor us.

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    I love the way in which Psalms 24 opens, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” When deciding how we treat this earth and the people who live on it we must remember that they belong to God. Let us treat the things in this world as if we truly believe that they are God’s and that He will hold us accountable for how we treat them. Treating God’s property with proper respect is part of what the Psalmist means when he says that those who seek God must have pure hearts and pure hands. We must not worship idols because that is treating something that belongs to God as if it belongs to itself.

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    God shows us the right path for us to follow. If we trust God enough to follow the path which He shows us we will not be disgraced. No matter how great our distress, if we act with integrity and seek to do as God directs, He will rescue us and forgive us our past sins. Let us seek to be in a relationship with God. I love how the psalmist puts it:

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

Are we eager to talk with God when He calls out to us? Do we strive above all else to live in the presence of God? If we do so, when we cry out to Him, He will hear and He will respond. He will give us strength and He will comfort us in our grief. He is my God and I will trust in Him.

Daily Bible Study

June 20, 2016 Bible Study — When We Cry Out To God, He Will Come To Our Rescue

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. Yesterday I commented how my approach to what I write each day changes. I was not entirely sure that I liked that when I wrote that yesterday. However, I realized today that I definitely like the way my writing has changed as I am reading Psalms. I am curious to see if my current approach lasts all of the way through Psalms.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 18-22.

    Psalms 18 and 22 have a similar theme. Both psalms are written from the perspective of someone who has reached the end of their rope, who can hang on no longer. Psalms 18 is written after God has answered their cry and saved them. Psalms 20 is written from the perspective of someone who is in the middle of their trouble, feeling abandoned. I love the imagery the psalmist uses in Psalm 18 to describe God coming to the rescue of His faithful follower who has cried out to Him in desperation. In Psalms 18 the psalmist declares that he praises God for the great things God has done for him. On the other hand, Psalm 22 is a great declaration of faith. The psalmist is in the midst of his trial, unable to take any more suffering. Yet, he declares that he WILL praise God in the assembly. He declares that God has not and will not ignore the suffering of the needy. God will listen to their cries for help and save them. Lord give me the strength to trust in You when trouble finds me, and give me the faithfulness to declare to all when You have rescued me.

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    In between those two we have Psalms 19, 20, and 21. Their only common theme is the need to praise and worship God. As I sit here looking over my back yard with the trees thrusting up into the blue sky, I read Psalms 19 telling us that the heavens silently make God known and all I can say is “Amen!” In a world which is becoming scarier studying God’s instructions and commands brings us hope and joy. Yes, I will echo the psalmist’s cry, “Oh Lord, do not let the sins which lurk in my heart control me.”
    Psalms 20 I want to remember because it is one of the great blessings. If ever I need to give a toast or a blessing I want to remember to use Psalms 20:1-5. Right now I am praying it for anyone reading this blog today.

Daily Bible Study

June 19, 2016 Bible Study — The Foundations Of Law and Order Have Collapsed

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I just noticed how my approach to writing these studies changes over time. Sometimes I write about the message I see in the passage. Sometimes I write a summary of what the passage contains. Sometimes I write about how the passage inspires me. And sometimes my writing follows some other line of thought.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 10-17.

    As I read these psalms this morning they struck me as being so apt with what is going on right now. After the shootings in San Bernardino in December, one newspaper had a headline that really hit where all too many people are. It read “God Isn’t Fixing This.” Psalm 10 goes straight to the mindset behind how most people read such a headline.

The wicked are too proud to seek God.
They seem to think that God is dead.
Yet they succeed in everything they do.
They do not see your punishment awaiting them.
They sneer at all their enemies.
They think, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us!
We will be free of trouble forever!”

Yet, time and again bad things happen. They never see the connection between their failure to honor and fear God and the bad things which happen. God will arise and He will punish the wicked.

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    Then Psalms 11 warns us against a response that is always tempting in such a world. The foundations of law and order have collapsed. It is oh so tempting to flea to the mountains to get away from the dangers which arise when that happens. But the psalmist reminds us that God will protect us if we keep our faith in Him. He still rules from heaven and will bring justice. In Psalms 12 I see yet more reflections of our society today. The wicked strut about and evil is praised throughout the land. But even so, God will protect the oppressed. If we trust in God’s unfailing love we will continue to call out to Him in prayer, even as the voices of our society are saying, “What good is prayer? We need action.” While they are not wrong in thinking that prayer is not sufficient, it is the place to start. If we pray and call on God, He will guide us in what action we should take.

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    Psalms 14 tells us that only fools say in their heart that there is no God. In this world today I see more and more such fools. So few are truly wise. So few seek God. Even in such a world, I will seek to do God’s will. I will seek to stand up and worship Him. I will sing to the Lord because He is good to me.

Daily Bible Study

June 18, 2016 Bible Study — Start The Day By Praising God

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I just noticed how my approach to writing these studies changes over time. Sometimes I write about the message I see in the passage. Sometimes I write a summary of what the passage contains. Sometimes I write about how the passage inspires me. And sometimes my writing follows some other line of thought.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 1-9.

    I have never read these psalms as a single devotion before. When I first read through them this morning they seemed a jumble with no coherent theme, but then I re-read them. I did not exactly find a theme. I did, however, find a thread which ran through them. In the first psalm we are reminded to not take the advice of the wicked, or spend all of our time with sinners. In the second psalm, we are warned that we will be unable to succeed in rebellion against God. All of our actions will serve God’s purposes whether we choose to do so or not. The third psalm reminds us that it is never futile to trust in God. It may seem that all hope is lost, but if we put our faith in God He will not fail us.

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    Psalms four tells us that God will protect our reputations, if we control ourselves when we get angry. Rather than respond at once when angered, let us stay in control of ourselves and avoid sinning by allowing our anger to cool before we act. Psalms five instructs us to bring our requests to God in the morning and wait for Him to reply. If we start our days by meditating on God’s words, bringing our petitions before Him, and listening for His reply, God will lead us in the right path. Psalms six instructs us to throw ourselves upon God’s mercy when we suffer and to grieve over the sins we have committed.

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    Psalms seven calls on everyone to repent of their sins, warning us that God will bring justice to those who continue in their sin. Psalms eight tells us to see God’s great majesty and power in the universe around us. When we look at what God has made we cannot help but be awed by His power and majesty. Psalms nine calls on us to praise God and remember that He will bring justice for the oppressed.

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    When I started writing this today, I had an idea about how I would express my thoughts. The actual writing did not come out as I had thought that it would. However, there are two things which come out of this for me. First, I need to strive to start my days in prayer and praise, not just reading the scripture. Second, I need to strive harder to allow my anger to cool before I respond to those around me, whether with words or with action.

Daily Bible Study

June 17, 2016 Bible Study — We Cannot Know Enough to Understand All Of God’s Reasons

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on Job 38-42.

    After all of this time where Job and his friends were debating, God answers Job. God asks Job a series of questions. Science has provided us with answers to some of these questions, but many of them are beyond the ability of science, or any other method, to answer. Job had demanded that God explain to him why he was suffering, just as we often demand to know why some tragedy has happened. Here God is telling us that, sometimes, we do not know enough to understand the answer. When God confronted Job he recognized that he was wrong to question God’s judgment and justice. While Job was wrong in questioning God’s justice, three of his friends had been wrong in the way in which they attempted to defend God by condemning Job. God told Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar that they needed to request Job to intervene for them with Him because they had been wrong in their accusations against Job. It has always struck me as strange that Elihu is not mentioned either here or at the beginning of the Book.

Daily Bible Study

June 16, 2016 Bible Study — I Have Sinned, But I Will Sin No More?

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on Job 34-37.

    I am not sure that Elihu is completely fair to Job, but he makes many good points. He speaks of god’s justice and His power. However, the thing that spoke to me the most was what Elihu says in chapter 34 verses 31 and 32:

Why don’t people say to God, ‘I have sinned,
but I will sin no more’?
Or ‘I don’t know what evil I have done—tell me.
If I have done wrong, I will stop at once’?

The essence of Elihu’s monologue is that no one can say that they are innocent before God. So, in a way, he is saying something similar to Job’s other friends. The key difference being that he does not claim to be without sin while accusing Job of sin. Further the verses I quoted above indicate that we may not be aware of what sins we have committed. We should ask God to show us, so that we can stop committing them, whatever sins they are. Each and every one of us has sinned. None of us is better than another in that respect. It is not our place to condemn others for their sins. We are to acknowledge our sins and strive to commit them no more, and to challenge those around us to do likewise. On a daily basis I call on the Holy Spirit to give me the strength to live that way. I pray for God to fully enter into my life and thus fully drive sin out. I know that I can only succeed in being able to honestly say, “I will sin no more” through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Daily Bible Study

June 15, 2016 Bible Study — If We Do Not Hear God’s Voice, It Is Because We Are Not Listening

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on Job 29-33.

    Once more Job declares his innocence. It is worth reading through chapter 31 and seeing the list of sins which he believed would have justified his suffering. More than one of those sins was a sin of omission rather than a sin of commission. That is, Job considered it just as much of a sin to fail to do the right thing as it was to do the wrong thing. When Job finished speaking his three friends had nothing more to say. They were unable to list a specific sin which Job had committed. However, a fourth friend, who had not been mentioned until now, speaks up. He speaks humbly, acknowledging that he is not wiser than Job or the others, nor does he claim greater stature. In fact, he emphasizes that he is no better than Job. Elihu confronts Job’s accusation that God is silent. He tells Job that God speaks again and again. It is just that we do not recognize His voice. The main point here is that if we do not hear God’s voice it is because we are not listening. Often the reason we do not hear God’s voice when He speaks to us is because we do not like what He is saying.

Daily Bible Study

June 14, 2016 Bible Study — The Fear of the Lord Is True Wisdom

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on Job 22-28.

    Eliphaz starts to conjecture about what sin Job must be guilty of. He still has no basis for these accusations except for the fact of Job’s suffering. Eliphaz conjectures that Job must have committed one or more of several sins against the poor and powerless. Job continues to maintain his innocence and expresses the desire to make his case before God. Bildad further responds that God is glorious and righteous and that no man is innocent before God. While Bildad was right, his statement brings no comfort to Job’s suffering. It had become more important to Bildad to win the argument than to offer Job useful advice. And here is where we need to admire Job, in the depths of all of his suffering, of feeling put upon by God, he vows to continue to obey God’s commands and to speak no evil. Job reminds his friends, and us, that for all of their attempts to appear wise they have missed one thing. True wisdom is fear of the Lord and those with true understanding forsake evil.

Daily Bible Study

June 13, 2016 Bible Study — I Know That My Redeemer Lives

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on Job 16-21.

    Job’s friends continue to argue that he must have sinned because he is suffering. Actually, they argue that the wicked always suffer and the good never do. Job replies that he is innocent and that God must defend his innocence because no one else will stand up for him. Once more Job calls for a mediator between himself and God. As Christians we know that he did indeed have an advocate in heaven who stood before God and argued on his behalf. Then in chapter 19 verses 25 through 27 Job expresses one of the great thoughts of the Bible:

But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
and he will stand upon the earth at last.
And after my body has decayed,
yet in my body I will see God!
I will see him for myself.
Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.
I am overwhelmed at the thought!

This is such a great thought. One of my favorite hymns is based upon this passage. We will indeed see him for ourselves.

Daily Bible Study

June 12, 2016 Bible Study — Can the Dead Live Again?

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on Job 11-15.

    Zophar also accuses Job of being a sinner, solely on the basis of the fact that Job is suffering. Zophar’s logic is as follows: Job is suffering, therefore he must have sinned. As a matter of fact, as bad as Job is suffering, he probably deserves even worse. This is faulty logic. While it is true that actions have consequences and that what we are experiencing is usually a consequence of actions we have taken, not everyone who is suffering is doing so as a result of them doing wrong. Sometimes people suffer for doing right and sometimes people suffer for no reason that we can discern.

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    Job’s response starts out somewhat sarcastic, commending them for their great wisdom and advice, when in fact they have told him nothing that is not well known and given him no advice upon which he can act. All they have told him is, “Confess your sins, whatever they are.” Yet when Job tells them that he does not know any sins he has committed all they can tell him is that he must have committed some sins, otherwise he would not be suffering. Job goes on to say that he knows that his suffering comes from the hand of God. He wants to make his case before God so that he can find out what sin he might have committed and amend his ways. If his friends can tell him what he has done wrong, he will gladly amend his ways, but if they cannot they should remain silent.

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    I was going over this and writing my thoughts as I read when I came to Chapter 14 verse 14 (and following). There Job asks a question, “Can the dead live again?” He then explores what it would mean if the answer is “Yes”. If the answer is “yes” (and it is indeed “yes”), then we can have hope in the suffering we experience in this life and we can eagerly await the release of death. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians that if there is no resurrection of the dead, the entire Christian message is based on a lie. There is indeed a resurrection of the dead and therefore the things which Job says here are true. We are God’s handiwork and He yearns for us. God has offered to seal our sins away from us and cover them over with the blood of Jesus. He has called to us and all we need to do is answer. Then He will guard our steps for God has no desire to watch for our sins.