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.