For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
As “Reader’s Digest” puts it, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Years ago, a friend of mine proposed that emotions can be manipulated, so as Christians it is our duty to manipulate those around us to be cheerful. There is definitely some truth to that. Whether or not you are cheerful is a choice. What emotions you feel is under your control (not completely, but it is possible to change how you feel). You will feel the emotions which you choose to express. Strive to express those emotions which are positive.
When we find ourselves surrounded by wicked and violent people, let us call out to the Lord for deliverance. When we are threatened with violence, that is the time to call out that the Lord is our God. I will make it my prayer that liars not prosper in this land. I know that God will cause burning coals to fall on those who use violence against the innocent to advance their wicked plots. I will not allow the violent to intimidate me into denying my God.
When Paul and Barnabas healed a crippled man in Lystra, the people thought they were the gods Zeus and Hermes. When Paul and Barnabas realized that the people were going to offer sacrifices to them, they remonstrated with them not to do so. They were barely able to convince the people not to offer sacrifices to them. Yet, a short time later when men from the towns they had most recently preached in arrived, the people of Lystra were convinced to stone Paul, leaving him for dead. Let us remember how easily people can go from loving us to hating us.
Paul and Barnabas left Lystra and preached in Derbe. Then they went back the way they had come and spent time in each of the cities where they had preached, even though they had been driven out of those cities by mobs in the first place. The passage tells us that they appointed elders in the churches (technically, assemblies of believers) of each city. It is worth noting that they turned each elder over to the Lord through prayer and fasting. Once more I am convicted that I do not do enough fasting.
When the widow came to Elisha for help, Elisha did not give her money. Instead he gave her the opportunity to raise money for herself. He told her how to use the resources she had with God’s aid in order to meet her bills. Yes, God worked miraculously, but the widow had to take action as well. Let us use this as our model for helping those in need.