For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
This proverb tells us that a promiscuous woman is dangerous, trying to get more men to be unfaithful. If you have ever met a promiscuous woman, you know that it is true. They prefer men who are in a relationship with other women, especially men who have been faithful. However, the same is true of promiscuous men. Look around at society and you will see that the more people practice sexual immorality the more they wish to convince others to do so as well. Do not fall into that trap by getting started in the first place.
Let us join the psalmist in praising God, calling on everyone to come and see what God has done. The psalmist sums up how we are to witness to others at the end of this psalm.
and I will tell you what he did for me.
I will tell any who will listen what God has done for me. By doing so I hope to encourage those who believe, and convince those who do not.
praising him as I spoke.
When I cry out to God for His help, I will praise Him at the same time. He has done great things for me in the past. I know that He will do great things in the future.
the Lord would not have listened.
If I pretend that I am not a sinner when I call on God for help, He will not listen. It is only when I acknowledge my many sins to Him that He will listen to me. He cannot help us if we fail to acknowledge the areas where we most need help (our sins are our true problems, everything else is just a symptom).
He paid attention to my prayer.
I will continue to seek out unrecognized sins in my life because God has listened. He has paid attention to my prayers. I will seek to identify other areas where my actions fail to please Him, so that He can transform those as well.
I really needed today’s passage because my study (OK, study is probably too strong of a word for it) of what is going on in the world right now is frightening. There are a lot of bad things happening and it looks to me like things will get worse before they get better (with no real evidence that they will get better). However, in this passage Paul reminds us that God HAS a plan. More importantly, God makes everything work out according to His plan. Things do not happen by accident. They happen because they are part of God’s plan. He has chosen us and part of His plan is to give us an inheritance. So, as scary as the world situation may appear today, God has a plan and He is in control. Things will turn out according to His plan.
Paul then goes on to offer the prayer that we might receive the Spirit of wisdom (NIV). That Spirit will cause us to know God even better. It will open our eyes to God’s light so that we will know the great hope which God has given us. Once more, despite how scary things look in the world around us, we have the hope and knowledge that God will use these events to further His plan. That plan involves giving us the same power which raised Jesus from the dead through His Spirit. Let us use that power to further God’s plan to subject all things to Christ.
God is calling on us to shout that He is coming in power. Let our voices be heard. There is no reason to be afraid. Our God is a great God. It was He who created the universe and everything in it. Look at the scale of this universe. On that scale, this earth is insignificant and the nations even more so. There is nothing we can see, or imagine, to which we can compare God. Those who make images and idols are trying to limit God to a scale which they can understand, but such is not possible. God will not be limited.
In chapter 40, verses 29-31 is one of the great statements for us to remember.
and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
Are you at your wits end? Have you become exhausted doing God’s will? He will give you the strength to go on. Trust in Him and do not be afraid. He will not allow your grip to fail. He will not allow you to fall. Turn to Him for the strength you need. He is here to help us and He will not fail us.