For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
It is not our place to seek revenge for the wrongs which have been committed against us. God will avenge us if we have been wronged. If we seek revenge for perceived wrongs, we risk being guilty of committing wrongs against the innocent, because we may be mistaken about who was responsible, or even about the nature of what happened. If we allow God to avenge the wrongs done to us we can be sure that those who suffer are those who deserve it.
When my heart hears God ask me to come and talk with Him, I respond. But how often has God asked me to come and talk with Him when I was not listening. I am determined to be listening when God calls me to come and talk with Him in the future. God will not forsake us, not even when our own parents do so. I will learn how to live from God’s instructions. I will seek His guidance along the paths of life. I will wait for God to show me the way before I begin my journey.
The message Paul delivers here is one we need to always remember. The world is convinced that the Gospel message is foolishness. The Gospel teaches that victory comes through Jesus death. This is foolishness to those who have not been saved. How can victory be obtained by allowing yourself to be killed? God did not bring about our salvation because of, nor by way of, our wisdom or power in this world. Ultimately, God offers His salvation to those who admit to their powerlessness and those who are not afraid to look foolish. All too many people have fallen away from the Gospel because of their desire to appear wise.
When we preach the Gospel let us follow Paul’s example. Instead of trying to convince people by our clever words and by demonstrating our great wisdom, let us speak plainly of Christ’s death and resurrection. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that others will come to know God, not by our skills at putting together a good argument.
When Cyrus, the king of Persia, defeated the Babylonians he not only decreed that the Jews could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, he encouraged them to do so. He sent from his own treasury those items which had been seized by the Babylonians from the Temple when they conquered Jerusalem. In addition, he encouraged those who were neighbors of the Jews in exile to offer them financial support to return to Jerusalem. As a result of this decree a large number of Jews returned to Jerusalem with enough wealth to begin the process of rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple. When God’s time arrived, God provided for His people.