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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
If we accept discipline we benefit not only ourselves but those who follow our example. On the other hand when we do not listen to constructive criticism we encourage others to continue destructive behaviors which may lead to their own death. So, we should accept correction because it will make our own lives better and because it will encourage others to follow wise advice.
The beginning of this psalm is a wonderful statement:
As the deer longs for streams of water,
so I long for you, O God.
I thirst for God, the living God.
Sunday morning we sang a song by Martin J. Nystrom which was based on this psalm titled “As the Deer Panteth for the Water.” If you are not familiar with this song, look it up. The psalmist remembers how it used to be, but is discouraged because it is no longer like that. Then he remembers that he used to put his hope and trust in God and determines to return to doing so. He finishes the psalm with a great statement of faith and a reminder to all of us:
Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!
When I am discouraged and my heart feels sad, I will put my hope in God and I will praise Him again. It is amazing how praising God will lift one’s spirits and bring joy to one’s heart.
Today’s passage contains a story of Jesus healing a blind man. Jesus took the man out of the village, spit on his eyes and laid His hands on them. Then He asked him if he could see anything. The man replied that he could see, but not very clearly. This is often the way it is with us when we first hear God’s message for us. We get a sense of what He wants, but it is not clear. In this account, Jesus laid His hands on the man’s eyes and his sight became clear. God will do the same for us. If we wait for Him, He will once more place His Spirit upon us so that we can see His plans clearly.
The last part of today’s passage is a perfect example of how we can sometimes both get it so right, while getting it so wrong. When Jesus asked the disciples who they said He was, Peter spoke right up and said that He was the Messiah, God’s Anointed One. Then just a short time later when Jesus was telling them that He was going to be crucified, Peter took Him aside and reprimanded Him for being negative. Jesus castigated Peter as not seeing things from God’s perspective. I recognize myself in Peter here. So many times I get a wonderful insight from God, then turn around and apply it from a human perspective rather than from God’s.
There are many instructions in today’s passage which will make our lives better. However the one which I want to comment on has to do with harvesting the fields and gathering the grapes. God instructs the people of Israel to not gather their harvests with the maximum efficiency. They are told to allow some of their crops to slip through their procedures for gathering them in so that the poor may come and gather those up and eat them. Notice that they are not told to gather their crops as efficiently as they can and then give some of their surplus to the poor. Rather they are told to allow the grain which cannot be easily gathered to remain and to do the same with the grapes which cannot be easily gathered. They are to allow the poor to come and gather those items. This serves two purposes. It allows the poor to be fed, but it also requires the poor to make an effort to acquire their food. Those who are economically successful are to leave spaces for those who are poor to thrive and possibly rise out of poverty.