For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
Wisdom offers us a long life and wealth. They are ours to have if we embrace wisdom and hold to her tightly. This does not mean that everyone who is wealthy is wise, nor that everyone who is poor is foolish. Different people are called to different places in life and wisdom helps them make the most of the opportunities they are given.
Our troubles may make it seem as if God has forsaken us, but it is more likely that they are because we have forgotten Him. If we trust in His unfailing love, we will rejoice because He has rescued us. “I will sing to the Lord because He is good to me.” How true that is.
I never really thought about today’s passage in the context of discussions we often have about Church unity. In this passage Jesus tells us that if we love anyone or anything more than we love Jesus we are not worthy of Him. He says this right after telling us that He did not come to bring peace. In other words, if we love Church unity more than we love Christ, we are not worthy of being His Church.
At the end of the passage, John the Baptist’s disciples approach Jesus and ask Him, on behalf of John, if He was the expected Messiah. Rather than directly answer their question, Jesus told them to tell John what they had heard and seen. He then summarizes what they would have seen: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and good news is preached to the poor. That is the standard we have to live up to, if the Church is not doing those things it is failing in its mission.
As soon as Laban learned that Jacob had left with his wives and flocks, he set out after him. From the description it appears that Laban intended to stop Jacob by force. However, the night before Laban overtook Jacob he received a dream warning to leave Jacob alone. Laban proceeded to claim that if Jacob had only told him he wanted to go he would have thrown a farewell party for him and sent him on his way. In their confrontation, Jacob once more gives credit to God for his success.
Jacob goes on to meet his brother Esau. He makes all of the plans he can to ingratiate himself with Esau. He sends a gift flock on ahead of the rest of his flocks and family. He then divided his household into two groups, so that if Esau attacked one the other could possible escape. Yet after making all of his plans, he does not rely on his skill or planning. Rather he turns to God and asks for his protection. Let us follow his example and plan for the troubles we face in this life as best we can, but recognize that we depend on God for our safety.