For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
We can be confident that, no matter what appearance they put up, the wicked do not have God on their side. Indeed, they are far from God. While the righteous need only whisper their prayers for God to hear and respond.
This proverb contains an important point, although it expresses only one side of it. People around us will reflect the mood which we express and we will tend to reflect the mood which they express. If we strive to present a warm, sunny demeanor those around us will be more cheerful. This will make us more cheerful. We can take it one step further. If we focus on good news rather than bad, we will be healthier, as will those with whom we share such news. Focus on the positive and you will be happier and healthier, as will those with whom you interact.
Every year when I read this psalm (in particular this section of it), I am inspired to continue this blog. It reminds me of the importance of studying the Scripture everyday (and this blog is what gives me the motivation to do that). Verse 5 reflects my desire:
Oh, that my actions would consistently
reflect your decrees!
While verse 7 tells us how we can truly express our thanks to God:
As I learn your righteous regulations,
I will thank you by living as I should!
Verse 11 tells us the first step in accomplishing these two things:
I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
I want to quote more of it, instead, I will encourage you to follow the link (or open your own Bible) and read the entire passage.
There are two important lessons in the account of Jesus washing the disciples feet. The first is that we should be willing to serve those around us, especially our fellow believers. Since Jesus, who is our Lord (the one whom we acknowledge as having authority to command us), served His disciples (the ones in that room with Him are proxies for the rest of us) by washing their feet, we too should serve our fellow believers to the point of accepting tasks which others might consider demeaning.
The second lesson comes from the interaction between Jesus and Peter in this account. Peter initially refuses to allow Jesus to serve him. Jesus tells Peter that if he does not accept Jesus’ service to him, he, Peter, can have no part of Jesus. If we wish to be part of the Body of Christ, the Church, we must allow others to serve our needs. As I said, the lesson here is two-fold. We must serve our brothers and sisters in Christ. But we must also allow them to serve us. If we do not do both we are not part of the Body of Christ.
We have here an account of the civil war in Israel between David and Saul’s last remaining son, Ishbosheth. The battles were inconclusive, although David’s armies had the better of them. There was a stalemate between the two sides until Ishbosheth offended Abner, who commanded his armies. Abner then defected to David, only to be killed by Joab in revenge for killing Joab’s brother during one of the battles (and perhaps to defend Joab’s position as commander of David’s armies). All in all this passage tells us how important it is to maintain good relations with your subordinates. Ishbosheth lost his kingdom because he offended his subordinate, Abner. David was realized that he could not discipline Joab for killing Abner because he needed Joab’s support.