For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I added a “Ministry Links” tab to my blog. On it I am going to link to the websites of various Christian Ministries which I support to one degree or another. Currently, it has a link to the congregation I attend and of which I am a member and a link to a ministry which does wonderful work in Honduras and elsewhere: MAMA Project
Listen and respect your parents as they (and you) get older. IF not for them, you would not be here.
This psalm inspires me to praise the Lord. I will sing, “Oh God, You are my God…I will praise You as long as I live.” I desire God with all that I am. I wish to serve Him with all of my being. I will emulate the psalmist and meditate about God when sleep is slow in coming. Meditating on God’s word calms my mind and gives my body rest.
It is not the rituals and rules we follow that make us right with God. If you want to be right with God by doing good, you must never do anything wrong. We are not made right with God by being circumcised, and we are no better if we are not circumcised. Rather what counts with God is that our faith is expressed through love. As I am writing this, I realized this is one of those passages where it says a lot, but there really is not much to say about it. We are not made righteous by our actions. We are made righteous by the Holy Spirit. If we have faith that the Spirit will make us righteous, as God has promised, He will do so. In response to receiving that righteousness let us show our love to every one we meet.
God has promised that calamity is coming for those who put their trust in oppression and lies rather than in doing the work of the Lord. Those who put their trust in military might and worldly power will find themselves beset on every side. However, those who turn to God and wait for His deliverance will be saved. A time of great turmoil and destruction is coming on this world. God is going to sift the nations like wheat. God’s burning anger will strike down upon the earth and ruin will fall upon the nations. But the people of God will sing for joy on that day. Those who would rather trust in military might and worldly power rather than on God will face immeasurable sorrow.
When I look at current events this passage is one of great hope for me. I look at what is going on in the world and see times of great trouble arising. Turmoil is spreading throughout the nations and every sign tells me it will get much worse before it gets better. However, I do not believe that my salvation comes from the power of armies, or the machinations of politicians. It is God who will bring deliverance to those who put their trust in Him. I will trust in Him and this passage tells me that He will show His power by protecting those who belong to Him.