For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
It is foolish to come up with a sinful scheme. No matter how carefully you have thought it through, the consequences of such a scheme will include those you find unpleasant (at best).
This psalm is a challenge to me. Is my life truly an example I would encourage people to follow? God has been my strength and protection, yet I have done less with my life than the gifts He has given me would allow. I was taught about God and by God from my earliest childhood. I have no excuse for not having done more to serve Him in my life. Nevertheless, I will praise God because He has done great things for me. I will strive to do more for Him as my life continues.
Once again I am challenged to find a way to improve the amount of time I spend in prayer. Paul’s prayer for the Christians in Philippi was that their love would overflow ever more and that they would be filled with ever greater knowledge and understanding of God’s will. I am confident that he would pray the same thing for us today. I am also quite confident that there are two essential pieces to having his prayer fulfilled in our lives. The first is regular review of Scripture (I would recommend reading through the Bible on a regular basis, but for those whom that is a problem, listen to it read). The second, and the part where I am seeking God’s guidance on how to improve, is regular, disciplined prayer. I will request that those who read this pray that I find a way to improve my prayer discipline.
Paul goes on to speak of those who were emboldened to preach the Gospel because of his imprisonment. It made him happy that such was happening. He acknowledged that some of those preaching the Gospel were doing so out of selfish ambition, this did not bother him all that much. Paul did not care what motives led someone to preach the Gospel, so long as the Gospel was preached. I am a strong proponent of that. I will go on to say that I do not care what motivates people to listen to the word of God preached, or to read the Bible. I have absolute confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit that when people hear or read the word of God it opens a door for the Holy Spirit to change their lives. Whether the motive of the person preaching, or the person hearing/reading is a good motive or a selfish one, the Holy Spirit has the ability to use the words of the Bible to transform people.
This passage concludes by making a statement that should be at the heart of every Christian’s view about life. As long as I continue to live, I can serve Christ. However, if I die, I will go to be with Christ, which is even better. I will live for as long as God has more work for me to do on this earth, but dying will bring even greater joy. I am alive today because God has a purpose for me to fulfill in helping others serve Him, and I am glad for the opportunity. But death, whenever it comes, is something to be welcomed and I will do so when God so decrees. I will state now for those who care for me, when the day comes that God takes me home, do not grieve for me. Rejoice on that day for I will no longer be struggling against the troubles of this world.
God does not desire that we put on the appearance of righteousness. Prayer and fasting in and of themselves accomplish nothing. Singing songs of praise and attending services on Sunday and other days of the week will not gain us merit with God. Humbling ourselves by doing penance is not going to excuse our actions if we have every intention of going back and repeating them.
Rather God desires that we free those unjustly imprisoned, refuse to oppress those we have power over, share our food with the hungry, provide shelter for the homeless, clothe those who need clothing, take care of our relatives in need. When we spend our effort to provide food for the hungry and act on behalf of those who are oppressed, then our light will shine in the darkness and God will take care of us.
Our country and our society do not experience troubles because God is unable to save us from those troubles nor because He does not hear our cries for help. Rather, we, as a people are cut off from God because of our sins. People do not care about being fair and honest. They merely want what they can get for themselves. People do not seek to gather wealth by producing things. Instead they attempt to game the system and profit from others’ activity. They refuse to turn to God for peace and think that they can reap the fruits of the just and good without doing those things themselves. God will only tolerate such behavior for so long before He steps in to bring judgement and enforce justice.