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. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     Moses went back again and again to Pharaoh warning him that terrible things would happen if he did not let the Israelites go to worship God (at this point, the request was for a trip into the wilderness to offer sacrifices and then return). Time after time, Pharaoh promised Moses that he would let them go, if only Moses would lift the plague. Each time, once the plague was lifted, Pharaoh reneged on his promise. The majority of the plagues did not effect those living in the land of Goshen (the area of Egypt where the Israelites lived). How often are we like Pharaoh, when things go wrong we promise that if things get better we will do as God wishes. Then when things get better we go back to doing that which led to the problems in the first place?

     I find the beginning of this passage interesting. When some parents brought their children to Jesus in order to be blessed by Him, His disciples berated the parents for bothering Jesus. This happened just a short time after Jesus had told them that anyone who welcomed a little child on His behalf was welcoming Him. Jesus uses this incident to reinforce His teaching about our need to be like children in our faith and dependence on God.
     This passage also contains the story of the rich young ruler. Many read this passage and see Jesus’ comment about how hard it is for the rich to enter heaven, but overlook the fact that when the disciples reacted by thinking that it would be even harder for the poor, Jesus did not contradict that impression. Rather Jesus told them that for man it was impossible. It is only possible for anyone to get into heaven because God has made it possible. Jesus goes on to tell the disciples that those who have given up worldly comfort in order to serve Him will be rewarded for their sacrifice.

     The opening of this psalm is an important reminder to us. This earth belongs to God, as does everything and everyone in it. I will treat the things of this earth as things which I hold in trust for God to use to further His will in this world. I will treat the people I meet as the servants of God, treating them as I hope that He will treat me.

     The proverb writer warns repeatedly against putting up security for someone else’s debt. He warns that if you have done so, do whatever you can to get out of it. My interpretation of these various warnings is that you should never off to secure a debt that you cannot afford to pay back. No matter how well meaning someone is, if they need you to secure the debt for them there is a risk that they will either be unable to pay it back, or just fail to do so, leaving you to pay off the debt.