For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
There are people who take pleasure in doing what is wrong, in doing things which hurt or anger others. The proverb writer tells us, accurately, that such people are fools. Those with real understanding realize that there is greater pleasure to be had in doing what is wise and right. The pleasure to be had from helping and comforting others outstrips that to be gained by bringing them harm.
Every time I hear the song “Thank You” bu Led Zeppelin I think of this psalm. While that song is a love song and this psalm is a psalm of praise to God, they both have a similar feel. The gist of the Led Zeppelin song is that the singer and his lover will be together even when the world comes tumbling down around them. That is a nice sentiment, but I much prefer the sentiment in the psalm.
The psalmist tells us that when our world comes crumbling down around us, we do not need to fear because God will be there to rescue us. A much better sentiment because it is true to a much greater degree than that of the song. God will be there for us to the end of the world and beyond. Our lover may wish to be as well, but they may be taken from us by circumstances beyond their ability to control.
So, when our world is crumbling around us, let us be still and know that God is there for us. He will be our refuge and our strength. He is always ready to help in times of trouble.
The day after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus was in a sour mood. As He entered the city, he cursed a fig tree. Then when He got into the Temple, He drove the merchants and those buying from them out of the Temple. I have rarely heard anyone mention that when Jesus drove people out of the Temple it was not just the merchants. He also drove out those buying from them. When He referred to them turning the Temple into a den of thieves, He was not directing His ire at merchants. He was angry at all of the parties involved. To what degree are we taking part in what He condemned here when we go shopping on Sunday?
What Jesus is condemning here is our failure to set aside time to focus on God. We get too caught up in our material pursuits, buying and selling, that we do not turn our attention to God. This is another one of those times when I know what this passage means to me, but I cannot quite put the words together to say it.
I really don’t have much on this passage. However, it does show us the importance of giving back to God from what we have. A tithe is just the start of what we owe to God. What we owe to God is everything which we have.
God told Moses and Aaron to count the men of fighting age among the people of Israel. It is important to catalog the resources you have available before you begin a campaign to carry out the will of God.