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    I am not a parent, but I have observed the truth of this proverb time and again. Parents who love their children discipline their children. I have seen many parents with different discipline styles. The key factor in those parents who did a good job raising their children was that they were consistent in their application of discipline. They did not discipline out of anger. They did not fail to discipline because it wasn’t worth their time. They made it clear through their actions that they imposed the rules they had because they believed those rules were best for their children.

    Today’s reading contains 2 psalms. The first one reminds us that our life is short. We have but a few years to do God’s will. It reminds us to pray that God remind us of how short life is so that we will use our time wisely.
    The second psalm reminds us that if we turn to God for safety we will not need to fear anything, neither terrors in the night, or attacks by day. When we trust and obey God, He will protect us from all harm. God promises to rescue those who love Him and protect those who trust Him.

    At the end of yesterday’s passage Jesus described a time of great destruction and trials that was to come. His prophecy was primarily concerned with the coming destruction of Jerusalem (which happened in A.D. 70). However, His conclusion to that prophecy which begins today’s passage shows us that there is more to this prophecy than just that. He tells us that when we see the signs He spoke of, we will know that the Kingdom of God is near. So, when we see the nations in turmoil and people terrified by what is coming upon the earth, we should rejoice because it means that God’s Kingdom is near.
    Even more importantly, as we see these things going on we must not allow the day of the Lord’s return catch us unaware. There are several ways in which that might happen. We might allow the worries of this life weigh down our hearts, or our hearts may become dulled by drunkenness and carousing. Rather than allowing that to happen let us keep our hearts and minds sharp in service to God. Otherwise we may get caught unawares when that day arrives. Above all let us pray for the strength to escape the coming difficulties.

    Joshua failed as a leader in one key respect. He did not train up a leader to take his place when he died. It was the resulting lack of leadership which allowed the people of Israel to move in among the pagans living in the Promised Land rather than waiting until they were driven out to move in. Since they were living among the pagans, they adopted some of their practices and worshiped their gods. Rather than insisting that those who wanted to live among them worship God, they began to live among those who worshiped other gods. This is an important reminder that if we begin to water down God’s commands before long we will be following the commands of other gods.