For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    Do not worry when you cannot understand where your path is taking you. God is directing our steps and has a destination in mind for us. If we love Him and trust Him we will find joy at the end of our road.

    This psalm is a call asking God to bring the wicked to justice. Additionally, the psalmist praises God for showing him mercy. Both aspects represent things we should model. However, there is an additional point the psalmist makes I want to take note of today. He says that if God remains silent he may as well die. I want to have a similar desire to hear God speak to me. I wish that every day I felt incomplete until I had heard God speak to me. There are days when I have that feeling, but not every day. I pray that God will make it so that I seek His voice each and every day.

    In yesterday’s passage Paul told us that the Gospel is foolishness by human standards. In today’s passage he emphasizes that he did not say that it was actually foolishness. Instead, Paul tells us that the Gospel is wisdom, but not the sort of wisdom which will help you rule the world, or even a piece of it. The lesson in this passage is that the only way we can acquire the wisdom of God, the only way we can know God’s thoughts is by receiving His Spirit.
    Then comes the part I struggle to remember. No matter how eloquently, no matter how clearly, we explain spiritual truths those who have not receive God’s Spirit will consider what we say to be foolish. We will never convince anyone to come to Christ by our grand words. It is only when the Spirit begins to move in their hearts that they will begin to understand the wisdom of the words which the Spirit speaks through our mouths.

    I always struggle with the response of the leaders of the returned Exiles when those whom they now lived among asked to work with them to rebuild the Temple. They flatly rejected the offer of assistance. On the one hand, the rejection was flat out and cold. They told those who had offered that they could have no part in the effort. It seems to me that we should accept all who wish to worship God and welcome their assistance in building God’s Kingdom.
    On the other hand, these people had been living in the area all during the Exile, and not once had they thought to rebuild the Temple. They claimed to be seeking God, but they had made no effort to dedicate themselves to serving God until the Jewish Exiles returned. There are dangers to accepting help in doing God’s work from those who are not truly dedicated to serving God. If they have been splitting their allegiance between serving God and other interests they are likely to attempt to bring this same mindset into the new task as well.