For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    The lazy person sees danger around every corner. They are convinced that the dangers involved in getting any work done outweigh any benefit from the work.

    These are two psalms of praise which make good meditation for the day. The first reminds us of God’s power and judgment against those who oppose Him. God is supreme over all the earth. He is exalted above all gods. The second reminds us of the joy which comes from singing praises to God. When we worship God and truly praise Him, our hearts will be filled with joy. God judges with justice and fairness.

    Once again Paul lays out the qualifications to be an elder in the Church. These read much the same as what he wrote in 1 Timothy. An elder must be the husband of one wife. His children must be believers and not have a reputation for rebelliousness or wild living (which suggests that someone is not qualified for the role until their children are grown). As I said, these are essentially the same qualifications as laid out in 1 Timothy, which to me suggests that those who try to interpret them to allow for other qualifications are wrong. I do believe that Paul’s exposition on the qualifications to be an elder here adds some useful understanding. In this passage, he puts greater emphasis on hospitality, spiritual discipline, and standing up for the truth.
    Paul makes an interesting comment in this passage, which I am going to apply in a way that is slightly out of context. Paul writes, ” Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted.” This is a true observation about people. Those whose hearts are pure do not see double entendres, let alone make them (except, perhaps, in the eyes of others). They give others the benefit of the doubt when their actions are questionable. We are warned from time to time in the Bible to be cautious about naivete which results from having a pure heart. On the other hand, those whose hearts are corrupt see the worst in others. They see dishonesty and betrayal when others do not act as they wish they would, sometimes even when they do. By examining how we interpret others’ behavior we can judge whether or not our own hearts are pure. I would rather be naive than judge that others’ actions are always from base motives.

    Jeremiah continues his prophesies concerning what will happen to the rest of the world (as known to him) after the fall of Jerusalem. However, he also warns those who think that they can rely on Babylon to bring stability. The Babylonians, in their arrogance, will continue to bring disruption and pain until God brings judgment against them as well. God will bring deliverance to those who choose to trust in Him.