For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    If you try to use deceit and trickery to bring down others, you will be caught in a trap of your own making. In the long run, your lies and deceit will rebound upon yourself.

    God has created a wide variety of creatures, each designed to fulfill a specific role in a specific place. God has designed the earth to provide for their needs. A classic example of how God carefully designed this world is the way in which it was discovered that swamps clean water. For centuries, mankind considered swamps to be wasted land. However, in the late 20th Century researchers discovered that when polluted water went through a wetland (swamp, marsh, etc) it emerged cleaner than when it went in, a lot cleaner. The researchers were not surprised by the removal of biomass pollution, such as fertilizer runoff, or raw sewage, except that it was much greater than anticipated. However, they discovered that the wetlands removed heavy metals in quantities that could not be explained by simple sedimentary effects. Heavy metals were thought to be poisons for all biological systems, yet somehow the plants, fungi, microbes in the swamps were removing heavy metals from the water…almost as if someone had designed them for that very purpose. (I hope if you are reading this that you recognize the sarcasm of that last phrase).
    All that I am will praise the Lord because He has designed this planet in ways more wondrous than we can imagine. Despite mankind’s best efforts, he will be unable to destroy this planet. God reserves that for Himself when His plans have come to fulfillment.

    God has prepared a place of rest for His people, for those who believe in His word. This rest was promised to the people of Israel but they failed to enter into it because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed God. It is worth noting that the writer is clearly implying that some of the people of Israel did indeed enter into God’s rest (who else is he referring to when he mentions the “faith of those who obeyed”?). If we want to enter into God’s rest we must obey His commands, which we will only do if we believe that His commands will lead us to our greatest happiness.
    Included in this passage is a statement that needs some “unpacking”. The writer tells us that the word of God is alive and active, and that it is sharper than the sharpest thing he can imagine. I struggle with explaining the meaning which this passage conveys to me. The first part is that the word of God fits the circumstances. This may perhaps be the point which gives me the most difficulty, because, while the word of God fits the circumstances, that does not mean that it changes. The second part is clearer to me. The example I would use in place of the double-edged sword is the scalpel. The word of God is capable of working its way into the finest separation, revealing that which we (or others) hoped to keep hidden. It will work its way into our lives revealing things we had hidden from ourselves, both good things and bad things. When working with those around us who are suffering, let us remember to leave room for the word of God to act. It will reveal things to those we are trying to help that we may not see. Perhaps the most important thing, it will prevent us, and everyone else, from hiding anything from God.

    I said yesterday that not all of us were called to the same mission as Ezekiel, and that is true for the part of Ezekiel’s mission which was described yesterday. Some of us are called to preach God’s word to those who will not listen to it, others are called to preach to a receptive audience. However, all of us are called to be God’s watchmen. When God gives us a message, we must not remain silent. If we fail to relay God’s message to those whom He has sent us, and they suffer as a result of their sins, their blood is on our hands. God will hold us responsible for their death. On the other hand, if we relay God’s message, and they refuse to listen to it, we are innocent of their blood. Here is the best part, they MAY listen to us! If they do listen to the message we give them from God and repent of their sins, their lives will be saved, and so will ours. Let us never be afraid to speak God’s word, even to those we “know” will not listen. In some ways, that is the point in today’s passage from Hebrews. God’s word is alive and active. It is capable of working itself between the lies which people tell themselves to avoid the reach of God’s Spirit. Let us do what we can to open those around us to His Spirit.