I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     Ezekiel continued his description of the new Temple. When he finished viewing the entire Temple, he saw the glory of God enter the Temple in his vision. Then God spoke to him. God told him that the people of Israel had aroused His anger because they had sacrificed to idols and to the dead in His Temple. They had thought that because these were separated from the place where God’s glory resided by a wall, it was far enough. God told Ezekiel that not just the Holy of Holies was holy and not just the Temple, but the entire top of the mountain on which the Temple was built was holy and dedicated to God.

     Since the New Testament tells us that our bodies are the Temple of God and that He lives within us, this passage sheds a whole new light on how we should approach holiness. It is not just our inner being that are dedicated to God’s holiness, but our whole being. We should surround ourselves with holiness. We need to get rid of every vestige of idolatry in our lives and the places we live. I will strive to cleanse my life, my house, my work-space of things that I may be tempted to worship in place of God.

     I really need to claim the power of prayer which James speaks of in this passage. I just got laid off from my job. Yet I will continue to believe that God will provide. As James wrote, Elijah prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain for three and a half years. Then he prayed for rain and the rains returned. How hard can it be to trust God to provide my financial needs?

     The path to joy is to live with integrity by following God’s instructions. Today, as I read this in light of what is happening in my life and what James wrote about praying, I see that to some degree this psalm is telling me for what I should pray. I will pray that my actions consistently reflect God’s will. I will strive to obey His decrees and pray that He does not give up on me. I will remember that the key to staying pure and finding joy is following God’s will.

     I choose to accept poverty if that is what it takes to remain faithful to God.