For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    When we read this proverb we often do not realize the full intent of what it says. When the proverb says “curse” it does not mean use foul language. It means “attempt to cause bad things to happen to someone.” So, those who attempt to cause bad things to happen to their own parents will discover those bad things coming upon themselves. Even if your parents deserved the curse you sent their way, sending it their way will cement yourself into following them in their evil ways.

    If we truly put our trust in God there is nothing for us to be afraid of. There is no one and nothing which can harm us if God does not wish us to be harmed. Just as important as that is the fact that God loves us. If we trust Him and wish to serve Him, then anything which happens to us will bring us joy (if not immediately, then in the long run) as we see how it furthers God’s purpose.

    Usually when I read 1 Corinthians everything before Paul starts talking about division in the Church reads to me as just “intro” or “presenting his credentials”. It does not really register. He tells the Corinthians, and I believe that this applies to us as well, that God has enriched them in every way. God has blessed them(us) with knowledge and skilled speakers (the way Paul says this reads to me as both those oratory skill and those able to talk in various languages). In addition, they(we) do not lack any spiritual gift needed for the life of the Church.
    I realized that Paul was telling us that we have no excuse for failing to accomplish the tasks which God has given us (for this discussion I am talking about us as the local body of believers, not us as individuals). If we think that we are missing some skill or knowledge, we have not looked closely enough at those who are among us, or we have failed to listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. God is faithful. He will not call us to a task which He has not provided us the strength, knowledge, and skill to accomplish. We often seek outside of the local body of believers for resources when God calls us in a new direction when we should be looking for whom among us God is raising up for the task. The place we do this most often, to the detriment of the Church at large as well as to the local body, is in the case of pastors. I believe that most of the time pastors should be called from among those who are already part of the local body of believers, rather than from outsiders (there are clear exceptions to this, but we have made those exceptions the norm).

    I am always uplifted when I read about the Passover which Josiah celebrated. The story makes me envision spiritual revival throughout the land. I imagine the people having a renewed dedication to serving the Lord. But then Josiah goes on an ill-fated expedition. He decides to challenge King Neco of Egypt as the latter marched to do battle against the Babylonians. Josiah died in this battle and the kings who succeeded him did evil leading to the conquest of Judah and Jerusalem. The follow up to Josiah’s glorious reign always saddens me.