For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 18:19

    Take care not to offend your friends. There is nothing more difficult than regaining the trust of one whose friendship you have lost by giving offense. Be careful when arguing with friends, in such situations it is very easy to give offense unintentionally. If you do so, do not be too proud to apologize immediately.

Psalm 5:1-12

    There are a lot of things I thought of writing about this psalm, but every time I read it again I was convicted by one line.

Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.
When I read that I was reminded that I do not approach the Lord in prayer as I should, nor as much as I should. I ask the Holy Spirit to transform me so that my first desire each morning is to go to the Lord in prayer.

Acts 25:1-27

    When a new governor, Festus, took over the political/religious leaders of Jerusalem attempted to get him transferred to Jerusalem for trial. They planned to arrange an ambush to kill Paul while he was being transported to Jerusalem. Festus rejects the Jewish leaders request and insists that they bring their accusations before him at his court in Caesarea. When the Jewish leaders made their accusations against Paul before Festus they were unable to prove any of them. When Festus tried to convince Paul to go up to Jerusalem to face trial, Paul realized that Festus was not going to release him. Therefore Paul asserted his right as a Roman citizen to appeal to Caesar.
    Festus admitted in his consultation with Herod Agrippa that he had no basis for continuing to hold Paul. He asked Herod Agrippa to turn the Jewish accusations into something which represented a violation of Roman Law. I have been struggling to get to the point I saw in this passage. Festus had no particular animosity to Paul or to Christianity, but he was convinced that in some way Paul must be a bad person to have generated the animosity the priests and Jewish religious leaders felt toward him, even though they could not provide evidence to support their accusations. We see the same reaction in people today. They hear the accusations made against Christians and are convinced that, while none of the Christians they personally know are like that, Christians, in general, are guilty of the fault being expressed.

1 Chronicles 4:5-5:17

    Today’s passage continues with the genealogies, but stuck in the middle of them is this passage:

There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.

Bruce Wilkinson wrote an entire book around this prayer, which I think makes too much of it. However, there is something there for us to meditate on. The first point is that Jabez was honorable. IF we expect God to answer our prayers, we need to be honorable, and that by God’s standards of honorable, not just man’s standards.
    In order to understand the value of this prayer we need to look at the two sentences in reverse order. In the second sentence, Jabez asked God to be with him in all he did. That is certainly a good thing to do, but if we want God to be with us in everything we do, then we need to be sure that everything we do is with God. That is, we need to make sure that everything we do is what God wills us to do. If we desire that God be with us in all we do and act accordingly, God will bless us. I am not going to expound on Jabez’ request that God expand his territory, nor on his request that God keep him free of all trouble and pain because not everyone is called down such a path.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I find it interesting that today if we add together the numerical value of the day and the month it equals the last two digits of the year. I have no idea why I find that interesting, but I do.

Proverbs 18:19

    We need to be more careful not to offend our friends than strangers because, while it may be harder to offend a friend than a stranger, it is immensely harder to win back a friend once they have been offended. If someone I do not know does something that makes me suspicious of their motives it is easier for them to overcome that suspicion than it is for someone I trusted who does the same thing.

Psalm 5:1-12

    There is so much in this psalm. I will highlight today a couple of lines which I wish to model in my life:

Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.
I will start my days by coming to God in prayer.
Make your way plain for me to follow.
As God makes clear to me the way He wants me to go, I will follow that path.
all who love your name may be filled with joy.
I know that doing as God desires will lead me to experience greater joy than any other course I may choose.

Acts 25:1-27

    When Governor Festus took over from Felix, the Jewish Council attempted to resurrect their plan to ambush and kill Paul as he was transferred from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Festus instead asked the leaders of the Council to come to Caesarea to make their case. The Council did as Festus asked. When the Council made their accusations before Festus, they offered no proof. Festus, rather than dismissing the case for lack of evidence, suggested that Paul be transferred to Jerusalem for trial. Paul, recognizing that Festus was not going to release him, used his rights as a Roman citizen to appeal to Caesar. Later, Festus claimed that the only reason he did not release Paul was because Paul had appealed to Caesar and thus Festus was no longer free to release him. How often do we attempt to blame our actions on others?

1 Chronicles 4:5-5:17

    The passage continues to list genealogies. However, it includes a short two verse reference to a man named Jabez. There was a book written about this man and the prayer he prayed which was a big deal among certain circles for a period of time. I will say that I think studying what Jabez prayed is less important than why God granted his request. The passage tells us that Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. Are we more honorable than our “brothers”, those who live around us?