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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
Babylon was the mightiest nation on earth when Jeremiah prophesied her fall. God had used Babylon to punish the people of Israel for their sins, but that did not free them from responsibility for their own sins. Among those sins was mistreating the people of Israel. Babylon was wealthy and the mightiest city on earth, but that did not save them from the consequences of their sins. In the same way today, our wealth and military might will not save us from the consequences of our sins. Only by turning to God and crying out to Him can we be saved from our sins.
Paul instructs us to live wisely. We should be a role model for others, doing all kinds of good works. Everything we do should reflect the integrity and seriousness of what we believe and teach. Above all we should teach the truth. We should live and teach in such a way that those who oppose us have nothing bad to say about us. If you work for someone else, be trustworthy and good, do not talk back or steal. In all ways work to make the teachings about God that we follow attractive. Let us turn from godless living and sinful pleasures, instead living lives of wisdom, righteousness and devotion to God. Jesus gave his life to free us from sin and cleanse us, let us be committed to doing good deeds. We are to teach these things and encourage other believers to do them.
Let us praise the Lord. Throughout history men and women of God have called on Him for help. When they cried out to Him, He answered them. If we cry out to Him today for help, He will answer us. God will discipline us when we do wrong, but when we turn to Him and attempt to follow His commands He will forgive us our failings.
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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
Jeremiah prophecies concerning three more of the kingdoms around Judah, predicting their destruction. He then goes on to prophecy the fall of Babylon and the restoration of Israel. Jeremiah prophecies that the remnant of Israel will seek after God as God restores them to their land. He prophecies this in the middle of his prophecy that Babylon will be destroyed. Jeremiah says that God will destroy Babylon because of their arrogance and their idolatry. Babylon was used by God to bring judgement on the people of Judah, but in their pride the Babylonians went beyond what God had called them to do. They gave credit for their success to false gods and worshiped them in ways detestable to God, in ways that always lead to the destruction of a society that practices them.
Paul writes to Titus and begins by telling him that Paul is teaching people the truth that leads to godliness. This gives us a guideline by which to judge the truth of someone’s teaching, does following it lead to godliness? Paul then once again gives us the job requirements for an elder in the church. An elder must be the husband of one wife, with children who are believers and do not have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. An elder must not be one who is overbearing, or quick-tempered. He must not be given to violence or drunkenness. He must have a reputation for honest dealing when it comes to money. Then we come to the positive job requirements. An elder must be hospitable. He must be a lover of what is good. He must live a wise, disciplined life. He must have a strong faith and be solidly grounded in scripture. I had read these passages before in discussions about the qualifications of an elder, but I had never noticed the hospitality requirement before I did my blog on 1 Timothy a short time ago.
Paul goes on to explain why it is important that an elder be strongly grounded in scripture. The reason is that there are many people who are teaching false teachings in order to enrich themselves. So, an elder must be firmly grounded in scripture so that he can show those tempted to follow these false teachers where they are wrong. Paul gives us another teaching to judge ourselves and the teachings of others. He tells us that everything is pure to the person of pure heart, but that nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving. I am sure you know the type, those who always see ulterior motives in everything anyone does. And not just ulterior motives, but those of the most sordid type. We should consider our own thoughts, do we always think that others are doing things for purely selfish reasons? Or, on the other hand, do we find ourselves giving people too much of the benefit of the doubt? This passage suggests we should be more towards the latter than the former.
All who worship anything other than the true God will be shamed as all creation will be forced to bow before God. Those who love the Lord will hate evil. Note that it says that they will “hate evil”, not “hate evil people”. And what is evil? It is the absence of good, the absence of God. Let us rejoice in the Lord and praise His name. In this way we can spread the presence of His good further in this world.
Let us sing a song to the Lord, for He has been victorious. He will judge the world in justice and fairness.
A lazy person will use fear as an excuse to not work. This passage tells us a lot about some mental disorders. Some people develop mental disorders (paranoia, phobias, etc) in order to avoid work of one kind or another. This is not true of all people that suffer from these disorders, but I have observed people whose symptoms seem to disappear when they would interfere with activities that the person wishes to take part in. Our writer goes on to point out that the lazy often think they are wiser than others. If everyone around you suggests that you should take action, but you still feel otherwise, perhaps the problem is laziness.
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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
From God’s Paint-By-Numbers Perkiomenville Collection
Jeremiah prophecies against Moab, Ammon and Edom. He tells them that God is bringing destruction upon them because they trusted in their wealth and followed practices detestable to God. They ridiculed Israel, now they would be an object of ridicule. They were proud and boastful, God was going to put an end to their boasting. If we rely on anything besides the Lord, our end will be destruction. Each of these nations was proud of their military might and confident that their wealth would provide them a defense against trouble. They followed practices that God had declared detestable and now they were going to pay the price for their pride and sin.
We should be prepared to preach the word of God when people are receptive and even when they are not. In addition we should patiently and gently correct, rebuke and encourage those around us with careful instruction. There are many who will not listen to sound teaching but will instead seek out those who tell them what they want to hear. Let us work at carrying out the ministry that God has given us so that, like Paul, when death is near we can say that we fought the good fight and remained faithful. Then we will also be able to state with confidence that God will rescue us from every evil attack and bring us safely into His heavenly kingdom.
A selection from God’s Paint-By-Numbers Green Lane collection
Sing to the Lord, the Rock of our salvation. I will give thanks and praise to the great God for all he has done. I will prostrate myself before Him because I am not worthy of His love. Listen to His voice today, He desires to bring you into His rest.
Let me sing a song to the Lord. Lord move your Spirit within me so that I will tell everyone of the wonderful things that You do. The Lord will judge the world with justice and the nations with truth. If only everyone would bow before Him and honor His name, this would be a thing of joy. For all too many God’s just judgement is a cause for terror. Lord, use me as a light to them that some of them might come to love and honor You.
A fool who spouts a wise saying is as likely to condemn himself as the one he targets. Hiring a fool or someone at random is as likely to harm your business as it is to increase your productivity. Fools do not learn from their mistakes, but often repeat them even after suffering harm from them. Even so, there is more chance of teaching a fool than of someone who thinks he is wise. O Lord, let me never think that there is anyone from whom I can learn nothing.
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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
Jeremiah tells those from Judah that had fled to Egypt that God was going to bring disaster upon them because they refused to give up their worship of other gods. He goes on to tell Baruch, who has been his scribe and assistant, that while he will not have opportunity to do great things God will keep him safe. The passage then goes on to record the prophecy that Jeremiah made against Egypt when Pharaoh Neco was marching out to attack the Babylonians. Jeremiah predicted their complete defeat. Jeremiah also predicted the destruction of the Philistines.
Paul tells Timothy to avoid the evil desires of youth and instead pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. Advice that we all should follow. We should stay out of foolish, ignorant arguments because they can only lead to fights and feuds. We should be gentle with everyone and patient with people who are difficult. We should gently instruct those we disagree with, relying on God to reach their hearts and show them the truth.
Paul then goes on to describe what people will be like in the last days. It sounds so much like what people are like today. So much of our culture honors people like Paul described. People who love only themselves and their money. People who scoff at God and are boastful and proud. They are disobedient and ungrateful. They consider nothing sacred. People will be unloving and unforgiving. They will slander others and exercise no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will act religious but reject the power that might make them godly. They will take advantage of the vulnerable. Does this not sound like the culture around us?
We will suffer persecution as we strive to live godly lives. We must continue to study the Scripture because it is inspired by God, or God-breathed. Scripture is useful for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. By studying the Scripture we can become equipped for every good work that comes our way.
Another Selection from God’s Paint-By-Numbers Hickory Run Collection
The wicked may seem to prosper for a while, but God will bring judgement on them. He will turn their sins against them and they will pay the price. But those who trust in God can rely on Him to be their fortress and defense. When we start to slip, He will support us. When doubts fill our mind, if we turn to Him, He will comfort us and give us joy.
There are three proverbs about dealing with fools. The first tells us not to rely on a fool to convey a message. They will either not deliver it, or they will deliver it in such a manner that it is misunderstood. The second tells us that when a fool knows wise sayings, they will apply them in an inappropriate manner. Finally we learn that giving honors to a fool is completely non-productive.
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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
The leaders of the various armed bands and their followers approached Jeremiah and requested that he ask God what they should do and where they should go. Jeremiah told them that he would do as they asked and tell them everything that God told him. They swore that they whatever Jeremiah told them that God said that they should do. After ten days Jeremiah received a reply from God. He called the people to him and gave them the message. Jeremiah told them that God said that if they stayed in Judah, He would build them up and protect them. They would not need to fear the king of Babylon. On the other hand, if they went to Egypt, war and famine would follow them there. They would die in Egypt from war, famine and disease. Jeremiah then told them that he knew that they would not listen and that they would insist on going to Egypt. That despite their promise to do whatever Jeremiah told them to do, they would go to Egypt. Jeremiah told them that his prophecy would be fulfilled and they would die there from war, famine and disease.
The leaders of the armed bands believed that Jeremiah was lying to them. Instead of listening to Jeremiah they fled to Egypt bringing the people with them, including Jeremiah. When they got to Egypt, Jeremiah prophesied that Nebuchadnezzar would conquer the city where the people of Judah had fled and all of Egypt. Once the people had settled in, Jeremiah had another prophecy for them. He condemned them for continuing to worship other gods. The people replied that they would not give up their worship of other gods, even now that they had been driven out of their homes in Judah.
How often are we like the people in this passage? We ask for God’s guidance on what to do, then, when we get it, we do something else anyway. How often is our failure to receive God’s guidance because we don’t like the answer He is giving us?
Paul reminds Timothy that the things Timothy had heard Paul preach had been confirmed by reliable witnesses. Paul then tells Timothy that he should live as a good soldier. He should not get tied up in affairs of “civilian life.” This is a message to me not to get tied up in things that do not involve spreading God’s Word. Paul goes on to tell Timothy (and us) to work hard and be a good worker. We should avoid foolish talk that leads to godless behavior. God knows who are His and those who belong to God will turn away from evil. We should strive to keep ourselves pure so that we may be a special utensil to God that is reserved for honorable use rather than a utensil made of wood or clay that is for everyday use.
It is indeed good to give thanks to the Lord. I will proclaim His unfailing love in the morning and His faithfulness in the evening. God is mightier than the raging seas. When the tides and waves of life crash against me, I will trust in the Lord and rely on Him.
We have three proverbs about fools today. The first tells us that fools will not be guided by anything other than punishment. The second and third appear to contradict each other. One tells us not to answer the foolish arguments of fools because to do so risks becoming a fool as well. The other tells us that we should answer the foolish arguments of fools or they will think themselves wise. I think this means that one should be very careful when making a case to a fool so as to not get caught in their foolish thought processes, but nevertheless to point out the foolishness of their arguments.
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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
King Nebuchadnezzar returned and conquered Jerusalem just as Jeremiah had prophesied. King Zedekiah attempted to escape in the night, but was captured. King Zedekiah was forced to watch as his sons and the nobles of Judah were executed. King Nebuchadnezzar then had King Zedekiah’s eye’s gouged out and took him to Babylon as a captive. This was the result that Jeremiah had warned King Zedekiah about if he did not surrender to Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar then sent his captain of the guard to release Jeremiah from prison and to provide his needs.
Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah as governor over the people he left in Judea and took his armies back to Babylon with most of the captives. Jeremiah chose to remain with Gedaliah rather than go to Babylon. Shortly after this Gedaliah met with the leaders of the armed bands that were in the countryside of Judea. Gedaliah promised them that Nebuchadnezzar meant them no harm and would leave them in peace if they did not rebel against him. Many of those who had fled Judea when Nebuchadnezzar began to besiege Jerusalem returned when they heard the news that Gedaliah had been appointed governor. Some of the leaders of armed bands learned that Ishmael, the leader of one of the bands, was planning to kill Gedaliah. They attempted to warn Gedaliah, but he did not believe them. Ishmael followed through on his plan and killed Gedaliah. In addition, he took captive the people who had been living under Gedaliah’s protection and started to lead them back to his camp outside of Judah. The other armed bands united and chased down Ishmael and his followers. They killed all by Ishmael and eight of his followers, freeing his prisoners. The people then began preparations to leave for Egypt because they were afraid of what Nebuchadnezzar would do when he heard that Gedaliah had been murdered.
Once again Paul starts out his letter by emphasizing the fact that he prays for the recipient(s) frequently. By this standard, do we spend enough time in prayer? I do not know about those of you reading this, but I do not. Paul then goes on to encourage Timothy to fan the flames of the spiritual gift he has been given. We have been given a spirit of power, love and self-discipline, not a spirit of timidity and fear. We should never be ashamed to tell others about our faith in Christ, nor should we be ashamed of those who are suffering for their faith. We should be prepared to experience the same suffering, knowing that God will give us the strength to endure whatever suffering he sends our way.
We should accept the suffering that comes our way because God saved us and called us to live a holy life. God did not do this because we deserved His attention, but because that was His plan from the beginning. We should rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to guard and remain faithful to the truth which we have learned.
Let us remember how brief our lives are, how short the time we have to do God’s work on this earth. In that short time, let us remember that God is our refuge and place of safety. He will those who love Him and protect those who trust in Him. He will answer us when we call Him and be with us in our troubles. Let us turn to the Lord for all of our troubles in the confidence and faith that He will turn them into blessings.
No one expects a fool to behave honorably and fools are rarely honored. I believe that there are those with the power to supernaturally curse others, but those curses will not take effect against those who are undeserving of such curses.
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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
After Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah king of Judah, Zedekiah did not listen to Jeremiah’s prophecies any more than his predecessors. However, when Nebuchadnezzar again attacked Jerusalem he asked Jeremiah to pray to God for himself and the people of Jerusalem. At this time, Nebuchadnezzar withdrew his armies to face the Egyptian armies which had come forth to relieve the siege of Jerusalem. Jeremiah sent word to Zedekiah that the Egyptians would return to Egypt and Nebuchadnezzar would return and destroy Jerusalem.
While the siege was lifted Jeremiah attempted to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin and complete the purchase of the land from his relative. One of the gate guards, believing that Jeremiah was defecting to the Babylonians, arrested him. After Jeremiah had been in prison for some time, King Zedekiah sent for him to ask him what message he had from the Lord for the king. Jeremiah told the king that God said that he would be defeated by the Babylonians. One faction of the king’s court wanted Jeremiah killed because of the message he had been giving to the people about the outcome of fighting the Babylonians. They went to the king and requested that he kill Jeremiah. The king told them to do as they pleased because he could not stop them. They took Jeremiah and placed him in a cistern with thick mud at the bottom of it, leaving him there to starve to death. Another faction of the court went to the king and requested the king’s permission to remove Jeremiah from the cistern. The king granted their request and told them to take a small force and do so.
Later, King Zedekiah had Jeremiah brought to him for a private audience. The king promised Jeremiah that he would neither kill him nor allow him to be killed for what Jeremiah told the king. Jeremiah told King Zedekiah that if he surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar all would go well with him and his family and Jerusalem would not be burned down. On the other hand if he refused to surrender, he would not escape and the city would be destroyed.
Paul tells Timothy that some people like to quibble over the meaning of words. Such people cause trouble and see putting on a show of godliness as a way to become wealthy. True godliness with contentment is in itself great wealth. We came into this world with no possessions and we will take none with us when we leave, so we should be content with enough to feed and clothe ourselves. We should avoid arguments with those who want to quibble over words and pursue teachings that promote godliness. If we pursue wealth, we can easily fall into temptation. This does not mean that wealth is evil, just that we should not seek it as a first goal. We should pursue righteousness and a godly life. The disciplines which lead to a godly life are faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. If and when we acquire wealth we should not be proud nor come to rely on that wealth because it is unreliable. Instead we should use that wealth to do good. We should use whatever wealth we acquire to share with those in need.
The psalmist writes that he feels abandoned by God, that God has allowed him to be disgraced. Yet despite feeling this way He praises the Lord and calls on us to praise the Lord forever. Let this be a model to us that even when we feel far from God we will lift up praises to Him.
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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
Jeremiah received instructions from the Lord to invite the Recabites to a meeting. He was instructed to offer them wine. Jeremiah did as instructed. His visitors declined to drink wine because their ancestor had instructed them to never drink wine and to live as nomads. The Lord commended the Recabites through Jeremiah for obeying their ancestors instructions. Jeremiah then contrasted their obedience with that of the rest of the people of Judah. As a result of the people of Judah’s refusal to listen to the Lord’s commands and obey them, He was going to bring disaster on Jerusalem.
Sometime after that God instructed Jeremiah to write down all of the prophecies that God had given to him. So, Jeremiah summoned Baruch, a scribe, and dictated to him all of the prophecies that he had received from the Lord. Jeremiah then sent Baruch to read the scroll at the Temple on the next day of fasting in the hope that perhaps the people would repent their sins if they heard the prophecies one more time. When certain Temple officials heard what Baruch was reading, they told Baruch and Jeremiah to hide and took the scroll to King Jehoiakim.
The king had one of his courtiers read the scroll to him. As the courtier read the scroll, the king cut off the portions that had been read and burned them. The king burned the entire scroll despite the objections of those who had brought it to his attention. None of the king’s court showed any fear or repentance upon hearing Jeremiah’s prophecies. When he was done burning the scroll the king sent some of his retainers to arrest Jeremiah and Baruch but they were unable to find them. When the furor died down God instructed Jeremiah to rewrite the scroll that King Jehoiakim had burned. Do we treat the Scripture the way that King Jehoiakim treated Jeremiah’s prophecies? As something that we do not really pay any attention to? Are we like his courtiers who stood by while he burned it and took no particular note of what was being read? Or are we like the Temple officials who brought the scroll to the king’s attention and begged him to take heed to what it said? Are we begging our neighbors to take heed to God’s word? Or are we standing by while they wallow in their sins on their way to destruction?
Paul gives Timothy instructions on how to treat people. These are instructions that we today should follow as well. Treat those who are older with respect as if they were your own parents. Treat younger people with love as if they were your siblings. We should take care of those widows who have no one else to care for them, but we should care for our own relatives to the best of our ability and not make them rely on others for their needs. While the Church should care for those in need, it should not allow those who have skills to remain idle. Those who are capable of being productive should be encouraged to do so. The elders in the Church should be paid for the work they do for the Church. We should not listen to accusations against people in the Church, especially the elders, unless those accusations are confirmed by multiple witnesses. Here he gives an instruction that all too often we bypass in the interest of “tact”. Paul tells Timothy that those who sin should be reprimanded before the whole Church, to serve as a warning for others. Finally Paul concludes today’s passage by telling us that just as some sins are obvious and some are hidden so are some good deeds obvious and others hidden. But, in due time the sins and good deeds done in secret will come to light.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of any stable government just as they are the foundation of God’s throne. God is our strength. He will provide us the ability to follow His will. God is our protection. He will be our defender when we take risks at His command. God is entirely trustworthy and His kingdom is forever.
It is always a pleasure to receive good news from far away. Compromising with evil is not a virtue. All too often we get caught up in the idea that we should meet people half-way and apply it to situations where we are meeting evil half-way. So that instead of either doing what is good or what is horrifyingly evil, we only do what is mundanely evil. But it is evil nonetheless. The final proverb of today tells us that campaigning for honors for oneself can be as self destructive as overindulging in food.
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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
God gave Jeremiah a prophecy for Jerusalem. God was going to destroy Jerusalem because of the wickedness of the people, but He would restore them again after a time. Those who wish to stop counting Israel among the nations had better rethink because God has made a covenant with the descendants of Jacob and He will not break it. God will never abandon the people of Israel.
Jeremiah had another prophecy for the people of Jerusalem. At the king’s command, the wealthy of Jerusalem had freed their slaves who were descendants of Jacob. However, after a short time, they found excuses to force those they had freed back into slavery. Jeremiah condemned them for this and told them that God would bring punishment to them for their wicked acts. The people had made a token of obeying God’s commands, but did not follow through and obey the spirit of those commands. For this, they were condemned. Do we do the same? Do we see some area where God is calling us to be more faithful and we make a nod in the direction of following His will, only to go back to our old ways after a short time?
Paul tells Timothy that there will come people who teach that it is wrong to get married and people who teach that it is wrong to eat certain foods. Paul however tells us that God created those foods to be eaten with thanksgiving. We should not reject any food, but instead we should eat it with thanksgiving to God for meeting our needs.
We should not waste time arguing over old wives tales or godless ideas. Instead we should train ourselves to be godly the same way that a professional athlete trains themselves to compete in their sport. How do we train ourselves to be godly? When you train yourself to compete in athletic events there is a series of things that you need to do that build on each other. I may be reading more into what Paul is writing here than he intended, but it appears to me that he tells Timothy (and us) how to train to be godly. For athletes, the first step is build your conditioning and strength. For Christians, the first step is to read the Scriptures. The next step for athletes is to work on learning the moves particular to that sport. For Christians, the next step is encouraging our fellow believers. Finally, athletes study film to learn how to counter what their opponents are going to do. For Christians, this step is teaching others what we have learned from reading the Scripture. I am sure there are flaws in the way I have fleshed out this analogy, but I think there is some merit to looking at it that way. The important point is that training ourselves to be godly is hard work. We need to discipline ourselves to it and strive to build ourselves up in serving god in the same way that a successful professional athlete strives to constantly improve his game.
We need to live our lives as an example to other believers. This involves what we say, the way we live, the way we show love to others, how we express our faith and our purity. We should not neglect the spiritual gifts we have been given and we need to stay true to what is right.
Are we like the psalmist? Do we sing of God’s unfailing love? Do all of those around us hear of how wonderful and powerful God is? Both young and old alike? There is no one as mighty as God and He is entirely faithful. I need to work at expressing my faith more openly to those around me. God I pray that you give me both the words to say and the courage to say them, so that others may know that I believe.
Those who gossip cause people to become angry. Either at the target of their gossip, or at themselves. Both are things that we should avoid. The second of today’s proverbs is one that I am happy to say involves a choice that I have not had to make. There are two messages here. To men who are single the message is this; if the woman you are dating is always finding fault, run away, run far away. To all who are married, think about what you are doing, are you arguing about something because you are attempting to improve the one you love and your life together, or are you arguing because you want to change them to make things better for yourself (or for some other reason other than the first one I mentioned)? If you are doing the latter, you are making the other’s life unhappy for no good reason. Even though the proverb refers to a quarrelsome wife, it can be just as true the other way as well.
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. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
The Lord told Jeremiah that He was going to make a new covenant with the people. He will write His commands on their hearts. Indeed He has now done so. God then instructs Jeremiah to buy land from his cousin, despite the fact that God had been telling Jeremiah to predict the destruction of Jerusalem. This was God confirming His promises that He would bring the people of Judah back to Jerusalem after a time in exile. By buying the property, Jeremiah demonstrated his belief in the prophecies he was preaching. This gives a measure to hold those who claim to be delivering prophecies from God about the future. Do they take actions that are consistent with what they claim is coming? An example from the recent past. When Harold Camping most recently predicted the date of Jesus’ return, he did not sell his possessions (which he claimed he would shortly have no more use for) and use the money to alleviate the suffering of the impoverished. There are other prophets whose actions are inconsistent with their prophecies, look at most of those declaring that man-caused global warming will bring about a tragedy in the near future. How many of them reduce the amount of CO2 that they are responsible for to the bare minimum? Or closer to home, do we ourselves live our lives according to what we claim to believe? If we say that we believe that God calls us to care for the poor, what are we doing about it?
Paul here lays out the requirements for an elder in the Church. First an elder must be a man who lives a life that is above reproach. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home and be able to teach. He must not be violent or a heavy drinker. He must be gentle and not quarrelsome.. He must not have a love of money. He is to be the husband of one wife whose children respect and obey him. He must not be a new believer and people outside of the Church must speak well of him. Unfortunately, because of the controversy about what it means that Paul says that an elder must be the husband of one wife, we spend not nearly enough time looking at the other qualifications. I have rarely seen any time spent considering whether a potential elder is hospitable. I am not sure I have even seen enough emphasis on the ability to teach. Paul then goes on to lay out the requirements for someone to be appointed as a deacon. They are similar to those of elder, except that they do not include a requirement that they be able to teach and includes what appears to be set of requirements regarding women as deacons (although it could be a reference to deacon’s wives, but my interpretation is supported by other New Testament writings–including some by Paul–which refer to women deacons).
Do we continue to cry out to the Lord, even when it seems like He does not answer? Do we call out to the Lord for His help every day? Do we wait for the traps to close around us before we cry to the Lord for help? There is nothing wrong with crying out to the Lord for help when our troubles have overwhelmed us. As a matter of fact we should certainly do so. However, we should not wait until we are the end of our strength to call upon God for help. We should call on Him for His help, even when things seem to be going well with us.
Being cheerful and bubbly to someone who is experiencing sorrow is like pouring vinegar in an open wound. We should do good to those who have done evil to us, that will cause them more discomfort than what they have done to us. But that should not be our goal, our goal in doing good for others is to serve the Lord and receive a reward from Him.
