For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I want to encourage everyone who reads this blog to work on reading the Bible regularly, whether it is to work your way completely through it, or some other method of disciplining yourself to read from the Bible each day.

Proverbs 25:16

    This proverb reminds us that too much of a good thing is not good for us. Something we enjoy eating in small quantities will make us sick if we consume too much of it. In the same way, too much of anything will have a negative effect on us.

Psalm 85:1-13

    I will echo the psalmist’s prayer. Restore us again. Bring us back to following You. Make us Your faithful people. I will listen to what God says as I ask that He turn me away from foolishness, that He turn the people of this land from foolishness. Love and truth, righteousness and peace, will fall on those who listen to the Lord. He will pour out His blessing on the land if the people follow Him.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

    There it is again, the instruction to pray. What are we to pray for? Let us pray that God’s message spreads rapidly and that it is honoured everywhere it is preached. Let us pray that those preaching God’s word be rescued from evil and wicked people. I will personally ask that you pray for me and I will strive to pray for you. There is more we should pray for, but that is a good start.
    We should stay away from those who live idle lives. We should fill our lives with work of various sorts so that we can earn enough for our own needs and more so as to help those who cannot provide for themselves. However, we should not be providing for those who could be providing for themselves but will not. Paul tells us that such people refuse to work and instead spend their lives meddling in other’s affairs. Paul tells us that those who are unwilling (Note: “unwilling”, not “unable”) to work shall not eat. It is important that while we should stay away from such people, we should still love them and care about them.

Jeremiah 26-27:22

    God sent Jeremiah to prophecy in front of the Temple. God had set in motion judgement against the people of Judah for their sins, but time had not yet run out. If they turned from their sins, listened to God’s instruction and obeyed His commands, God would still turn the judgement aside. The same message applies today. Judgement for the sins of this nation has been set in motion. Disaster can be seen on the horizon Yet there is still time. If people listen to God’s message and obey Him, He will turn aside the coming disaster. I fear for this land and its people. It has not yet come to the point where those who call people to follow God are in danger of their life, but that time is not far off. Unless the Holy Spirit moves in the hearts of people and transforms them. Let us pray to God that His Spirit will soften the hearts of the people of this nation.

     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.

Jeremiah 26-27:22

     In today’s passage, God did not send Jeremiah to the secular leaders, or to the general populace. He sent him to the religious leaders and those who viewed themselves as righteous. The message which God gave these people who considered themselves righteous was that if they did not listen to God and obey the word which He had given them, they would be destroyed.

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     There is still time. If those who claim to be servants of God turn from their evil ways and listen to what God is calling us to, He will change His mind about the disaster He is about to pour out upon the world. We have forgotten what we have been called to do and have gotten involved in trying to rule our fellow man. Let us pray for the Spirit to come down upon the people of this land and change their hearts. Let us pray that the Spirit come down upon us and change our hearts. It is up to me to be faithful. I am not called to make others be faithful. I can only call on them to change insomuch as I am willing to do so as well.
     Oh Lord, rain down your Spirit upon me and show me Your will. Take control of my life and use me to bring honor to Your name!

2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

     Over the last few weeks, I have been convicted to work on improving my prayer life by Paul’s comments to different audiences that he was praying for them continually. Today, I received that conviction from Paul’s request that the believers of Thessalonica pray for him. He asked them to pray that God’s word would spread rapidly and be honored. He asked that he, and others preaching the Gospel, be delivered from wicked and evil people. These are things which I am called to pray for. I will continue to seek the Spirit’s guidance in being more faithful in my prayer life.
     Paul gives an important command at this point,

Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.

He instructs us that we should avoid being idle. We should strive to follow his example and work to provide for our needs. In addition, we should work so that we have more than enough to meet our needs so that we can provide assistance to those who are unable to meet their needs. However, none of us should be idle, relying on others to provide our needs. Such idleness leads people to meddle in other people’s affairs and become busybodies. Rather than do meddle in other people’s affairs we should work continually at doing good.
     Paul concludes his letter with a prayer that is also a promise. He prays that God give us His peace at all times and in every situation. If we are willing to accept it from God, He will give us that peace.

Psalm 85:1-13

     This is a wonderful psalm which reminded me of a great hymn, the final verse of which goes:

Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.

I will make this psalm my prayer for today. I will ask God to restore the people of this, and every, nation to Him once more, to revive faith in Him, so that people can rejoice in Him. I am under no illusions that the majority of the people of the U.S. were ever Christians, but at one time, the Christians were salt in this country, influencing it in a godly direction. Today, the salt has lost its flavor and I pray that God will restore us so that we can once more have a positive influence on those around us.

Proverbs 25:16

     This proverb warns that too much of a good thing is bad. There is nothing wrong with doing things which bring pleasure, such as eating honey, but too much will cause problems.