For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    Wisdom is there to be found by any who seek her. It is not hidden and we do not have to go to far away exotic places to find it. Wisdom is there in our every day life just waiting for us to pay attention. No one is condemned to remaining foolish unless they choose to be so. It is up to us, we can choose to listen to wisdom or choose to ignore it.

    The psalmist calls out to God when he needs relief from his troubles. He reminds us that God sets aside His faithful servants. Let us stop turning God’s glory into shame. It is time to give up delusions and false gods, those things which promise to give us what we want if only we turn to them rather than God. I will spend my nights searching my heart and seeking how I can better serve God tomorrow, rather than let my mind wander on to how I can satisfy my own pleasure.
    The people of this world are seeking to follow the one who will give them prosperity and worldly pleasures. I will follow God because the joy of doing His will is greater than what I can get from material things. I will not let prosperity nor poverty distract me from seeking God’s face.

    As I read the passage today, I saw something that had never really registered before. The passage tells us that when Jesus heard that Herod had arrested John the Baptist, He left Judea (where Herod ruled). I had read that before, but it was always just a comment about the order in which things happened. However, today I realized that Jesus left Judea because He (and probably His disciples) thought that Herod might follow up the arrest of John the Baptist by arresting Him. This tells us more than just that. Why would Jesus (and others) think that Herod might follow up John’s arrest by arresting Jesus? The answer is because people at the time viewed Jesus as being a leader of the same movement of which John was also a leader. There are other indications later in the New Testament that suggest that the followers of Jesus and the followers of John the Baptist considered themselves part of the same movement well after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

    Five months after the flood began, the Ark came to rest. It was another two and a half months before other mountain tops became visible. After forty more days, Noah released birds to see if there was dry ground. Seven days later, he released a dove. This dove did not return until the end of the day. When it returned it was carrying an olive branch. After another seven days, Noah released the dove again. This time it did not come back. At this point, Noah has been in the Ark, with his wife, three sons, and their wives (and maybe grandchildren) for over nine months. The passage tells us that Noah stayed in the Ark for over a year, until God told him it was time to leave it. I am not sure I would have been able to wait any longer after I saw that the ground was basically dry at around ten months. This passage reminds us of the importance of patience and waiting until God tells us that it is time to act.

     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.

     When the flood waters receded, Noah knew that God intended for him, and all of those with him, to get out of the boat. However, what he did is a great example for all of us. He did not immediately open up the boat and get out and he did not sit around waiting for God to tell him it was time. He sent out birds to see if they could find land. When one of the birds did not return, he realized that it was time to open up the boat, but not yet time to depart it. Having taken appropriate action, Noah was ready to hear God’s voice and leave the boat when it was finally time.

     When Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been arrested, He left Judea and returned to Galilee. He then began preaching a message that was basically the same as that preached by the prophets, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” From time to time I come across some writer who claims to have this “shocking discovery” that Jesus’ message was not original. Every time I read this I have the same reaction, “Has this guy never read the Bible?” Jesus’ teaching was not novel and new. It was the culmination of the message God had been speaking through the prophets throughout history.
     We have here Matthew’s account of the calling of the first disciples. When Jesus called out to Peter and Andrew, and then a short time later to James and John, they replied by dropping what they were doing and following Him. When Jesus calls out to us, are we willing to drop everything and follow Him? Will we change our plans because Jesus has called us to something different?

     I really like the NIV take on the first two verses of this psalm. The psalmist asks how long will people turn his glory into shame? How long will they love delusions and seek lies? What is the psalmist’s glory? It is the worship of God and following His commands. Look around, how often do we hear people attempting to turn the desire to follow God’s will for your life into something to be ashamed of? How often do they attempt to delude themselves by substituting delusion and lies for the word of God?
     In verse four the psalmist warns us against allowing anger to lead us into sin. Rather than act out of anger, we should take the time to sleep on it and keep our peace until God has revealed His will to us. When we are angered, we are to take our time and take our anger before God. Once we have considered all that God has for us, the kindness He has done to us despite what we have done, can we really justify venting our wrath on others?
     Finally the psalmist gives us an example to live by, whether you go with the NIV or the NLT. Both tell us that many are looking to God to receive material wealth, but the psalmist is looking to God for peace and joy. The NLT interpretation tells us that God can give us greater joy than any material possession others may desire. The NIV tells us that God will make us able to experience joy at witnessing others receive great wealth. In either case, we can lie down in peace because it is God who makes us safe.

     Wisdom is not hard to find, she is out on the street calling out to any who will listen. If we are only willing to listen, wisdom is there for the taking. All too often we prefer to remain foolish.