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.

     When Jeremiah finished his prophecies against Babylon, he wrote them down and gave them to someone to take to Babylon to read them there. The passage then recounts the fall of Jerusalem and the way that King Jehoiachin was treated in Babylon.

     Paul tells us that as believers we should submit to the government and its officers. We should be obedient insofar as doing so is consistent with doing good. We must not slander anyone. Instead of quarreling, Christians show true humility and gentleness (or at least we try to). God saved me, not because of my righteousness (of which I have none), but because of His love and mercy. By His grace He declared me righteous and I will be forever grateful because there is no other way that I could be considered righteous. As the Spirit gives me the grace, I will not quarrel about spiritual pedigrees or Jewish (or other) laws. After a couple of times of attempting to show them where they are causing dissension, I will have nothing to do with those who cause divisions.

     The Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever. I will praise His name. The Lord is God. He made me and I am His. He has filled me with joy and I will praise His name.

     Calling it a joke does not undo the harm done by lying to one’s friends.