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.

1 Chronicles 22-23:32

     David selected the location for the Temple to be built. He, also, began collecting materials to use in the construction of the Temple. He set aside large amounts of gold, silver, bronze, iron and cedar. David told Solomon that he had wanted to build a Temple for God, but God had told him it would not be appropriate for him to do so because of all of the men he had killed in his wars. David went on to tell Solomon that God had told him that his son, Solomon, would be a man of peace and would build God’s Temple. David instructs the leaders of Israel to assist Solomon in building the Temple for God. David then assigns duties relating to the Temple that will be built to the Levites according to their family lines.

Romans 3:9-31

     In yesterday’s passage, Paul said that it is not OK to sin. In today’s passage, he wrote that even though the Jews have received God’s Law, they are no better than anyone else. The purpose of the Law is show us how guilty we are before God. We cannot be made right with God by obeying the Law. All have sinned and fall short of God’s standard. We can only be made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. Paul wrote that we are made right with God by believing that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His own blood.
     No one has any basis for boasting of their righteousness, because we have all failed equally before God. We can only be made right with God through faith, not by anything we have done. Does this mean we can ignore the Law and go on sinning? Paul wrote that it certainly does not mean that. He wrote that through our faith, God gives us the power to fulfill and keep the Law. Through the Holy Spirit we are given the power to overcome sin and do what is right before God. We will sin from time to time, but we should strive to allow the Holy Spirit to change us so that we do not. When we discover an area where sin is able to control us, we should not say, “There is nothing I can do. I just have to accept that I am going to commit this sin.” Instead, we should ask God for the power and guidance to avoid that sin in the future. If we acknowledge our powerlessness to overcome that sin and request God’s help in freeing us from that sin, He will grant our prayer and remove the power of that sin over us.

Psalm 12:1-8

     The psalmist tells us that even when it appears that society is abandoning all pretense of righteousness and descending into glorifying sin and evil, God will rise up and cast judgement on those who do violence to the helpless. When I read this passage from the psalmist:

They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content.
Our lips are our own—who can stop us?”
I cannot help but think of all those in our society today who say that there is no God. It reminds me of the pro-abortionists argument that a woman should have control over her own body. But the psalmist tells us that God replies:
“I have seen violence done to the helpless,
…
Now I will rise up to rescue them,…”
The psalmist tells us that God’s promises are pure as silver that has been repeatedly melted and had the impurities removed. God will protect the oppressed, even in a country where the evil brag of their evil and others praise them for it.

Proverbs 19:13-14

     These two proverbs are obviously related, but at first glance they seem to contain two unrelated ideas. The first is that a foolish child is a calamity for a parent. The second is that choosing a spouse correctly is important for future happiness. However, they are related, because the foolishness being discussed in the first part is that of choosing a spouse poorly. It is important that we turn to God and seek His guidance in selecting a spouse. I have known many men who have sought women as potential mates based on superficial characteristics, who have ended up with women who made them unhappy. I love having a beautiful wife, but am so glad that I allowed God to guide my selection.