For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    How we live our lives reflects our hearts in much the same way a mirror reflects our face. If we have God in our hearts people will see it in how we live.

    Serve the Lord by praising His name wherever you find yourself. God’s glory is greater than any that can be found on earth, or in heaven. God will lift up the poor and sit them among the elites. He gives the childless families. He rescues the oppressed. Praise the Lord for the great things He has done.
    When God’s people follow His lead obstacles get out of their way. Even when those obstacles are geographic features. The psalmist reminds us that even the Red Sea moved aside to allow God’s people to pass. Let us remember that, if we follow God’s lead, the same thing will happen before us.

    There is a lot in this passage. The writer goes from point to point. He makes a lot of good points. However, the one which convicts me this morning is what he says about Esau. Esau sacrificed long term good for short term gratification. I know that I struggle with that same problem. All too many times I have made a decision to satisfy my short term desire at the expense of my long term good. I know that I will pay a penalty for doing so. I sincerely ask God to help me overcome this weakness.

    Ezekiel prophesies that Egypt’s destruction came about because it became proud and arrogant. The Egyptians thought they were so far above all other nations that they did not need to concern themselves with world affairs. They saw themselves as a strong young lion, as a mover and shaker in world affairs who could do as they pleased. When, in fact, they were nothing more than a large crocodile, powerful and dangerous in their element, but vulnerable to those who knew how to approach them.
    As I read this, Ezekiel’s prophesies concerning Egypt remind me of where the United States is today. The U.S. has made promises of support to Israel that it is considering reneging on. The people of the U.S. view themselves as special above all others, without taking any responsibility to use those abilities to make the world better. God’s judgment will come on the nation if the people do not turn to Him once more.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I am home from my business trip. Praise God that the whole trip went without incident. I want to thank all of you who prayed for me while I was travelling.

    We cannot see what is in someone’s heart to judge why they took a particular action. However, we can get a pretty accurate picture by looking at their entire life. Individual acts do not tell us much about what is going on in someone’s heart, but, if we see how they treat others day in and day out we will get a pretty clear picture of what they think of others. Does my life reflect the love of God which I claim lives in my heart?

    God, the Creator of the Universe, cares about each and every individual. Let us praise God because, even though He has created a Universe so great and large that the Solar System is insignificantly small, He cares enough about individual people to lift them up and save them.

    The writer echoes something which Paul said in Romans. We are to do what we can to live at peace with everyone. The writer here tells us that, in addition to striving to live at peace with everyone, we are to live a holy life. Living at peace with others is part and parcel of living a holy life, but if others refuse to live at peace with us because we live a holy life, that is not our problem.
    The writer warns us that we must be careful to not allow bitterness to take root in our lives. If we allow it, bitterness will grow up in our lives and corrupt them. Beyond that our bitterness can corrupt others and separate them from the holiness of God.

    Sooner or later every mighty nation will fall. When a nation begins to believe that its might is a birthright which it earns just by being, that day is close. God will show His power and bring down that nation when they begin to think that their power and might is theirs by right. Mighty nations will only remain strong as long as they strive to do what is right. When they lose sight of the fact that might grows from doing the right things and starts to believe that their might makes all of their actions right, their end is in sight. I fear for our world because the political leaders of the world seem to have lost sight of this truth.

     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.

     Ezekiel wrote a prophecy against Egypt. His warning was that no matter how great and powerful a nation might become it was still subject to God. God has declared that He will hold nations accountable, no matter how powerful or wealthy they may become. No nation will ever be so powerful that it is not subject to God’s judgment.

     The writer admonishes us to do everything within our power to live at peace with everyone. However, he gives a qualifier to that effort, he tells us to live holy lives. So, we are to do what we can to live at peace with everyone within the constraints of living holy lives. He warns us against bitterness, telling us how, if we allow it, it will grow up within us and defile us. Further the writer warns us against trading our long term happiness for immediate gratification of our desires.

     In today’s passage from Ezekiel we were told that God will bring the mighty and wealthy low. In this psalm we are reminded that He will lift the poor and needy up. Yes, I will praise the Lord. When God’s people follow His direction, even inanimate objects, such as rivers and seas, will get out of their way. Every obstacle will be removed from the path of those who serve the Lord.

     Who we really are is reflected by the life we lead. Human desire will never be fully sated and attempting to do so leads to death and destruction.