Tag Archives: Psalm 118:19-29

Daily Bible Study

November 20, 2015 Bible Study — Where Do Wars Come From?

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 28:3-5

    This proverb reminds us that the oppressors of the poor are not always the rich. The poor, also, sometimes oppress the poor and when they do it is even worse than when the rich do so.
    The way to fight the wicked is to support the rule of law. The wicked thrive and are honored when the law is arbitrary. The last of these proverbs really remind me of our society today. Many people fail to understand justice, do not know how to tell what is right, because they have become enamored of wickedness. Those who seek God instinctively understand what is right and recognize justice when they see it (and injustice when they see that as well).

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Psalm 118:19-29

    The psalmist says that if someone opens the door where the righteous can enter into the presence of the Lord, he will go in and praise the Lord. Will you do likewise? I will, for God has answered my prayers and given me victory. God has taken that which the human experts rejected and made it the key element of His work. Do people tell you that you are too small, too insignificant, too whatever, to make a difference? Do not listen to them, God has put you where you are in order to serve His purpose. He will use you to accomplish great things.

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James 4

    I was really struck by the wording of this passage in light of world events. What causes quarrels, fights, and wars? They come about as a result of the evil desires inside each and every one of us. We want what we do not have, so we scheme and kill to get it. If that means starting a war, some of us will do that as well.
    James goes on to remind us that all of this is pointless because if we asked God He would give it to us, as long as our motives are correct. If our intention is merely to satisfy our own pleasures, God will not give it to us. If, on the other hand, we want something so that we can serve Him, or meet the needs of others, He will give it to us. If we have allowed the world to convince us that we deserve something we have become idolaters. Instead of seeking things for our own pleasure and glory, let us humble ourselves and seek things for the good of others and the glory of God.

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Ezekiel 40:28-41:26

    Every time I read Ezekiel’s description of the Temple which will be built after Israel’s restoration I look for what it means for me. I am sad to say that the Holy Spirit did not inspire me with any meaning from this passage today. I have read several blogs which attempt to explain what role this Temple plays in Christian theology, but they failed to move me. The only thing about this passage which is at all striking is the possibility that there will be a time in the near future where ISIS (or some other alliance of Muslims) attacked Israel, were decisively defeated by an act of God, and the people of Israel built a Temple in Jerusalem with no need to fear international repercussions.

Daily Bible Study

May 22, 2015 Bible Study — This Is the Day the Lord Has Made

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I will be out of town on business for most of this week. It is my plan to complete this blog every day, but I may run late some days.

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Proverbs 15:27-28

    The proverb tells us there are two kinds of people, those who think before they speak, and those who just say what comes to mind. Further, it tells us that the godly are the first sort and the wicked are the latter. So, the question is, which am I?

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Psalm 118:19-29

    As I watched the sun rise from my hotel window this morning, I read this psalm. It is indeed the day which the Lord has made, and I will rejoice in it. I will be glad today and enjoy the positive things God brings my way.

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John 12:20-50

    Jesus begins today’s passage by telling us that a kernel of wheat must fall to the ground and die before it can be transformed into a wheat plant and bring forth many new kernels. While it is true that Jesus was referring to His own death here, it is clear from the context that He intended this message for us as well. It is only by being willing to give up our lives in this world that we can be transformed into the likeness of Christ and thus have eternal life. More than that, it is only by being willing to give up our lives that we can truly lead others to know Christ.

    Jesus told us that God would honour anyone who serves Him. He said this right after saying that anyone who wanted to serve Him needed to follow Him. This was in the context of Jesus talking about the fact that He would soon be crucified. He followed this up by saying that He would not ask God to save Him from the suffering He was about to face. Rather, Jesus asked that God bring honour to God’s name. I hope that if I ever face such suffering, I will have the faith to feel and say the same thing.
    Later in today’s passage Jesus said that He does not speak on His own authority. Instead He spoke as God commanded Him to speak. The same is true for us today. I struggle with the knowledge that God has commanded me what to say, and how to say it. This is a difficult thing for me. I know that God has commanded my as to what to say, but I am not always sure which things God has commanded me to say and which things are me speaking for myself. However, I will seek each day to make the words I speak the words God wishes me to speak.

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2 Samuel 1-2:11

    When the Amalekite came to tell David that Saul and Jonathan were dead, he expected to be rewarded for bringing the news. The man clearly thought that by bringing news to David that David’s path to the throne was clear would make David happy. He sought to curry favor by bringing the news. From the perspective of this world, the news the Amalekite brought should have delighted David. However, up until this point, David had not sought to be king. That was not what he was striving for. In the same way, we should not strive for worldly power, whether in the government or in the work place. If God intends for us to have power, He will bring us to that place.

Daily Bible Study

November 20, 2014 Bible Study — Humble Yourselves Before God

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 28:3-5

    These three proverbs all fit together in a way that many people fail to understand. Society becomes truly oppressive when the poor join with the rich in oppressing their fellows in poverty. The wicked thrive and rise to the top in a society where those who are favored follow a different set of rules from everyone else. The only way to resist the wicked is by obeying the laws that apply to everyone else, even when you can get away with not doing so. Those who are steeped in evil believe that justice is just an excuse used by those in power to get their own way. Only those who seek the Lord truly understand the meaning of justice.

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Psalm 118:19-29

    When God opens the gate where the righteous enter, will we go in? Or we be like the builders and reject the cornerstone because we think we know better than the Architect? No matter how intelligent and knowledgeable we think we are, let us recognize that God, as Creator of the Universe, has a better understanding of how we should live than we are capable of. God has made this day for us, let us rejoice in it and be glad. God is my God and I will praise Him.

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James 4:1-17

    At first reading this passage seems to support those who preach “prosperity gospel”. James says that the source of all conflict is because we want things and do not have them. As a result we scheme and kill to get those things we desire. He goes on to tell us that the reason we do not have what we desire is because we do not ask God for what we desire. This sounds like standard “prosperity gospel” (which is not real Gospel at all).
    However, James does not stop there. He goes on to tell us that even when we do ask, we do not receive because we ask with the wrong motives. When we ask God for things in order to spend them on our own pleasures, God will not give us what we ask for. When we desire things in order to use them for our own pleasure, we are seeking to befriend the world. If we are friends of this world, we are enemies of God.
    So, rather than seeking things to use for our own pleasure we should humble ourselves before God. Part of doing this is seeking to spend what God has given us in serving Him. We need to faithfully desire to please God rather than ourselves. The next sentence seems to be a change of theme, but I think I see how it fits in with what went before.
    James said that we have conflict when we seek that which we do not have in order to spend it on our own desires. Now he tells us that the way to deal with temptation and sin is to resist the devil. If we resist temptation and those who encourage us to fall into it, they will flee from us. He is not really saying that those who encourage us to sin will flee from us when we resist temptation, although many of them will do so (with flee perhaps not being the word that would first come to mind). He says that if we resist the devil, he will flee from us. By which I take him to mean that if we resist the temptation to sin, we will find that the opportunity to succumb to that temptation will pass…and the more we resist the temptation, the fewer opportunities we will have to succumb to it in the future.
    There is one final point James makes in this passage. If we know what we ought to do and do not do it, it is just as much a sin as doing what we know we ought not do. It is not enough to not do wrong. In addition, we must do what is right.

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Ezekiel 40:28-41:26

    Ezekiel goes into great detail describing what the Temple in the restored Jerusalem will look like and its dimensions. I have read this passage many times, but it carries no special meaning for me. I have heard sermons preached on this passage and I admire preachers and teachers who see deep meaning in what Ezekiel describes here. However, it is not something that I see when I read this (although occasionally I will see what someone else sees when they talk about this passage).

Daily Bible Study

May 22, 2014 Bible Study — Walk In the Light

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 15:27-28

    The godly think carefully before they respond to what they have been told. The wicked do not care about the consequences of their words and say what comes to mind when it comes to mind. I will think carefully about the impact my words may have on others before I speak.

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Psalm 118:19-29

    When God opens the gate through which the righteous will pass, I will go in. I will enter His presence and thank Him for all He has done. He has answered my prayers and given me victory over my troubles.

This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

I love this psalm and all that it says. I will bless those who come in the name of the Lord, not those who just say that they do, but those who genuinely come in His name.

You are my God, and I will praise you!
You are my God, and I will exalt you!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.


Yes, He is my God and I will give thanks to Him. I have experienced His faithful love and know that it will endure for all time and beyond.

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John 12:20-50

    It is only when we are willing to sacrifice our lives to serve God that we truly find life. When Jesus faced the facts of His coming crucifixion, His prayed that the Father bring glory to the Father’s name. He did not turn from the path that led to His crucifixion. Let us walk in the light which Jesus provides so that we may see where we are going. But let us also let Jesus’ light shine through us so that others may see where they are going. I will always remember that those who are walking in darkness cannot see where their path is taking them. It is my job to let Jesus’ light shine upon them so that they can see their destination and perhaps choose another one.
    I will follow and trust Jesus so that His light will shine on me and through me. I will not judge others because Jesus came to save them. I too wish for them to be saved. However, I know that those who reject Jesus’ message will be judged by the truth of that message. There is such a thing as objective truth and I will strive to live according to that truth.

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2 Samuel 1-2:11

    The messenger who brought word to David that Saul and Jonathan were dead claimed to have killed Saul at Saul’s request. Yet, 1 Samuel tells us that Saul killed himself to avoid capture by the Philistines. The messenger appears to have believed that David would honour him for having done this and for bringing Saul’s tokens of kingship. David killed the messenger for the crime of killing Saul based on the messenger’s own confession. This is not the only time when David punished those who attempted to curry favor by taking credit for doing something that was wrong. If we are in a position of power, we need to follow David’s example and punish those who have done wrong to curry our favor, rather than rewarding them.

Daily Bible Study

November 20, 2013 Bible Study — What Causes Fights?

     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.

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Ezekiel 40:28-41:26

     At the end of yesterday’s passage, Ezekiel was taken in a vision to the top of a very high mountain in the land of Israel. On the south side of the mountain there were buildings arranged in a way that looked like a city. In the vision he was met at the gate by a man with a face like glowing bronze who was holding a measuring string and a measuring rod. This man led him into a new Temple and measured its walls and rooms. Ezekiel described the measurements of the Temple, its walls, its rooms, and the various outbuildings associated with it.
     As I read the passage today, I struggled to understand what God wanted me to understand out of this passage. Then something struck me. Ezekiel was describing an empty building in an empty city. This was a Temple and a city not built by human hands. Rather it was a city and Temple built by God that was waiting for the people of God to come into it to worship and fellowship with God. The Temple was waiting for Christ to come as our high priest and open it up for us by sacrificing Himself for our sins.

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James 4:1-17

     James wrote here about the root cause of so much that is wrong in this world. He said that we fight, quarrel, and kill because we desire what we do not have. Further we do not have because we do not ask God for it. He then points out that even when we do ask, we do not get because we ask for things in order to use them for our own pleasure. While James was writing to Christians, this applies to everyone.
     He goes on to warn us that being friendly to the world, which we exhibit by desiring worldly pleasures rather than godly service, is antithetical to friendship with God. If we submit ourselves to God and resist the devil, the devil will flee from us. All too often we get this exactly backwards. We submit to the devil and resist God. I will strive to humbly do as God wills me to do. Humility means that I will not speak out against my fellow believer, nor will I judge the decisions which they choose to make.
     One of the most important points James makes is at the end of today’s passage. He tells us that if we know what we ought to do and do not do it, it is as much sin as doing that which we know we ought not to do. A sin of omission is just as great as any sin of commission.

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Psalm 118:19-29

     Part of this psalm was quoted by Jesus to the Pharisees and as a result is often interpreted as a prophecy of His coming. I will not question that interpretation. However, as I read it today it struck me as having much more meaning than that. First the part which Jesus quoted:

The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.

As I read this it struck me that it is talking about how we humans so often reject some person, or action, or thing that God intends as the key element of His work in this world. But God’s will will not be thwarted and He will make that item the cornerstone and give it a place of honor in His work. We may be convinced that we know better, that this “stone” is inadequate for the place of honor, but God will not listen to us. He will do what He will do and when we see what He has done, it is wonderful. No matter what we think of them, the one who comes in the name of the Lord will be blessed.

     THIS is the day which the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. Won’t you please join me in doing so?

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Proverbs 28:3-5

     All too often we forget that the poor are sometimes the source of oppression of the poor. It is wrong to think that the poor are any less guilty of wickedness than the wealthy. The key to overcoming wickedness is fidelity to the law and to justice. The wicked are empowered when people reject lawful behavior, but struggle when people embrace lawful behavior. The wicked may speak of justice and fairness, but all they understand is power. On the other hand, those who seek God understand justice and integrate it into their plans, even when they do not speak of it.

Daily Bible Study

May 22, 2013 Bible Study — This Is the Day the Lord Has Made

     I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. 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. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.

Tiger lilies
Tiger lillies

2 Samuel 1-2:11

     Three days after David had returned to Ziklag a man arrived bringing news that the Israelite army had been defeated by the Philistines and that Saul and Jonathan were dead. The man who brought the news was an Amalekite who lived among the Israelites. When David questioned him about his news, he claimed that he had come upon Saul injured. Further he claimed that Saul had asked him to kill him and that he had done so because he saw that Saul would not live long in any event. The Amalekite than took Saul’s armband and crown and brought them to David. David ordered his men to kill the Amalekite based on his confession to killing King Saul. This fits into a pattern whereby David punished people who performed actions that were morally wrong but that they thought would benefit David and bring reward from him. I think this teaches us an important lesson about what to expect from those in positions of power. David did not accept those who did wrong to advance his cause with a “wink and a nod”, where he claimed to be opposed to the actions they took, but accepted them anyway. There will be several more occasions where we are told that David punished someone who came to him claiming to have done wrong to advance David’s cause.
     David composed a lament for the death of Jonathan and Saul which expressed his deep love for Jonathan and his respect for Saul. It praised Saul and Jonathan for their might in battle defending Israel. Once David finished his mourning for Jonathan and Saul he moved back to Judah with his men and their families. They settled around Hebron. The elders of Judah came to David and made him king over Judah. When David heard the news that the men of Jabesh-gilead had taken the bodies of Saul and his sons and buried them, he sent them word praising their action and blessing them for it. In his message, he asked them to accept him as king, as the tribe of Judah had done. However, in the meantime, Abner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Saul’s remaining son, Ishbosheth and declared him king. With Abner’s backing, Ishbosheth became king over all of Israel except for Judah.

Tiger lilies up close
Tiger lilies up close

John 12:20-50

     While Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover (and after the Triumphal Entry), some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast approached Philip and asked him to arrange a meeting with Jesus for them. Philip told Andrew about their request and Andrew and Philip approached Jesus. In response to this request Jesus said that the time had come for Him to enter into His glory. He went on to say that it is only as a kernel of wheat enters the ground and dies that it is able to produce more wheat. In the same way, if we hang onto our lives, if we love our lives, we will lose them, but if we are willing to sacrifice our lives for God we will gain eternal life. It is interesting that this teaching is in response to some Greeks, some non-Jews, seeking to meet with Jesus. I am not sure why that is significant, but it is.
     Jesus went on to say that His soul was troubled. But He did not wish to ask the Father to save Him from the trial He was about to face, rather He asked the Father to glorify the Father’s name. Jesus says this immediately after telling us that if we wish to serve Him, we need to go where He is. This reads to me as a model for us to follow. We, also, should ask the Father to glorify His name through the difficult times we face, rather than asking Him to take these difficult times from us. I find this to be a very difficult teaching to follow.

Tiger lily even closer
Tiger lily even closer

Psalm 118:19-29

     I just read the last passage in John where I understood Jesus to teach us to ask God to glorify His name through the difficulties we face rather than take them from us. Then I read this psalm where it says:

I thank you for answering my prayer
and giving me victory!

This is the result of embracing the difficult times we face in order to bring glory to God’s name. God will give us victory. Trials and tribulations will come. When they do, let us call on God to bring glory to His name through them. Even in those times I will say:
This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

I will sing that and praise the Lord, even when I face difficult times.

The theme for today is ORANGE
The theme for today is ORANGE

Proverbs 15:27-28

     The greedy bring trouble not only on themselves, but on their entire household. Those who seek after righteousness strive to control what words they use. The wicked do not give a second thought to the type of language they use, or what they say.

Daily Bible Study

November 20, 2012 Bible Study

     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. I am back to a routine. It is not the same as my old routine, but I think it will work out well. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.

Christmas Cactus

Ezekiel 40:28-41:26

     In today’s passage Ezekiel further describes the rebuilt Temple he sees in his vision. He gives detailed measurements and descriptions of the furnishings and decorations. I am sure there is deep spiritual significance to all of this for some, but none that the Spirit is revealing to me today.

Two Women Talking After Worship

James 4:1-17

     James diagnoses what causes quarrels and fights within the Church (and among humans in general). He tells us that it results from our evil desires. He does not stop there. He goes on to define evil desires. He tells us that evil desires are desires for things purely for our own pleasure. We are jealous of what others have and we cannot get it, so we fight to take it away from them (sound familiar?). We do not have what we want because we do not ask God for it. This is starting to sound like “prosperity gospel”. But then James hits us with this, even when we do ask for it, we ask only for that which gives us pleasure, rather than for that which will make us better servants of God. I know that I am guilty of this. Even worse (or at least, just as bad), I ask for things to further serve God, then, all to often, I use them for my pleasure.
     In either case, doing this is an indication that we are valuing this world more than we are valuing God, which is a form of idolatry. Our loyalty is divided between God and the world and God desires our undivided loyalty. If we humble ourselves before God and resist the temptation from the devil, the devil, and temptation, will flee from us. We should have sorrow and grief for the sins we have committed where we have indulged our own pleasures rather than helping those in need. I need to recognize how often I have failed to do that which the Spirit has convicted me that I ought to do. Failing to do that which you know that you ought to do is just as much of a sin as doing that which you know that you ought not do.
     Finally, there are two other points James makes in this passage. We are not to slander one another. We should not attempt to judge another person’s motives. We should obey God’s instructions as best we understand them, not try to find reasons why they do not apply to us. We should focus on doing God’s will as the Spirit has guided us rather than on whether someone else is doing wrong. The other point he brings up is that we should remember that all of our plans are conditional on the will of God. We should not boast about what we are going to do because perhaps God has other plans for us. We should do today the things that we know are God’s will, not put them off until tomorrow. Additionally, we should understand that as noble as our plans may be, God may have other plans for us that will preclude us completing those plans.

Fellowship After Worship Service

Psalm 118:19-29

     When the gates which lead to the presence of the Lord are opened I will enter in. We as humans have little understanding of God’s plans. Human builders rejected as unfit the stone which God selected as the cornerstone of the building. The results of God’s plans are wonderful. This day has come about because the Lord has made His plans and caused them to come to pass despite human thoughts and actions. Let us call on the Lord to bring us salvation and success. The Lord is my God and I will praise Him. He brings me victory. I trust Him because I know that He is faithful.

Three Women Practicing for Thanksgiving Service

Proverbs 28:3-5

     When the poor oppress the poor it is even more destructive than when the rich do so. Those who reject the law empower the wicked. The way to fight the wicked is to strengthen the law. The law is not something that changes from person to person. Evil people do not understand justice, let alone strive for it.

Daily Bible Study

May 22, 2012 Bible Study

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or my understanding of them, please leave comments.

2 Samuel 1-2:11

     The book of 2 Samuel begins with a man delivering word to David that King Saul and Jonathan are dead and the army of Israel is defeated. the man claims to have killed King Saul at Saul’s request. David and his men mourned and fasted for a day over the death of King Saul and Jonathan and the defeat of Israel’s army. Then David summoned the man who brought the news and had him killed for killing King Saul. It is not clear to me why David killed the messenger. The man claimed that he had only killed King Saul because Saul asked him to and because he could see that Saul was going to die from his wounds eventually any way. However, David’s stated reason is consistent with his actions on those occasions when he had had the opportunity to kill King Saul himself. David then composes a song in which he both praises Saul and Jonathan and mourns their deaths. The contents of the song are consistent with David’s continued loyalty to King Saul even when King Saul was seeking his death.
     The story tells us that again David seeks God’s guidance before taking the apparently obvious action of moving back to Judah. When he receives affirmation of that decision and guidance as to where in Judah to go, he does so. Once David is back in Judah the leaders of Judah come to him and anoint him their king. When David hears that the men of Jabesh-gilead had retrieved Saul’s body and given it a proper burial he sends then a message praising them for their action and requesting that they accept him as king. However, Abner, who was King Saul’s cousin and the commander of his army, had already declared that Saul’s remaining son was king of Israel. I think it is interesting that once again, David seeks God’s guidance before taking what seems to be the obvious decision. I think that this should be a model for all of us. We should seek God’s guidance before making any of life’s major decisions, even ones where the answer seems obvious. We have a tendency to think that obvious decisions do not require us to spend time in prayer. The story of David’s life make clear that this is not the case.

John 12:20-50

     This passage begins by saying that some Greeks who had come to the Passover celebration wanted to see Jesus so they approached Philip. Philip went to Andrew and together they went to Jesus. Jesus then begins a short sermon about His coming death. It is not clear if these were Gentiles who had chosen to convert to Judaism, or if they were Hellenized Jews. I am also not sure what the connection between these Greeks requesting to see Jesus and the message that He preaches here. Jesus tells us here that it is only through His death that others can come to salvation. I believe that this is the first mention of Jesus’ struggle between wanting to avoid the suffering He knows is coming and wanting to fulfill His mission and serve God through His death. Again we have the metaphor of light. Jesus says that we must walk in the light while we can so that we can become children of the light and darkness will not overtake us. While Jesus was certainly talking to those listening to Him and telling them that He would only be among them for a short time yet, I believe He was also talking to us. I think He was saying that we only have a limited time to listen to God’s word and if we do not heed God’s call during that time we will lose our opportunity. On the other hand, if we do listen to God’s call, we will become a light shining God’s will and call to others.
     The writer tells us that despite the miracles that they had witnessed most of the people did not believe in Him. However, he also tells us that many did believe in Jesus, even among the religious leaders. But those religious leaders would not admit it for fear of being cast out of the synagogue. There is a subtext in this passage that we should not allow the fear of what others will think of us to keep us from proclaiming the gospel and our faith in Jesus. This passage ends telling us that in the end we will be judged by the words of God that we have heard and the degree to which we have followed them or not. If we reject God’s message to us, we will be judged. If we accept God’s message we will receive eternal life.

Psalm 118:19-29

     I want to say with the psalmist, “This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” I want that to be my mantra every day. I want to praise and thank God in all aspects of my life every day.

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.


This is my prayer today.

Proverbs 15:27-28

     The clipart today is of another verse in proverbs, but it is still appropriate to today’s proverb as well. Here we have a proverb which tells us that greed leads to trouble for both the greedy individual and to their loved ones, while those who avoid bribes will prosper. I believe that the second part applies to both those in a position to receive bribes and those who are tempted to give them (whether because they believe their path would be smoothed by the giving or because they believe their path is being obstructed for not giving). The second proverb tells us that we should think carefully before we speak. That we should chose our words with care. Speaking hurtful words is evidence of not listening to God.