Tag Archives: Psalm 128

Daily Bible Study

December 9, 2015 Bible Study — The God Who Is, Who Was, And Who Is To Come

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 29:18

    People often say that you do not have to believe in God to be moral. However, each person who does not believe in God defines “moral” for themselves. It is only when we listen to what God says is moral that we have a standard to measure ourselves against. Living to that standard brings joy.

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Psalm 128

    If you fear God (and you should fear God, He is frightening) you will follow His ways. And if you follow God’s ways, you will find your life filled with joy. These are things which just naturally follow each other.

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Revelation 1

    In many ways verse 8 contains one of the best ways to understand who Jesus, and God, is: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”(I prefer the NIV phrasing). I am going to break that down a bit.

  • I am the Alpha and the Omega

    • God (and Jesus) began everything that is and was here before there was anything else. He set in motion everything which has happened. Not only will He still be here when it comes to an end, it is God who will bring it to an end.

  • who is

    • No matter when in history we live, or where in the universe we are, God is alive and present.

  • who was

    • No matter what event we might look back upon, no matter what point in history we think about, God was there and it happened the way it did because that was what God chose to happen.

  • who is to come

    • No matter what the future holds, God will be there. It will happen exactly according to God’s plan.

  • the Almighty

    • God has the power to make things come out exactly as He chooses and no one has the ability to change that in the least.

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Joel 1-3

    I always like reading the Book of Joel because unlike the other prophets his prophecy is inspired by a natural disaster, not an invading army.. It lends his words a different flavor. In the wake of disaster, Joel reminds us to repent and turn to God. Let us fast and pray, but don’t make a production out of it. We should do so out of a genuine desire to hear God’s will and change. If we come together as a people and choose to do as God desires, God will pour out His blessings upon us. If we come together in prayer and fasting, genuinely, God will fill us with His Spirit. But not just us, He will pour His Spirit upon those around us and He will cause them to pray and fast. Then He will pour out His Spirit upon those around them, until the whole earth is filled with His Spirit. All God wants is two or three of us to do His will. He will use those two or three to convey His Spirit to ever more people until the entire world is covered by His Spirit.

Daily Bible Study

June 10, 2015 Bible Study

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 16:31-33

    We should embrace the signs of aging rather than attempt to hide them. They are signs that we have experience from which we have learned (believe me, if you have not learned from your experience, that will show as well). It is a good thing to take chances in life where we think the possible benefits outweigh the possible risks. However, we need to remember that we do not control how those things turn out, that is decided by God. Which supports the proverb preceding it. We are better off patiently waiting for God to present us an opportunity than being powerful enough that we think we can force things to go our way.

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Psalm 128:1-6

    I have found this psalm to be true, the more I follow God’s ways the more joy I have in my life. As I keep His commands and put doing His will at the forefront of my actions the more I enjoy the things which God brings my way.

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Acts 7:30-50

    Stephen continues to tell his story, the story of the people of Israel. However, now he starts to make the point he is working towards. He points out how the ancestors of the people present that day had rejected Moses and turned from God. He goes on to point out that while the Temple was a place to worship God, God does not live just there. God is not limited to the Temple. A secondary point Stephen was making was that those who controlled the Temple neither controlled God, nor did they control access to God.
    This is a lesson we must remember today. Those who control our congregations and denominational bodies do not control access to God. When they begin to get in between people and God, God will go around them. He will marginalize them, just as He did with the priests and mainstream religious leaders of Stephen’s day. Whatever our position today, whether one of leadership or not, let us strive to facilitate others coming to God and hearing His voice, rather than trying to be intermediaries translating His words for them.

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1 Kings 7:1-51

    At the end of yesterday’s passage we learned that Solomon spent seven years on the project to build the Temple. At the beginning of today’s passage we learn that he spent thirteen years on the project to build his own palace. This seems to reflect the sort of misplaced which led to the division of the kingdom upon Solomon’s death. While Solomon used his position as king of Israel to bring glory to God, he spent even more time in an attempt to bring glory to himself.

Daily Bible Study

December 9, 2014 Bible Study — Glory to the One Who Is, Who Was, And Who Is to Come

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. Christmas is coming soon. Let us remember what it is truly about, the birth of Jesus Christ. Let us strive to not be caught up in the commercialism which is what this season is about for many in our society today.

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Proverbs 29:18

    When people reject God’s direction, there are no limits on their behavior, anything goes. Those who listen to God show wisdom and find joy. Looking at the world around us it does not take long to see the truth of this proverb.

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Psalm 128:1-6

    The psalm has a similar theme to today’s proverb. Except that the psalm emphasizes the joy that comes from following the way of the Lord. Those who fear the Lord will be joyful and successful in what they do.

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Revelation 1:1-20

    There is a lot of symbolism in this passage. However, the biggest thing here is the reminder that God is, God was, and He is yet to come. Throughout all of history, God is there. He was there before history began, and He will be there when history is over. Moreover, God, in the form of Jesus, is THE Living One.
    From time to time, there are those who say that God is dead. Jesus’ death and resurrection provides us with the answer to that, as we are reminded here. Our answer to those who say that God is dead is, “No, He was dead, but He is risen from the dead and now will live forever.” He holds the keys to death and the grave. We can no longer be locked away by those two. We need not fear death, or the grave for Jesus hold the keys to release us from their power.

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Joel 1-3:21

    The prophet Joel speaks of a time of economic hardship, a time of famine. When such things happen, we are called to turn to the Lord, to fast and pray. These times are God’s call to us to repent our sins, to stop using our wealth for our own pleasure. If we repent, turn to God, and truly feel sorrow for our sins, God will restore our well-being and joy. He will pour out His Spirit on the people of the land.
    Every year when I get to Joel, it is such a relief. For the last few months I have been reading prophets who have been describing a people who resemble the people in our society today and the judgement which God is about to bring against them. It begins to feel like there is no hope, like it is too late for people to turn to God. Then I get to Joel, and he says that if we repent our sins and fast and pray before God, great things will happen.
    Old men will dream dreams and young men will see visions. God will pour out His Spirit on those who serve Him, men and women alike. Terrible troubles will come on all of the earth, but those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Let us rejoice, Joel tells us that there is still time for people to repent. Let us repent today and turn to God.

Daily Bible Study

June 10, 2014 Bible Study — God Does Not Live In a Temple Made By Human Hands

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 16:31-33

    We should not hide the signs of aging, they are evidence of experience. Our society encourages us to hide our gray hair, when in fact we should embrace them as a sign of gaining wisdom. Those who are patient and maintain self-control will be more successful than those with great power and ability. Patience and self-control will yield success in places where power and ability fail.

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Psalm 128:1-6

    The path to true joy is fear of the Lord. Our God is loving and forgiving, but when His power breaks out it is a scary and frightening experience. The more we know and understand about God, the more scared we will be of Him. However, at the same time we will experience His love and faithfulness, which will give us the courage to act according to His will. As John Newton wrote in the song “Amazing Grace”:

T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.

Let us embrace that grace which both teaches us to fear God and relieves us of that fear.

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Acts 7:30-50

    Stephen continues his defense and showing how his beliefs have common ground with those putting him on trial. However, he shows how the people of Israel had rejected Moses in the same way that they had rejected Jesus. There is the implication in Stephen’s argument that those who had rejected Jesus have the opportunity to repent of that rejection and accept Him, just as many of the people of Israel repented of rejecting Moses and returned to following him in worshiping God. As we witness to those around us, let us not give up on those who initially rejected our message. The Holy Spirit may still at some point touch their hearts and cause them to turn to God.
    Stephen goes on to point out that even though Solomon built the Temple God does not live in a house built by human hands. God will not and cannot be constrained by human action, whether that is the buildings we build or the rituals we follow. The Holy Spirit will move as It wills and settle into the heart of those It chooses. When God chooses to move in the world, He will not be constrained by human preconceptions. Let us not allow our beliefs to limit how God can work in our lives. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to act in us to accomplish God’s plan for our lives.

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1 Kings 7:1-51

    When Solomon had completed the Temple he built himself a new palace. The residence he built for himself, and for the daughter of Pharaoh whom he had married, was more luxurious and gilded than the Temple he had built for God (at least by my reading). He spent twice as long building it as well. However, having finished his own palace (or perhaps while building his own palace), Solomon then hired a skilled craftsmen to craft furnishings of great beauty for the Temple. In many ways this passage summarizes the conflict which marked Solomon’s reign, and many of our lives. Solomon went back and forth between working to bring glory and honour to God and satisfying his own wants and desires. Let us strive to focus wholeheartedly on serving and worshiping God and not allow our own desires to distract us from that.

Daily Bible Study

December 9, 2013 Bible Study — The One Who Is, Who Was, and Is Still to Come

     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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Joel 1-3:21

     God does not need human armies to bring about a nation’s downfall. The prophet Joel discusses an army of locusts, but God can bring about the destruction of a nation in many ways. The time to turn to God is now. Our time will run out and then it will be too late. Let us turn to God with fasting and mourning, but not outward mourning that is all for show, rather let us turn with genuine mourning in our hearts. Let us call on everyone we know to turn to God. If we turn from our sins and confess them before God, He will have mercy on us and turn aside the destruction that is on its way.
     God has done great things and we will see His glory. He will pour out His Spirit upon His people, those who call upon His name. People will dream dreams and see visions, young and old alike. Men and women will prophecy before the Lord. God will redeem and save those who call upon His name, but those who defy Him and take arms against those who love Him He will strike down and destroy.

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Revelation 1:1-20

     The book of Revelation is a troubling book, but it starts off with glory. John extends to us grace and peace from God, the One who is, and was, and is to come. Through all of history, past, present, and what is still to take place, God has been there and He has not changed. He was there at the beginning and He will be there at the end. In this passage, John tells us that Jesus is that never changing God. Jesus holds the keys to death and the grave, there is nothing over which He does not have power. He died, but now He lives and through Him we also may live.

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Psalm 128:1-6

     Those who fear the Lord and follow His ways will find joy. They will flourish and be satisfied. God will give them peace. Let me follow God’s ways and be satisfied by the peace which He gives me.

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Proverbs 29:18

     Those who refuse divine guidance have no restraint and their behavior is unpredictable, but those who follow God’s wise guidance will be blessed.

Daily Bible Study

June 10, 2013 Bible Study –Testimony of Stephen (cont)

     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.

Purple wild flowers next to poison ivy
Purple wild flowers next to poison ivy

1 Kings 7:1-51

     After completing the Temple, Solomon built himself a palace. He was not satisfied to live in the palace which David had built. It took thirteen years to build Solomon’s palace. Solomon also sent to Tyre for a bronze worker to oversee the making of the bronze furnishings for the Temple. The craftsman was the son of a Jewish woman and a man of Tyre. The passage tells us that Solomon used so much bronze in furnishing the Temple that it was not practical to measure the total quantity. When he had completed building the Temple and the furnishings for it, Solomon moved all of the gifts which David had dedicated to the Temple into the Temple treasuries and stored them there.

Purple wildflowers up-close
Purple wildflowers up-close

Acts 7:30-50

     Stephen continued recounting the history of the Jewish people. He told of how God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and sent him back to be the savior of the people of Israel. Here he places the first “hook” relating to his message about Jesus. He tells them that Moses, God’s chosen savior for the Israelites in Egypt, had been rejected by them. Stephen went on to tell them that Moses performed many signs and wonders in order to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Yet, the people of Israel still refused to listen to Moses and rejected his leadership, asking Aaron to make them an idol to lead them back to Egypt. Nevertheless God gave Moses the plans for the Tabernacle which the people carried with them as they entered the Promised Land. They continued to worship at the Tabernacle until the time of David. Then Solomon built a Temple for God. Stephen pointed out that even so, God did not live in a Temple made by human hands.
     There are two points that Stephen makes here that are important to pay attention to (there may be others, but I am not seeing them today). The first is the human tendency to reject God’s leaders and the guidance He sends to us. The second point is that God is not limited to a specific locale. God made both heaven and earth, so no man, or group of men, will be able to build Him a house that can contain Him. Have I rejected the leaders God has sent? What leaders has God called me to follow?

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Purple wildflowers up-close 2

Psalm 128:1-6

     The psalmist tells us that those who fear the Lord will be joyful. Or as the NIV puts it:

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
who walk in obedience to him.

When we fear the Lord as we should, there is no room left to fear anything, or anyone, else. When we have an appropriate fear of God, our fear of everything else vanishes in comparison. No, it is not just in comparison. If we truly fear God as we should, we realize that everything else is subject to His power and nothing can bring us harm outside of His will. If we fear God, we will strive in all ways to serve Him, and if we do so we will take joy even in the trials we face, secure in the knowledge that we will not face God’s wrath.

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Purple wildflowers up-close 3

Proverbs 16:31-33

     The first of today’s proverbs reminds us that the signs of aging on our bodies (such as grey hair) should not be hidden. Rather they should be embraced as signs that God has blessed us with a long life. The second tells us that patience and self-control are more valuable than power. The last of today’s proverbs tells us that we may take the risk, but it is God who decides the outcome. When we throw the dice of chance in this life, the outcome is not random, rather the outcome is what God has determined that it will be.