Tag Archives: Psalm 31

Daily Bible Study

August 11, 2015 Bible Study — On Marriage

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 21:4

    When one starts to believe that they are better than others, it is only a matter of time until they will begin to undertake evil acts against those they believe are their inferiors. It is when we start to believe that certain individuals and groups are of less value than ourselves that we start to justify mistreating them in order to advance our own interests.

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Psalm 31:19-24

    God has stored up goodness waiting for us to turn to Him. When we learn to fear Him and follow His commands He will release that goodness to us. If we cry out to Him for mercy, God will rescue us and shelter us from those who wish to see us fall. God will protect us if we loyally serve Him.

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1 Corinthians 7:1-24

    When I read today’s passage it sounds like he was talking about contemporary society. Paul says that staying single and nor having sexual relations with anyone is a good thing, but because of how much sexual immorality there is it is not practical for everyone. In order to minimize the temptation of sexual immorality that our society throws at us everyday, each man should have a wife and each woman a husband. Husband and wife should work to satisfy the sexual desires of their partner so that their partner is not as susceptible to lust. This is clearly a two way street.
    Paul makes it very clear that he is not commanding Christians to marry. He states that it would be ideal (Paul’s view of ideal) if everyone would be able to resist sexual sin without being married, but he knows that not everyone has that gift. Those who are single and find themselves struggling with sexual temptation should get married. So, Paul tells us that he believes that the ideal is for single Christians to stay single. However, he emphasizes that those who are married should stay married. It is wrong to leave your spouse. The only wiggle room which Paul allows is that if one is married to an unbeliever and the unbeliever leaves the believer, the believer is freed (I believe Paul would have had some serious words for a believer who married an unbeliever).
    Ultimately I find three key points in this passage. The first is that those of us who are married should strive to satisfy the sexual desires of our spouses. The second is that if a single person (whether never married or widowed) is able to resist the sexual temptations of our society, it is a blessing if they remain single…being single does not make one a second class Christian, on the contrary, we should hold them up as the ultimate example of Christianity. The third is that a Christian should not divorce their spouse under any circumstances. However, a Christian whose non-Christian spouse divorces them is free to go on with their life.

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Nehemiah 1:1-3:14

    Nehemiah received a report that things were going badly in Jerusalem for the returned Exiles. However, he did not rush off to do something about it. And he did not demand that the government do something about it. No, Nehemiah fasted and prayed for several days, actually, from the context of the passage it appears that he did so for several months (my reading is that he fasted and prayed for days at a time over a period of several months). At the end of that time, Nehemiah felt that God had given him an answer as to what he should do. This represents the model we should follow when we hear of a tragedy somewhere which touches our heart. Let us fast and pray until God gives us a direction as to what action He wants us to take.

Daily Bible Study

August 10, 2015 Bible Study–On Lawsuits Among Believers

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 21:3

    It is a good thing to make sacrifices to and for God, but you cannot make up for doing wrong by doing so. You cannot even make up for not doing the right thing by making sacrifices to God. If we want to please God it is more important to do what is right and just than it is to sacrifice to Him (or for Him).

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Psalm 31:9-18

    I do not think that the message this psalm carried for me today was one the psalmist intended to convey, but it is one I believe the Holy Spirit intends us to hear. When we have been separated from God by our sin, do we suffer in tears and agony the way the psalmist depicts himself in this psalm? Do we turn again to God with repentance and remorse? Do we trust His unfailing love and grace to transform us so that we are freed from our bondage to sin? I know that I do not feel the level of remorse for some of my sins that I need to learn. I pray that God’s Spirit will move within me so that I recognize the harm I am doing to myself and others with my sins and so that I will feel the sorrow which I know they cause God.

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1 Corinthians 6

    Paul here addresses the issue of lawsuits. Believers should NEVER take another believer to court over anything. I have heard stories of a congregation suing Church leadership over ownership of a building, or a Denomination suing a congregation over the same thing (and in both cases vice versa). I have heard stories of believers suing other believers (or, at least both parties claimed to be believers). For all of these cases Paul suggests that we should find another believer (or group of believers) to judge between us. This teaching makes sense to me, when we have a dispute with a fellow believer which we cannot resolve between us (for whatever reason), we should find someone else in the Church to judge how it should be resolved.
    Some people will ask, “But what if the other party refuses to be bound by that judgment?” Paul has a simple answer for that. It is better to let yourself be cheated than to ask unbelievers to judge between us. It is better to be cheated than it is to allow the name of Christ to be sullied by our disputes. Are we willing to trust God enough to do that? Or is it more important to us that we get our own way than that we bring glory to God?
    I agree with Paul. It is better to be cheated than to take my fellow believer (or even one who merely claims to be my fellow believer) before unbelievers for judgment between us.

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Ezra 10

    I always struggle with this passage because of how the issue is framed. I have a problem with the idea that it is wrong to marry outside of one’s “people”. However, I do like the way the New Living Translation deals with this. It makes it clear that the problem was not that the women were not descendants of Jacob. No, the problem was that they were pagans, that they worshiped gods other than God. It is really simple. For any marriage to last a husband and wife must share the same faith. If you start out with different faiths it just means that you will end up with some syncretic blend of the two which is inconsistent with either of the two original faiths.

Daily Bible Study

August 9, 2015 Bible Study–Reject Sin

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 21:1-2

    It is not enough to do what we think is right. We need to compare what we think is right against what God says is right. God knows whether we are trying to do what is best for others or merely looking out for own interests, even when we have convinced ourselves we are doing good.

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Psalm 31:1-8

    I will trust God to take care of me. He is the strong fortress within which I will shelter from all those who pursue me. If I will follow Him, God will lead me out of danger and into safety. I commit my body, life, and spirit to God to use as He sees fit.

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1 Corinthians 5

    In the last chapter, which I read and commented on yesterday, Paul told us not to make judgments about people ahead of time (or as the NIV translates, “before the appointed time”). Yet he immediately follows his discussion of that by telling the Church in Corinth to judge a man guilty of sexual sin. So, obviously there is more to what we are supposed to do than “do not judge others.”
    As we read Paul’s writing here he appears to be horrified by the situation. Not only was the man committing this sin an accepted member of the Church while openly committing this sin, the Church was proud about this fact. They are using him as an example of how accepting they are. When the Church is accepting of its members sins the entire Church becomes corrupted. The purpose of the Church is to call people to be transformed by the Holy Spirit so that they can learn to live without sin. Once the Church accepts one sin it will gradually lose its ability to call people to turn from ANY sin.
    I believe that the problem here was not that the man was sinning. The problem was that he, and the Church, were not only pretending that there was nothing wrong with his sin, but were proud of it. All of us have sinned, and most of us will continue to sin (although the Bible gives us hope to overcome that sin). However, we are called to acknowledge that sin as a failure and to strive to allow the Holy Spirit to overcome it in our lives. Sin is not something for us to accept and continue doing. It is something for us to acknowledge the pain and suffering it causes, both to ourselves and to others. When someone who claims to be a believer in and a follower of Christ begins to live in sin (and in this case, I am not using that as a euphemism for sexual sin) without any remorse, we, as their brothers and sisters in Christ, are called upon to challenge their behavior and call them to accept the transformation of the Holy Spirit. This action must be done in love, but we may not accept those who call evil good as our brothers.

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Ezra 8:21-9:15

    When Ezra prepared to set out with the group he had gathered he was concerned for their security because of the large amount of treasure they had been given for the Temple in Jerusalem. Ezra did not want to ask the king for a military escort because he had already spoken to the king about how God protected those who worshiped Him. There were two actions which Ezra and the rest of the group took to ensure the safety of the treasure they were entrusted with. The first was to spend time in fasting and prayer requesting that God protect them in their travels. The second thing they did was to divide up the treasure among various groups, carefully documenting how much of what was given to each group. The division was done in an open and public manner so that no one would be able to claim that one group was given more, or less, than they were actually given. A careful effort was made to avoid even the possible appearance of impropriety.

Daily Bible Study

February 8, 2015 Bible Study — The Sheep and the Goats

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 8:12-13

    Wisdom, good judgment, knowledge, and discernment are all found close to each other. Wisdom will always lead to knowledge, but knowledge does not lead to wisdom.

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Psalm 31:9-18

    In yesterday’s portion of this psalm the psalmist declared that God had set him in a safe place. In today’s portion he emphasizes his continued distress and isolation. Yet despite that distress and isolation, he continues to trust in God. Even though his friends and neighbors are unwilling to stand by his side, he knows that God will not forsake him. Are we willing to trust God and call on Him, even if it means that we stand alone?

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Matthew 25:31-26:13

    The parable of the sheep and the goats in today’s passage is one of the most powerful lessons on what it means to be a follower of Christ. I have looked and thought about this parable many times. My view of this parable is heavily influenced by the Keith Green song about it. The difference between the sheep and the goats is what they did, and didn’t, do. This is very important and something we should bear in mind as we live our lives.
    However, there is another important point in this parable. Neither group recognized Jesus in those whose suffering they encountered. The “sheep” did not care for the poor and the suffering because they recognized Jesus in them. They cared for the poor and the suffering because they were poor and/or suffering. The “goats” on the other hand, did not care for the poor and the suffering because they did not see Jesus in them. This implies that perhaps there were times they cared for the poor or the suffering in whom they saw Jesus. It is not enough to care for the poor or the suffering in whom we see Jesus. We are called to care for the poor and suffering, even if we see no sign of Jesus in them.

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Exodus 28:1-43

    This passage describes in detail the clothes which are to be worn by the priests when they conduct services in the Tabernacle. The design for these clothes contained a lot of symbolism to remind both the priests and the people of Israel about the role of the priests. The priests were to be reminded that they represented all of the people of Israel when they were in God’s presence and the people were to be reminded that the priests were holy before God.

Daily Bible Study

February 7, 2015 Bible Study –How Have You Invested God’s Gifts?

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 8:1-11

    Wisdom is not some hidden secret we have to go looking for. Instead, wisdom is not only readily available, it calls out to us, extolling what it has to offer. Will we be instructed by wisdom? Or will we choose folly? Those are our choices. All too many reject what wisdom has to offer.

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Psalm 31:1-8

    Today, this psalm will be my prayer. God is my rock and my fortress. I entrust my spirit into His hand. Read the psalm and join me in praying it.

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Matthew 25:1-30

    In yesterday’s passage Jesus spoke of being prepared for His return. Today’s passage gives us two parables He used to illustrate what it means to be prepared. The first parable is the parable of the ten bridesmaids. Five of the bridesmaids did not take any extra oil for their lamps, five of them had extra oil. The bridegroom was delayed. When word finally reached them that he was approaching, the first five discovered that their lamps were going out. They asked the others five for some oil, but the latter did not have sufficient to lend them. The first five went out to get more oil, but by the time they returned with oil, it was too late. The groom had come and gone. We too must stay alert and make sure that our light is burning when the Lord returns.
    The second parable always makes me feel inadequate. God has given me many gifts in this life and I am not convinced that I have full use of those gifts. I fear that I am the third servant who hid my Lord’s money and failed to invest it wisely. Yet, He has not yet returned. There is still time for me to take the gifts which God has given me and use them to produce gain for Him. It may be too late for me to become the first servant in this parable, but if I work hard, I believe that I can still transform myself from the third into the second.
    How have you used the gifts God has given you? Which of the three servants are you?

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Exodus 26-27:21

    God gave Moses and the people of Israel detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle and its furnishings. There was no room for misinterpretation. Yet for all of that there was room for artistic expression. The plans give detailed instructions for the structural details of the Tabernacle, but the decorative details were more vague. There were to be various curtains of specific sizes, but each of those curtains was to be decorated with embroidery. The only part of the embroidery which was described was that it was to include “cherubim”. It does not describe a “cherubim”, although I am sure that the people listening had a pretty good idea what image was meant. This means that each embroiderer could vary off of that base theme as they saw fit.

Daily Bible Study

August 11, 2014 Bible Study — Divorce and Remarriage

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 21:4

    Arrogance and pride, thinking you are better than others, are as much a sin as any other evil act. We are all God’s creatures created by Him to serve His purposes in this world.

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Psalm 31:19-24

    God has great goodness stored up for those who fear Him and turn to Him for protection. He will keep us safe from those who wish us harm. We may think that we are cut off from God, but if we cry out to Him He will hear us and answer our call. No matter how desperate the situation seems God is able, and willing, to come to our rescue. Let us put our trust in the Lord. He will protect those who are loyal to Him.

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1 Corinthians 7:1-24

    Paul tells us that we can better serve God if we remain single. However, the ability to remain single and not give in to sexual sins is not given to everyone. God intends for most people to get married. We should each (those of us who are married) work to satisfy the sexual urges of our spouse. Further Paul tells us that if we are married to a fellow believer, we must stay married, or if we cannot remain with our spouse we must remain single. It is a failure of the modern Church that we fail to emphasize this fact as much as we do other sexual sins.
    Paul makes an important caveat to his teaching about divorce and remarriage. He tells us that if a believer is married to a non-believer (a situation which should only come about if someone becomes a believer after they were married) they should not leave, or separate from, that unbeliever. However, if the unbeliever leaves them, they are freed from the marriage. It is the failure of the Church, which means it is our failure, to distinguish between these two separate types of divorce which is at the root of its(our) failure to be a witness to the world on the issue of sexual immorality.

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Nehemiah 1-3:14

    When Nehemiah heard the state of affairs in Jerusalem, he mourned how bad things were. However, he did not just feel sadness about the situation, he cried out to God with prayer and fasting for guidance. After “days” of fasting and prayer, Nehemiah felt called to do more about the situation in Jerusalem than just fast and pray. He then asked God for success in doing what he felt called to do. Nehemiah did not just feel depressed about the circumstances in Jerusalem, he sought God’s guidance and used his gifts to address the situation.
    When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he discovered there was opposition among some of the regional officials. In the face of this opposition, Nehemiah did his own evaluation of the state of affairs in secret before revealing his intentions to the leaders of the returned exiles. Because he had done his homework and knew the extent of the work to be done, the leaders of the returned exiles embraced his plan enthusiastically.
    Nehemiah’s approach is one we should study when we feel called to address a situation which is tugging at our heart-strings. Start by seeking God’s guidance with prayer and fasting. Follow this up with a plan to address the problem, including a timetable and a budget. Obtain the government permissions necessary, if any. Make an assessment of the opposition and the actual on the ground situation. Recruit the assistance of those with a vested interest in the success of the project. Finally break the task up into pieces that were within the abilities of those who had agreed to aid you.

Daily Bible Study

August 10, 2014 Bible Study — Sexual Immorality Damages Our Bodies

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 21:3

    God prefers us to do what is right and just to following rituals. No matter what rituals or sacrifices we make, they will not offset doing evil.

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Psalm 31:9-18

    Even when we are suffering and ostracized because of our sins, we can turn to God. If we turn to God in our distress, and allow Him to turn us from our sin, He will rescue us and redeem us. Those who remain in their sins will be silenced. God will not allow the accusations of the wicked against the godly to stand. The wicked will not avoid judgement by leveling false accusations against the godly.

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1 Corinthians 6:1-20

    If we have a dispute with a fellow believer, we should find someone in the Church to resolve the issue for us. It is better to be defrauded and cheated than to take our disputes to the courts. Paul is unequivocal here, no matter what the circumstances we should not take our disputes with those who claim to be our fellow Christians to the courts. Our disputes with our fellow believers should be resolved by the moving of the Spirit and God’s will, not by the letter of the law. If we are not willing to accept the judgement of a tribunal of believers to settle our disputes, we reveal ourselves to be more interested in worldly matters than God’s kingdom.
    As believers in, and followers of, Christ we have been granted complete freedom. However, just because we are free to do anything that does not mean that some things are not bad for us. Self-destructive behavior us a sin and something which we are called to avoid. Sexual immorality of all sorts is bad for us and destructive of both our bodies and our souls. Most sins involve and affect our spirits and our souls, but sexual immorality also affects our very bodies. When we have sex with someone, we form a bond with them. That bond involves changes in our hormones and the way we physically react to that person. Having sex with a different person disrupts that bond causing physical and spiritual damage. No matter what position the Church takes on the issue of sexual immorality, it cannot change this fact. When the Church condones any sort of sexual immorality (including homosexual behavior), it is conspiring to encourage people to act in a self-destructive way.

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Ezra 10:1-44

    This passage has always troubled me because most translations use the words “foreign wives” where the NLT uses the words “pagan wives”. However, as I read this today I realized that the NLT is probably in some ways more accurate than those other translations. The reason this seems to be the case is because the answer was not just to send these wives and their children away. Those with foreign wives needed to appear before a tribunal, with witnesses from the elders and leaders of his town. This suggests that some sort of judgement was being made on a case by case basis. I may be reading too much into that, but it appears to me that the only possible judgement regarded whether the foreign wife had embraced the worship of God and given up pagan practices.

Daily Bible Study

August 9, 2014 Bible Study — The Basis for the Ban

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 21:1-2

    We may think that we are doing good, but God knows what is truly in our hearts, better even than we do. God knows what our true motives are and will show us how to do the right things for the right reasons, if we ask Him to.

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Psalm 31:1-8

    If we turn to God for protection He will not allow us to be disgraced. No matter how desperate our situation may seem, God will rescue those who put their full trust in him. Let us not cling to anything other than God, such things have no power to save us.

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1 Corinthians 5:1-13

    This passage reminds me of many in the Church in the U.S. today. Paul condemns the Corinthians for being proud that one of their number was committing sexual sin. There are portions of the Church today who are stand up for a brag about their support for those who commit sexual sins. Paul tells us that rather than do that we should refuse to associate with such people. In doing so, we must remember that our purpose is not to punish the sinner, but to call them back to faithfulness to God. We are to make clear that their actions are destructive both to themselves and others. We cannot look the other way and pretend that those who claim to be following Christ, yet are actively practicing self-destructive behaviors, are in good standing with God. Note that the situation Paul was addressing was not one where the person was caught in the power of sin and striving to find the strength to escape. The situation was one where the person involved was claiming that there was nothing sinful about their actions (at least, that is how I read it).
    We, also, need to note that Paul did not instruct us to avoid those who commit various sins who do not acknowledge God. Let us make sure that we communicate to those who claim to follow Christ and openly sin that they are failing to faithfully follow Him. Yet, let us always remember that the purpose is not to bring harm or hurt to that person. The purpose of our interactions with everyone should be to open them to the working of the Holy Spirit so that they might more faithfully serve God (or start serving God).

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Ezra 8:21-9:15

    Once more we get a lesson on undertaking a task for God. As the people prepared to travel from where they had gathered to set out, Ezra called on them to fast and humble themselves before God. They prayed asking God to protect them from robbers and bandits (and any other dangers) on their trip to Jerusalem. Ezra did not want to call on the secular authorities for a military escort because he had bragged (accurately) of God’s ability to protect them from dangers. The other part of Ezra’s preparation was that he selected certain individuals to be accountable for the treasure which they were carrying. He made a specific account of what was being transported and turned it over to these people, making it clear that they were to account for these items when they arrived in Jerusalem. It is important to be clear who in the group is responsible for the money and equipment which the group is using.
    When Ezra arrived in Jerusalem, some of the people came to him to complain about those previously returned Exiles who had married those living in the land, or given their sons in marriage to women from among those living in the land. It is easy to get caught up with the concerns about racial purity which this passage expresses and miss the real concern. The problem with marrying the local women was the practices which they followed in order to complete these alliances. The problem was not with Jewish men marrying non-Jewish women. The problem was that the Jewish men adopted the pagan practices of their wives. In the same way today, Christian men and women should only marry those who also follow Christ, or risk being seduced away from God by their spouse.

Daily Bible Study

February 9, 2014 Bible Study — The Spirit Is Willing, But the Flesh Is Weak

     I am trying something different. Previously, I have always placed my comments on the passage in the order Old Testament passage, New Testament passage, Psalm, Proverb. For the near future I am going to post them in the order in which I prepare the comments. This is likely to be the reverse of how I was doing it, but I foresee changing it up depending on what strikes me first. Please let me know what you think of this change.
     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, or more. 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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Proverbs 8:14-26

     The proverb writer lists the characteristics of wisdom in today’s passage. Common sense and sound judgment, insight and power are products of wisdom. The only thing necessary to find wisdom is the desire, and willingness, to seek for it. Everything that is good and enduring is built on a foundation of wisdom. If you desire to accomplish anything of value or that will endure, begin by seeking out wisdom.

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Psalm 31:19-24

     The Lord has stored up good things for those who fear Him. He will bless those who come to Him for protection in full view of everyone. I will love the Lord with all of my heart because He will protect those who are loyal to Him. I will praise Him publicly because He has shown me the wonders of His love. When all seems lost I will cry out to Him because I know that He will answer. I will fear and obey the Lord despite the scorn of those who hate Him, because He shelter me and bless me in their sight. If we are faithful to God, He will bless us in a manner that makes His greatness, and love for us, clear to all who are watching.

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Matthew 26:14-46

     As Jesus led the disciples to the Garden, where He would be betrayed, He told them that they would all desert Him. Peter insisted that he would never desert Jesus, even if everyone else did. Jesus responded that before the rooster crowed he would deny Him three times. However, a little later I realized that Jesus appreciated Peter’s braggadocio, even though Peter could not back it up. I was reading about Jesus praying and I was going to focus on a key point of His prayer, “not as I will, but as you will.” (NIV) However, then I read what He said to Peter when He woke him from falling asleep. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (NIV) This struck me as something I struggle with so much…and as sound advice on how to deal with it (even if we still fall). I struggle with temptation and I know that I fall to it so often because I do not watch and pray as much as I need to. I know that I need to find a way to spend more time in prayer, a way to overcome the obstacles which Satan throws in my way. I have long struggled with this, yet I know God will show me the path to overcoming this. I long struggled with reading the Bible enough. Now God has given me this blog which has made reading the Bible something I look forward to doing. He will do the same for prayer in my life.

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Exodus 29-30:10

     As I read today’s passage about the consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests, the first thought that went through my mind was my comment the other day about all of us being part of the priesthood of believers today. Then when I read the instruction to wash them in water at the entrance to the Tabernacle, I saw a parallel to baptism. The rest of the instructions for their dedication does not fit so well with baptism. However, as I read on I saw that the ceremony was to be carried out over seven days. This seemed to be to convey to both those witnessing it and to those being dedicated a sense of the solemnity of the occasion. We need to same sort of solemness as part of our baptism ceremony. Note: I am not talking about the sort of solemness that is appropriate for a funeral. There should be joy as part of a baptism as well as solemnity. After all, we are celebrating the new life which the celebrant is experiencing as well as their dedication to serving God.

Daily Bible Study

February 7, 2014 Bible Study –What Have I Done With What God Has Given Me?

I am trying something different. Previously, I have always placed my comments on the passage in the order Old Testament passage, New Testament passage, Psalm, Proverb. For the near future I am going to post them in the order in which I prepare the comments. This is likely to be the reverse of how I was doing it, but I foresee changing it up depending on what strikes me first. Please let me know what you think of this change.
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, or more. 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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Proverbs 8:1-11
     The proverb writer tells us that wisdom and understanding are not hard to find, if we look for them. They are calling out to us and making themselves available to any who desire them. Wisdom is more valuable than anything we can desire, let us seek it with all that we are.

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Psalm 31:1-8
     If we turn to God for protection, He will not let us be disgraced. If we allow God to be our fortress, He will pull us from the traps set by our enemies. Trust in the Lord and He will set you in a safe place. Following God’s commands will lead us away from danger and into safety.

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Matthew 25:1-30
     In today’s passage Jesus told two parables about the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven. In the first parable He talks about ten brides-to-be waiting for the bridegroom to arrive. Five of them carefully prepare with extra oil, five only bring the oil which is in their lamp. The bridegroom is later than they expected and they fall asleep. When he arrives and they awaken, the five with extra oil quickly prepare their lamps and are ready to go. The other five need to go and get more oil, causing them to miss his arrival. Jesus tells us to be like the five wise brides-in-waiting and prepare against His return. In addition, He warns us that we cannot borrow preparation from someone else.
In the second parable Jesus gives us an example of what being prepared meant. It means taking the gifts God has given us and working hard to maximize those gifts and the impact they can have in the world around us. This second parable has always left me feeling a little scared. I have always felt that God has given me great gifts, but I must confess that I have not done much with those gifts. Throughout my life I have sought God’s guidance as to what He would like me to do with the gifts He has given me. To go along with my feeling of receiving great gifts from God has been the feeling that I have never received the guidance as to what He wants me to do with them. I suspect that my inability to discern God’s guidance for my life is a product of my laziness and fear of what He is calling me to. All of this leads me to fear that I am the third of the servants in God’s parable. Which leads me to continue to seek what He wants me to do with the talents He had given me. I know that, even if my gifts are less than I perceive them to be, that I have not lived the life to which God has called me. I will continue to strive to find the tasks to which He is calling me.

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Exodus 26-27:21
     Today’s passage gives a detailed description of the Tabernacle which Moses was instructed to have built. Then it ends with the instruction to use pure olive oil to keep the lamps lit. Those lamps were to be kept lit continuously, so that the light might of those lamps might shine in the presence of God. I was going to say that the bit about the lamps being kept lit was what struck me, but then I realized that was not true. What really struck me was the attention to detail necessary to construct the Tabernacle according to God’s instruction. Things like the three feet of overhanging tent covering mentioned in verse 12 of chapter 26. Or like the fact that the Tabernacle would be made of one continuous piece as mentioned in verse 6 of the same chapter. Such attention to detail is something that I have a hard time with, I believe that God is telling me that I need to work on that.