Those who do what is right rejoice when society enforces justice, those who wrong are terrified by it. You can see this in people who encourage others to jump to conclusions before the facts are in and then do their best to suppress facts which run counter to the judgment they want people to make.
The key to a good life is to be choose your words correctly. Do not speak evil, do not tell lies. This is the first step, if you do not follow this advice you will be unable to follow the rest. The next step is two-parter. Turn from evil and do good. It is not enough to not do evil, you must also do what is good. Of course, the best way to avoid doing evil is to fill your time with doing good. There is one more step to leading a good life. Search for peace and when you find it, do what you can to maintain it. As I read this, I think about the troubles I see around this country. There are some true problems which have led to these troubles, but the protests and riots are not going to make things better. There are times when protests are necessary, but currently the country needs someone to calm the situation and quietly address the real grievances.
Paul makes several points in today’s passage, but I am going to focus on just one. Here Paul talks about our freedom in Christ. We do have freedom in Christ. We are free to do whatever we choose. The Christian faith does not bind us to a set of rules in the way that the Law of Moses binds those who follow the Jewish faith (or even the way the Koran binds those who follow the Muslim faith). So, we are indeed free to do whatever we choose. However, Paul tells us that we need to remember that not every course of action is good for us. Some courses of action are merely not beneficial (that is they do not harm us, but they also do not improve us). But some actions are actively harmful, either to ourselves or to others (I believe that actions which are harmful to others are almost always, if not always, also harmful to us). We should choose actions which are beneficial for both ourselves and others. Let us not only avoid actions which harm others and ourselves. Let us choose actions which make us all better off, not just the actions which bring us pleasure, but those which improve who we are.
The leaders of the Jewish people lived in Jerusalem so that they could work together for the good of the entire people. However, in order for it to be viable for them to live there, other people needed to live there as well. The decision was made to choose those people by lot, allowing God to determine who, besides the leaders, should live in Jerusalem. And while they chose them by lot, the passage tells us that those who went to live in Jerusalem did so voluntarily. This is a reminder that we should never use something like the lot to select people for a task who are not willing to undertake the task.
Another way of expressing the point made by this proverb is, “What goes around, comes around.” Except that this proverb makes it clear that failure to act may be just as bad as acting badly. Yet another way to put this proverb is this, help those in need when you have the opportunity because one day you may be in need and wish for someone to help you.
I love this psalm. I get tired of saying this, but it is true of so many of the psalms. First, it encourages me to praise God all of the time. It does more than that, it challenges me to tell others about what God has done for me, to tell them how He has answered my prayers. This psalm tells us to tell others what God has done for us, inviting them to follow Him.
However, it reminds us that no one will ever come to saving faith based on our testimony. No, verse eight tells us that the most important part of our invitation must be to invite them to experience God for themselves. It is only when we take the risk and experience God for ourselves that we truly come to faith. If you have not yet come to faith in Christ than I invite you to “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” I am sitting here crying as I write this, thinking of my friends who are starving for God, yet refuse to taste the meal He has laid out for them. They are convinced that it will taste terrible. I have told them how fabulous it is, but there is nothing more I can do until they taste it for themselves.
Paul tells us to discipline our bodies. We should train in a manner similar to the way in which professional athletes train. However, we are not seeking to train our bodies to athletic excellence (although we may do that as well), rather we are to train our bodies to the discipline which allows us to better serve God. Let us train our bodies to avoid sin. My recollection is that when I have heard (or read) someone teach on this passage they have emphasized “spiritual” discipline and minimized the idea of physical discipline. I put spiritual in quotes in the last sentence because I am coming to believe that true spiritual discipline cannot be truly separated from physical discipline. If we wish to have spiritual discipline (and I believe that we are called to do so) we must also have physical discipline.
This passage comes at a good time for me. When I started this blog, I intended to complete it every morning. For some time now I have started it in the morning but have been letting it go until later in the day to complete. Over the last few days I have been convicted that I need to start disciplining myself to completing it in the morning before work (or whatever other activities I do for the day). In addition, my blood sugar has been higher than it should be a good bit. I need to discipline my diet so as to bring that back down. Until this morning I did not see those two things as connected. However, I believe that they are. I believe that as I discipline myself to complete my devotions (this blog) first thing in the morning it will help me discipline myself to bring my blood sugar down. And as I discipline my diet to bring my blood sugar down it will help me discipline myself to complete my devotions first thing in the morning. I pray that the Holy Spirit aid me in this twofold endeavor.
The leaders of the Levites led the people in a prayer in which they acknowledged that the hardship they were facing was a result of their sins, and the sins of their ancestors. The Jewish people were subject to the authority of the Persian Empire because when times were good they had repeatedly turned from God to worshiping idols. At the end of this prayer the people vowed to separate themselves from the pagans living around them. They would not marry anyone who did not worship God. They vowed that they would not do business on the Sabbath or other Holy Days. There is an important element in their vow. They did not say that they would strive to prevent those who did not worship God from doing business on those days. They merely vowed that they would not do business with them on those days.
For today, One Year Bible Online links here. Happy Valentines Day to all of you reading this today, but especially to my lovely wife. If it was not for her encouragement and help I do not think that I would have been able to continue this Bible study for so long.
The wise and the righteous are always willing to learn more. This is because they are aware that fear of the Lord is the foundation of all wisdom and knowledge of God is the source of good judgment.
Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
It is not enough to not do what is wrong, we must do what is good. If we want peace it will not just happen. We must search it out, and when we find it we must work, and work hard, to maintain it.
Mohammed is buried in Medina in the Mosque of the Prophet. The bodies of the founders of religions are in shrines in other parts of the world. Their followers make pilgrimages to those sites to approach them. But when the women went to Jesus’ grave that Sunday morning, they were told, “He isn’t here.” They then went into the tomb and observed that it was indeed empty.
When the guards told some of the leading priests what had happened they were instructed to claim that the disciples had stolen the body while they were sleeping. Through out history people have tried to explain away the empty tomb, but it is still empty.
The people of Israel worked together under the direction of the two chief craftsmen to build what must have been a beautiful place of worship. All of the elements described sound like they would have been an overwhelming sight.
If you call out the mockers for their disrespect or rebuke the wicked for their evil behavior, they will not change their behavior. They will merely insult you or attack you in turn. However, when you point out to the wise where they have done wrong, they will change their behavior and love you for the concern you have shown. I have observed this time and again. The question I need to ask myself, do I take correction to heart and change my behavior? Or am I sure that those who tell me I did wrong are mistaken?
This psalm gives a wonderful template for sharing the Gospel:
Praise God, all of the time,
Boast only about what Him.
Talk about the wonderful, amazing things God has done
Tell those around you how God has answered your prayers
Invite them to try it for themselves
That last is so important. All too often I have found myself trying to convince someone of the truth of the Gospel by rational arguments when what I should have done was invite them to check out God’s promises for themselves. I myself spent many years trying to find proof that God existed. It was only when I finally decided that I would assume He was real and see how things worked from there that I discovered the proof of His existence.
When you want to introduce someone to a good food they have never tasted the only way to truly convince them is to have them actually taste it. In the same way, the only way to truly know the joy of following the Lord is to try it for yourself.
Throughout this passage we see references to Psalm 22. In verse 35 there is a reference to the soldiers dicing for his clothes, which matches up to Psalm 22:18. In verse 39-44 Jesus is mocked by various people. This matches up to Psalm 22:6-8. Then in verse 46 Jesus cried out “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” This is a direct quote of Psalm 22:1.
A key element to understanding this passage, and what Jesus meant by crying out that final line, is to be aware that it was a tradition that quoting the first line from Scripture was considered the same as quoting the entire passage. So, when Jesus cried out “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?”, He was not saying that God had abandoned Him. Rather, He was expressing both the despair and hope which He felt at that moment.
Despair: My life is poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax,
melting within me.
Hope:
For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.
He has not turned his back on them,
but has listened to their cries for help.
I am convinced that reading Psalm 22 shows us what Jesus was feeling as He hung upon the cross. He felt deep despair, yet He had a hope which was almost joyous. When we face trials in this life we should share Jesus’ confidence in God’s final victory.
After Moses had given out the very specific instructions for the building of the Tabernacle, he invited those who were gifted craftsmen to contribute the pieces that were needed to complete the construction. As the materials began to come in, Moses appointed two men to be in charge of putting it all together, men who had been given skills by God which made them qualified for this position. As these men, and those they recruited to help them, began their work the people continued to donate materials. Finally, the men had to go to Moses and ask him to tell the people to stop bringing them more materials. Isn’t this where we should be in the Church today? Where the leaders need to tell us to slow down on our donations to help the poor because they cannot distribute it as fast as we are donating it?
Justice brings joy to the godly, but the evil hate and fear it. Those who do evil dislike justice, even when it is administered to others.
Those who forget commonsense are endangering their life.
Let us learn to fear the Lord for that is the path to a long and happy life. If we fear the Lord we will not speak evil, nor will we tell lies. It is not enough to not do evil, God calls us to do good. Let us seek out peace and work to maintain it. True peace is more than the absence of strife. God calls us to build that world around us.
As I read this passage, I cannot help but think in sadness of Robin Williams. He never learned what the psalmist taught from personal experience. God will rescue the broken-hearted. He will heal those whose spirits are crushed. Certainly, I would have to say that someone who is so depressed as to commit (or attempt to commit) suicide has a crushed spirit. If you are experiencing that depression, turn to God. He will offer solace. If you think that you are worthless and of no value, remember that God does not agree. God created you for a purpose. God intends to accomplish something in this world through you. Surrender to His will and you will discover a joy that is beyond description.
Having just said that there is no significance to eating meat offered to idols, Paul tells us that it is a bad idea to do so. He points out that we often eat meals together as a way of unifying ourselves. There is the example of eating the bread of Communion together which unifies us as the Body of Christ, even the name “Communion” which we use for it indicates this. The significance is not in the food itself, nor in the idols to which it may have been offered. The significance is in the meanings which people place on the ritual which the food and eating that food is part.
So, we should not worry about whether the food we eat was part of a pagan ritual, but if someone makes it a point of informing us that it was, we should not eat it. We have the freedom in Christ to do anything we desire, but just because we may do something does not mean that we should do it. We should decide whether or not to do something based on how it will effect others. Will our actions help or harm someone else? If I do “this”, will it help another? Or will it lead them to sin? I will choose those actions which will lead others to glorify God and I will avoid those actions which will cause others to curse God.
When they had completed rebuilding Jerusalem, only the leadership of the people were living in Jerusalem. In order to support the people necessary for the Temple to be the center of worship, other people needed to settle in Jerusalem. It was decided that they would select ten percent of the people living in each town throughout the land to move to Jerusalem. There are times when some of us must sacrifice our own comfort, must be willing to move out of our comfort zone, in order to complete God’s mission. Some of us must be willing to fill the support roles, the roles which are not seen as glamorous.
If we do not use what resources we can to help those in greater need than ourselves the day will come when we are in need and no one will help us. What goes around, comes around. Let us never forget to help those whose need is greater than our own.
The beginning of this psalm is such a great expression of how I wish to approach life:
I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are helpless take heart.
There are times when I allow things in this life to distract me from praising God, I strive to make those occasions ever fewer because this next is also true:
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears.
The psalmist tells us to “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” If you want to know that God is real and that He is good, you need to live as if you believe that He is real and good. If you assume that God is real, and live your life accordingly, before long He will show you that He is indeed real.
In Christ, Paul was made free. He was no longer bound to any particular pattern of behavior. He was free to act as he chose. Yet he chose to live by the standard of goodness recognized by those among whom he found himself. He did not hold himself up as better than they because he was a Christian. Instead he demonstrated how Christ had a message, even for such as they. Paul found common ground with those he found himself among so that he could bring them the Gospel message. Let us strive to do the same.
Paul was willing to do whatever it took to reach unbelievers with the word of God. Are we willing to do the same? Let us seek out those who have not yet heard the Gospel and live our lives among them, as one of them. What will it take to reach the unbelievers nearest you? Are you willing to do it? Am I?
Nehemiah summed up the history of the people of Israel, with emphasis made to God’s offering them chances time and again to serve Him. Once more God was offering them a chance to serve Him and be an example of faithfulness and justice in the world. The leaders of the people created and signed a covenant to follow God’s law, particularly the laws regarding the Sabbath Year. The people then made a solemn vow to bind themselves to the same covenant. They recognized that God had brought them back to the land He had promised their ancestors, giving them a chance once more to be faithful to Him. When God redeems us from the consequences of our sins, do we recognize that He has given us another chance to be faithful to Him? Do we dedicate ourselves to doing so?
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.
I was going to write something about the wise always being willing to be corrected for their mistakes and the righteous always being grateful to those who show them their sins (and well, I guess I just did). However verse 10 in today’s Proverb’s passage needs to be quoted in full:
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
We do not truly start to acquire wisdom until we learn to fear God. As we learn to know God we develop the tools necessary to exercise good judgment.
The psalmist reminds us that the first step in serving the Lord (and thus having a healthy and happy life) is learning to control the words we say. He tells us to avoid speaking evil and telling lies. This is a necessary step to turning away from evil so as to do good. I love the way the psalmist couples those two things. It is not enough to turn away from evil, we must turn and do good. If we do what is right we will still face many troubles, but God will rescue us from those troubles. I will strive to avoid evil words and lies. Beyond that I will turn to doing what is good. God rest Your Holy Spirit upon me and show me how to serve You.
When I first read the beginning of this passage today, it struck me as a statement of great joy, which indeed it is. I do not know how to express the thought that went through my head as I read, “Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning,…” In part it made me want to go out early in the morning and worship God as the sun is just rising over the horizon at dawn. There is something inexplicably exciting about a new day dawning. I don’t often greet the day by worshiping God as the sun rises, but perhaps I should do so more often.
While my first reaction to this passage today was somewhat different than usual, my second thought was something I have often thought about when I read this passage. The women went to the tomb looking for Jesus, the angel told them, “He isn’t here.” How often do we go looking for Jesus in places where He no longer is? How often does God have to send us messengers to tell us, “He isn’t here.” The angel told the women to go to the disciples and tell them, “He is going ahead of you to Galilee.” That is God’s message to us. The place may not be Galilee (as a matter of fact, for most of us it isn’t), but Jesus is going ahead of us to the place where God wants us to go next. Let us always remember that, if we want to be with Jesus we need to go where God is sending us, because Jesus is already there waiting for us.
The passage concludes with the Great Commission. Many have commented on it and I doubt I can add any new insight to it (and I will not try). Jesus told His disciples to go. That meant that they had to leave their comfort zone and do some things that made them uncomfortable. We too need to leave our comfort zone and do some things that make us uncomfortable (that’s a tough one for me…even though, or maybe because, there is not a lot that makes me uncomfortable). He told them to make disciples. Disciple is closely related to the word discipline. We cannot be disciples if we do not have discipline. We cannot make disciples if we do not teach others to be disciplined.
I am not much for “ostentatious” decor, especially not in a place of worship. However, this passage is a reminder that there is a place for opulence. Under the right conditions such decor can inspire us to higher levels of awe towards God. This passage describes in some detail how beautiful and sumptuous the Tabernacle was. I have upon occasion entered places of worship which by their grandeur inspired worship of God. On the other hand, I have more often entered places that were supposed to be places of worship which, rather than inspire worship of God, inspired admiration for those who built them. Most of the time I find it easier to worship God some place that is built simply and humbly, but their are times and places for more grandeur and this passage reminds us of that.
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.
If you attempt to correct the mistakes of mockers or the wicked, you will be insulted and possibly even injured. On the other hand when you offer correction to the mistakes of the wise, you will make a friend. How do you react when people correct your mistakes? Are you grateful for the correction, or do you revile them?
This psalm is wonderful, and a challenge. I strive to praise the Lord all of the time. I wish to be constantly telling others of the wonders He has done for me, but I do not always do so. The psalm tells me how to get better at it, get together with others who have experienced the wonders of God and want to talk about it. The Lord listened to my prayers and rescued me from my troubles. The psalmist writes, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” I will echo that idea. If you are facing problems and troubles (or even if you aren’t), try believing in God, or at least, live as if you believe in Him. You will see a wonderful difference in your life. It will not be long until you really do believe, and not just believe, you will know.
Usually when I read this passage, I am struck by the fact that, in the throes of the agony of crucifixion, Jesus praised God by quoting Psalm 22. Matthew makes a very strong effort to make sure that his intended target, who would have been intimately familiar with Jewish Scripture, cannot miss it. He points out the soldiers dicing for Jesus garments(Psalm 22:18). He points out the religious leaders saying, “He trusted God, let God rescue Him.”(Psalm 22:8) And of course, Jesus Himself crying out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Psalm 22:1) However, that is not the part that speaks to me today.
What speaks to me today is the reaction of the Roman soldiers who oversaw the crucifixion. When they saw how Jesus faced death, a terrible, horrible death, and the events which followed His death, they could not help but exclaim, “This man truly was the Son of God.” Matthew points out all the fulfillment of signs from Scripture that were fulfilled at Jesus’ crucifixion, yet it was not the people who knew the Scripture forward and backward who saw the hand of God. No, it was the pagan oppressors, the Roman soldiers who saw God’s wondrous power in Jesus’ death. Do we see God’s power in the world around us? Do we see how God is working His wondrous plan in the suffering of those who love Him? Are we willing to suffer in order for others to experience God’s wondrous love?
Moses told the people what materials were needed to build the Tabernacle. The people responded by gathering their gold and jewels, their silver and bronze objects. They gave it all to the Lord. Those who had the skill spun thread and prepared fine linen. They gathered all of the fine materials that were needed to build the Tent of Meeting. The passage tells us that “all whose hearts were willing” came and presented goods for the Tabernacle. Moses appointed the craftsmen God had selected to oversee the construction of the Tabernacle and they began to work. But the gifts from the people did not stop. They continued to give gold, silver, bronze, jewels, thread, fine linen, fine wood. Until finally, the craftsmen came to Moses and told him that they had all of the materials they could use. Are we like that? Are our hearts willing to give to God’s cause to the extent that the workers have to tell us to stop?
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.
Once the walls around Jerusalem were rebuilt people began to settle into Jerusalem. The leaders of the returned exiles settled in Jerusalem. In addition, one out of every ten of the people living in the other towns of Judah were selected to resettle in Jerusalem. Those who volunteered to settle in Jerusalem were commended by the rest of the people. The passage then goes on to list some of the people who settled in Jerusalem and some of the villages around Jerusalem where others settled.
Paul continues his discussion on eating meat offered to idols. He starts by pointing out that by taking part in Communion/The Lord’s Supper/The Eucharist (whatever term your tradition uses to refer to the breaking of bread and sharing the cup) we become one body, even though we are many. He then extends the same metaphor to the sacrifices which the Jews offered in the Temple and then ate part of as a meal. In the same way, those who partake in offerings made to idols become part of the body which is worshiping an idol.
Paul points out that he is not saying that food offered to idols has some significance, nor that idols are real gods. Rather the sacrifices made to idols are made to demons, not to God. Paul says that we should not participants with demons. We cannot be part of the Body of Christ and the body of a demon (I really need to take some time and write a blog on some thoughts I have had about spiritual beings). Paul then continues by talking about our freedom in Christ. He quotes some as saying that as a Christian we have the freedom to do anything. He acknowledges this as a truth, but he tells us that there is an important qualifier, not everything is beneficial, not everything is constructive. Yes, we are free to do anything, but we should only do those things which are constructive and beneficial. More importantly, we should only do those things which are beneficial for others. Our concern should be with building up others.
From this, Paul offers a guidance about eating meat. He tells us that it is ok to eat anything sold in the market because, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” He goes on to say that if someone invites us to a meal, we should eat whatever is put before us without asking any questions. However, if someone tells you that the food that is put before you was offered as a sacrifice, then do not eat it. The reason to not eat it is to make clear to the person who told us that we will not take part in pagan sacrifices and by doing that we might encourage them to do so.
***
For a long time, I always assumed that Paul was talking about our fellow believers when he talked about someone telling us that meat had been offered to idols. However, it occurred to me recently that this applies just as much to a non-Christian who tells us that. If we are invited to take part in a religious meal by non-Christians we should decline (a Jew inviting us to a seder, or other Jewish holy meal, may be an exception. I have not thought that all the way through). We need to be clear that we do not partake in non-Christian worship practices.
This reminds me of a major fuss that occurred a short while back over certain fast food chains preparing all of their meat according to halal (Muslim dietary code). The reason that some people were upset about this is because a significant factor in whether or not meat is halal is that in order to be halal it must be dedicated to Allah before it is slaughtered. This is very similar to the way that food was offered to idols and then used as food in Paul’s day. My initial reaction was that this was no big deal because Paul told us to eat food sold in the marketplace without asking any questions. Then I realized that since a big fuss was made about this, it now fell under the category of someone telling me that it had been offered to an idol. I have since forgotten the details about this and am not much concerned about it (it now falls under the class of “food sold in the marketplace, ask no questions”). However, this illustrates the point Paul was making. I think that as Christians we should avoid knowingly eating food that is halal, but we should make no effort to know whether or not any food is halal. If, however, someone, whether a Christian, a Muslim, or of some other faith, makes a point of telling us that particular food is halal, we should not eat it, not for our sake, but for theirs.
Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
This was the first thing my eyes went to when I looked at this psalm today. I think there is something important here that we often overlook. “Turn away from evil and do good” is not really two instructions at all. When we do good, we are turning away from evil. Or to put it another way. the only way to turn away from evil is to do good. Having read that phrase I went back and read the entirety of today’s psalm. The psalmist also tells us that we are to keep from speaking evil or telling lies. There is a lot in this psalm, but I will conclude my meditation on it with this line:
The righteous person faces many troubles,
but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.
You see the truth of the middle of these proverbs all around us. Those who do evil are terrified when they see justice done. They seek excuses to allow the guilty to escape punishment. And the third proverb is also true. I just read a story about a daredevil who died in a terrible accident while skydiving wearing what is called a “wingsuit”, which allows the skydiver to “fly” in a manner similar to a flying squirrel. In this case, the “pilot” (a term which is used to refer to those who do this) flew too close to the mountain, lost control and hit the mountain at a high speed. His search for the next thrill overrode his good judgment.
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.
The people continued their communal prayer recounting God’s actions throughout their history and the rebellion of their ancestors. At the end of this prayer, the people made a binding agreement, in writing and signed by their leaders, to obey all of God’s laws and commandments. In addition they swore to not arrange for their children to marry the children of those who did not worship God and keep His commands. They swore to not do business on the Sabbath. They promised to pay an annual tax for the maintenance of the Temple. They promised to offer the first fruits of their harvests and a tithe on the rest. They promised not to neglect the Temple.
Paul continues his discussion of our freedom in Christ in today’s passage using himself as an example. He tells us that he is a free man, enslaved to no one. However, he allowed others to dictate how he behaved in order to bring as many as possible to Christ. When he was with those who lived according to strict rules and regulations because they thought that was what it meant to be righteous, he lived according to strict rules and regulations in order to convince as many as possible to accept the Gospel message. When he was with those who rejected rules and regulations because they thought that rules and regulations interfered with loving each other, Paul lived without regard to rules and regulations in order to convince as many as possible to accept the Gospel message. Despite doing the latter, Paul states that he believes in living according to God’s rules and regulations as mediated by Christ. When he was among those who were weak, Paul says that he became weak. He was willing to become all things to all people in order that some might be saved.
***
Paul refused to insist that people take him as he was. He was willing to reach them in whatever way necessary. He would behave in whatever manner was necessary to get a hearing. This did not mean that he compromised the Gospel. However, among the straight-laced, Paul was straight-laced. On the other hand, among those who thought the straight-laced were all hypocrites, Paul avoided coming across as straight-laced. With those who were tired of the arguments and discord between different groups, who wondered how anyone could know who was right, Paul avoided coming across as “I’m right and you’re wrong.”
I think I do pretty good on the first two counts. However, I have trouble with the third group. All too often, I come on too strong when I disagree with people. I have been asking the Holy Spirit to help me with that and I think I have been making progress.
***
Paul then goes to the metaphor of athletic training. All athletes who hope to compete at the highest level train with discipline, yet only one of them comes out victorious. In the same way, Paul strives to live his spiritual life with discipline. He does not live so that he can feel good about his spirituality. He has a goal and everything he does is aimed towards that goal. He is not just casually running so that he can be in better condition. He is running hard so as to prepare his body for a race. He disciplines both his body and his spirit.
Paul then uses the example of the children of Israel in the Exodus. They were all guided by the cloud that moved in front of them. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual water, yet God was not pleased with many of them. Some of them craved evil things and worshiped idols. Some of them engaged in sexual immorality. Some of them put God to the test and some of them grumbled against God. All of these sins led to death.
Paul warns us not to be cocky in our faith, not to become overconfident and stumble because we took our eyes off of God. He tells us that God is faithful and will not allow us to be tempted more than we can resist. When we are tempted, He will show us what we must do to overcome the temptation. We just need to do what He shows us.
Black eyed susan
I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
But there is one that stands out to me:
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
I am not sure what the psalmist meant, but I read that as meaning that the psalmist is telling us that if we want to see that God is good, we need to try living according to His commands for a while. If we do that we will quickly see that they lead us to a better life than living according to our own designs. It reminds me of the decision that led me to finally put my doubts to rest.
For many years I struggled with the question, “How do I know if God is real?” After many years of working on understanding how the world worked and after looking at different ideas about how it came to be, I was left with two choices that could potentially be intellectually satisfying. Either the God of the Christian Bible was real, or the universe was the product of random chance and nothing meant anything. I wanted proof one way or the other, but I was unable to find any.
As time went on, this lack of proof led me more and more to think that the universe was purely random. There was only one problem. That conclusion depressed me beyond words. Finally, one day I was crying out in my soul to God, “I cannot go on any longer if You do not exist, please prove to me that You are!” At that moment it came to me that I had my answer (I know now that this was God speaking directly to me). Since I could not live with the conclusion that the universe was random, I would live as if I believed that the God of the Bible was real. I would “taste and see.” Within days, I knew (not just thought, not just believed, KNEW) that the God of the Bible was real. I had tasted of God and seen that He was good!
Black eyed susan
When you hear the cries of those in need, have the means to do something for them, and do not, then you can know that the day will come when you are in need and your own cries will not be answered.
