For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 22:10-12

    It is those who mock others who generate the insults and quarrels in a group. Get rid of them and the hostilities within the group will vanish.

Psalm 44:1-8

    It is not by strength of arms that a nation arises, rather it is by the will of God. We will not gain victory through our own efforts. Success only comes about through the hand of God. If God does not give us victory over our enemies, we will go down to defeat. I will trust in God, not in my own ability.

2 Corinthians 4:1-12

    Paul makes an important point here. It is counterproductive to attempt to spread the Gospel with deceptive methods, or to distort the message so as to avoid unpleasant truths (or to distort it for any other reason). If some people are going to misunderstand, or fail to get a clear understanding of, the Gospel let it be because they allowed the spirits of this age, the mavens of “modern” culture, to blind them to the truth. Paul teaches us to make it clear that the Gospel is not about how wonderful we are. Rather it is about how wonderful God is. The truth of the matter, which we must constantly strive to communicate, is that we are flawed and broken vessels conveying the light and truth of God. The Gospel message is not about how much better we are than others, it is about how God can use even someone as flawed as myself. The power and joy of the Gospel comes not from us, but from God.

Job 34-36

    I struggle with Elihu’s monologue because while he was not rebuked by God he echoes some of the things said by Job’s other friends (at least, as I read it), who were. However, there are several points which Elihu makes which I do not struggle with:

• God does not sin. He can do no wrong.
• God loves justice and hates injustice.
• God sees everything we do. Nothing can hide our acts, wicked or good, from God.
• God hears the cries of the needy.
• Our sins do not affect God. Our good deeds do not benefit Him.
• That does not mean that He does not care.
• God will bring justice, if we are patient and wait for His time.
• God is greater than we can understand.

There is more in this passage of which it is worth taking note, but you can read it for yourself. I do not need to copy it all out here.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 22:10-12

    The way to avoid discord is to get rid of those who mock others. A wise leader seeks out those who surround themselves with honest people and speak graciously. Those who acquire knowledge before reaching a conclusion or making a plan will find that God guides their path, but those who act treacherously will find their plans constantly thwarted.

Psalm 44:1-8

    We have heard what God did in the past. He granted victory to those who faithfully served Him. It was not their might, skill, or knowledge which led them to victory. It was God who destroyed their enemies, causing them to make mistakes and miscalculate at key junctures. In the same way, we will not be victorious because of our abilities. I know that my skills will not get me through. I will rely on God to bring about success. I know that if I do His will, I cannot fail.

2 Corinthians 4:1-12

    As we preach the Gospel, let us not use tricks or deception. Let us plainly state what it is we have to say. If anything about the Gospel is misunderstood, let it be because those listening took it out of context or chose to misinterpret our words, not because we attempted to slip something past those listening without them noticing. There is no need for us to keep parts of the Gospel a secret from those who do not choose to accept it. As I read this, I think of those groups and organizations which keep some of their teachings secrets for only those initiated into the group to know. That is not the way in which the followers of Jesus are to act.
    The followers of Jesus speak the Gospel message as a lamp in the darkness, visible to all who look. We speak the message from God as frail, imperfect people. The success of the Gospel message is not because of the strength and power of those who preach it. Any power which we have comes from God Himself, not from our feeble selves.

Job 34-36:33

    Job’s other three friends argued that Job was being punished because he was a sinner. Elihu takes a different tack. He does not attempt to identify Job as a sinner. Rather he argues that God is wise and just. Elihu condemns Job, and anyone else who does the same, for claiming that God is causing him to suffer unjustly. Elihu was angry because Job had said that it was a waste of time to try to please God. Instead, we should confess to God our sins, if we know them, and promise to turn from them. If we do not know what we have done that is wrong, let us beg God to show us so that we can turn from those sins as well. God watches how people live, nothing is hidden from Him. God knows what evil people commit and hears the cries of the needy. He will bring justice on those who do wrong. Who are we to judge when God does not deliver the judgement we think others deserve?
    Elihu points out that, no matter what Job had done before, he sinned by speaking angry words about God and failing to respect the Almighty. The question is not “What is in it for me?” The question is, “What is the right thing to do?” I do not strive to do the right thing because I will be rewarded for doing so. I strive to do the right thing because it is the right thing…or at least, that is how I believe that I should act. We cannot tell God how to act and have no right to tell Him that He has done wrong. We cannot possibly understand the reasons God does what He does. So, let us praise Him for His mighty acts, recognizing that He will do what is right, even when we do not understand.

     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.

Job 34-36:33

     Elihu challenges Job for claiming to be innocent and for saying that it is a waste of time trying to please God. He tells us that God does not sin and cannot do wrong. Elihu tells us that God watches how people live, there is no way to hide anything from Him. It is God who determines when we will come before Him for judgment. When the poor and needy cry out, God hears them, but if he chooses to remain quiet, who are we to criticize Him? God is a god of justice, but He will not tailor His justice to our standards. It is up to us to meet His standards. Elihu tells Job that he was in the wrong for failing to show respect to God and for speaking angrily against Him.
     Elihu tells us that Job asked what was in it for him to behave righteously. However, Elihu points out that God gains nothing when we live righteously and loses nothing when we sin. Whether we live righteously or sinfully has no impact on God. There is nothing that we can give God that He does not already have. Nevertheless, when we cry out to God, He hears and will bring justice in His time. God makes an effort to get our attention and to show us when we do wrong. If we listen and turn from our sins, God will reward us. The godless are full of resentment towards God and refuse to cry out to Him when they are in trouble.
     Elihu condemns Job for being obsessed with whether or not God will judge the wicked. He tells Job, and us, that we should not concern ourselves with that. Instead, we should seek to do right and avoid being seduced into doing evil. God is greater than we can understand. Rather than blame Him for not doing things as we think He should, we are to praise His mighty works and sing of His glory.

2 Corinthians 4:1-12

     Paul tells the Corinthians that since God, in His mercy, has given Paul this ministry to this new covenant, he does not and will not lose heart, no matter what difficulties he may face. Paul further says that he has renounced using any sort of trickery to spread the Gospel. The Gospel is only veiled to those who refuse to believe and have allowed Satan to blind them to glorious light of the Good News. Paul emphasized that the message he preached was not about himself, rather he preached that Christ was Lord. The God who said, “Let there be light,” and thus caused the entire universe to explode into being, has made the light of the Gospel shine in our hearts so that we can see the glory of God as displayed on the face of Christ.
     Yet despite all of this, we are fragile like clay jars. It is not our power that allows us to witness to others about the greatness of God. Anything we accomplish is from the all-surpassing power of God. We carry in our bodies the death of Jesus so that His life can be revealed through us.

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     From time to time a group of Christians will attempt to come up with a program that will attract people to their events without people realizing that the event is being sponsored by Christians. I think that part of Paul’s message here is that this is a mistake. We should be upfront about who we are and the message we are preaching. We are not going to bring anyone to the Lord by our own cleverness, or power. It is only through the action of the Holy Spirit that individuals come to Christ.

Psalm 44:1-8

     It is not by the might of our arms, or the brilliance of our strategies, that we will gain victory that lasts. It is only through the might of God as we serve His will that we will be victorious as we face this life’s struggles and as we strive to bring others to know Him.

Proverbs 22:10-12

     If you have a group that is beset by strife, get rid of those who mock others and the strife will go with them. God watches over those who act openly and above board, but frustrates the plans of those who lie and cheat.

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