Tag Archives: Psalm 77:1-20

Daily Bible Study

April 5, 2015 Bible Study — The Lord Is Risen!

He is risen indeed! Today is Easter, the day we celebrate Jesus rising from the dead. Today we celebrate the most important part event in Christian history. Easter far outstrips Christmas as an important day. On Christmas we celebrate Jesus’ birth, but people are born everyday. On Easter we celebrate Jesus rising from the dead. This was a special occasion. Let us remember it and celebrate it. For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 12:18

    It can be fun to find just the right word to shut some one up by insulting them in a way that hurts just a little bit. Knowing how to say something so that it stings just a little bit and makes everyone else laugh is a talent people admire. However, the true talent is saying something that makes someone who is hurting feel better about themselves. It is that to which the wise aspire.

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Psalm 77:1-20

    The psalmist tells us what to do when we feel abandoned by God, when we feel like His love is gone forever. The answer is to meditate on what God has done in the past. When we look at what God has done in the past we will realize that things today are not more than He can handle. God will act in His time for those who serve Him. Let us bring our requests to Him with patience and persistence.

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Luke 11:14-36

    Jesus talks about what happens when an evil spirit is cast out of someone. He talks about how the spirit goes out for a time, but before long returns. It finds the person who had been its home cleaned up and now an even more pleasant place to live, so it moves back in and invites its friends. This is what happens to someone who is rescued from an evil, destructive lifestyle who does not replace that lifestyle with something holy. The temptation will come upon them, they will return to that lifestyle, and they will be worse off than before.
    The lesson here for us is that we can rescue people from drugs, or alcohol, or sexual addiction, or any of a large number of self-destructive lifestyles without involving the Lord. However, if they do not invite the Holy Spirit into their lives, the demons of those lifestyles will return and inhabit them once more. When we cast the demons, literal or figurative, out of someone, there is only one way to ensure that those demons will not take up residence again. That is for a Spirit more powerful than they to take up residence instead. If the Holy Spirit does not reside within us, the demons of the sins from our former lives will return and take up residence, bringing more demons with them. However, the Holy Spirit will not share His home with other spirits. If He lives within us, He will not permit those demons to enter.

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Deuteronomy 28:1-68

    Moses gave the Israelites some promises from God and some warnings. And while these were intended specifically for the Israelites, they apply to a lesser degree to any people. When a nation of people walk in God’s ways, follow His commands, and strive to serve Him, they will be blessed. They will prosper and their enemies will flee from them. However, if that same nation refuses to listen to God and will not obey His commands, if it stops striving to serve Him, they will be cursed. As I look at the blessings and curses in this passage, I see in them a reflection of things which have happened to various nations throughout the world at various times in history.

Daily Bible Study

October 5, 2014 Bible Study — Let Your Lives Be Built On Christ

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 24:23-25

    Showing favoritism when passing judgement is wrong. Holding different people to different standards of conduct will lead to condemnation and problems. Letting those one likes get away with things that one would punish others for will lead to problems. Those who hold everyone accountable to the same standard will be blessed.

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Psalm 77:1-20

    The psalmist tells us what to do when our troubles are great and God does not seem to hear. When our troubles overwhelm us and God does not seem to hear our prayers and cries for help, let us remember what He has done in the past. When we bring to mind the great things He has done for us and for others in the past, we will realize that He is biding His time until the moment is right. Let us never forget God’s power and love.

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Colossians 1:18-2:7

    We were far from God and had made ourselves His enemies through our sins. Yet, He reconciled us to Himself through the death of Christ. Our sins have been covered over by Christ’s blood. Let us remain firm in our faith in the redeeming value of the Gospel message. It is God who has bridged the gap between God and man, which was created by man’s sin. We cannot bridge that gap by our own actions.
    Paul was happy to experience sufferings for the Church and for the Gospel because by doing so he was participating in the suffering which Christ experienced. We should be happy to experience suffering in the same manner. God has given us a responsibility to tell others about Christ, warning and teaching all who will listen. Let us seek to grow to maturity in Christ and to help others do so as well. If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord, continue to follow Him (If you have not accepted Him as Lord and have read this far, I beg that you do so now).
    Let us let our roots grow down deep in Christ. I have always loved the metaphor of roots growing down deep for our faith. If you have grown a significant number of plants, you will have noticed how the roots grow out in all directions seeking water. I have right next to be now an orchid which was poorly cared for before I got it. Its roots were growing out in all directions seeking water. But since I have had it and started to regularly water it, gradually those which grew out into the air have died back and only those roots going down into where the water actually is have remained. It should be the same with us. Before we knew Christ, we sought God’s truth in all directions, getting what little spiritual “water” wherever we could find it. But now that we are in Christ, we can sink our roots deep into Him to get all of God’s truth that we can use. We no longer need to seek to extract a little bit of truth, spiritual “water”, from wherever we can find it, mixed in among other things of no value. We can turn fully to the Gospel for all of the truth, and more, that we can use to grow.

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Jeremiah 4:19-6:15

    God has prepared His judgement against the world. The forces are gathered and are about to be unleashed. He is calling us to seek out the honest and the just. As in the time of Lot when God told Abraham that if He found just five righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah He would spare the cities, so today He is seeking five righteous people in each town. And just as in Jeremiah’s day, God is having trouble finding honest and just people among us today. This country does not need righteous laws. It needs righteous people. Are we, as the Church today, offering superficial treatments for mortal wounds? Let us not assure people of peace when there is no peace. Let us not seek to appear righteous by seeking “righteous” laws we will not follow. Let us call people to do God’s will, not call people to punish others for failing to do so.

Daily Bible Study

April 5, 2014 Bible Study — The Tools of Evil Cannot Be Used For Good

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 12:18

    The cutting remark is much admired by many people in our society, and I will admit that I have often been proud of my ability to deliver such a remark with good timing. However, I have discovered that what this proverb states is true. The real sign of wisdom and verbal skill is the ability to make the well-timed quip which builds people up and offers healing for their wounded psyches. While I enjoy the exchange of quick-witted barbs, I get much greater pleasure out of the well-timed, unexpected compliment (especially one which counters another’s just stated denigration of themself).

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Psalm 77:1-20

    The psalmist speaks of crying out to God when in deep distress. He could not sleep because of the weight of his troubles. He was beginning to wonder if his troubles were now his lot in life, if God had chosen to not rescue him from his troubles. Then he thought of all the great and wondrous things which Gad has done. As he thought about those things, his hope was restored. He realized that as great as the troubles he now faced were, God had overcome even greater troubles in the past. God is holy and powerful. No matter how great the troubles we face today, God is more than powerful enough to rescue us from them. When Israel was trapped between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea, God gave them a way out. In the same way, no matter how hopeless our situation may seem, let us trust in God because He will provide us with an escape from our problems.

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Luke 11:14-36

    Some of those who opposed Jesus tried to explain His ability to cast out demons by claiming that He received this ability from the prince of demons. Jesus answered this explanation by making two statements. The first was to point out that it made no sense for the prince of demons, Satan, to give someone the power to cast out demons, since demons were serving Satan’s purpose. The second was to point out that there were others who cast out demons and to ask if his detractors were suggesting that they too were doing it by the power of Satan? One of the points that Jesus is making here is one I never saw in this passage before. He is telling us that you cannot use the tools of evil to accomplish good purposes. Ultimately, if you use evil tools you will produce evil results.

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Deuteronomy 28:1-68

    If we obey God and do as He instructs us, we will be blessed in many ways. God will defeat those who oppose and attack us. On the other hand, if we do not obey God or follow His instructions, all of our plans will come to naught. We can not fail if we obey God’s direction for our lives, but nothing we do will succeed if we ignore His instructions.

Daily Bible Study

October 5, 2013 Bible Study — Weep For the Lost

     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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Jeremiah 4:19-6:15

     Jeremiah expressed his sorrow for the people of Judah, for the suffering which they would soon experience. Do we feel a similar sorrow for those around us who do not know God? Jeremiah did not gain pleasure from telling his countrymen that they had sinned and judgment was about to befall them. It broke his heart to deliver the message which God had given him. But he had no choice, because he hoped that at least a few might turn to God and thus be saved.
     Jeremiah says that he searched Jerusalem and no one was honest, they were all liars. The poor and uneducated as much as the wealthy and powerful. I read this and think about society today where I see much the same thing. There is hope for a society when the “common man” embraces honesty, even if those from the leading classed do not, because a leader might emerge from among the “common man” to bring about revival. On the other hand, there is also hope for society when the leading classes embrace honesty because they may be able to show the “common man” the way to righteousness by their honor and integrity. However, when both those who lead and those who are “common folk” hold honesty and integrity in contempt, a society is doomed. There remains but one hope, the power of the Holy Spirit. I will pray to God with all of my being that He send down His Spirit upon this world. I pray that the Spirit will light a fire in the hearts of those who are willing to listen and bring about a revival.

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Colossians 1:18-2:7

     Christ is the head of the Church. God chose to reconcile everything to Himself through the blood of Christ shed on the cross. We were alienated from God because of our evil behavior, but now we have been reconciled to Him through the death of Christ’s physical body. It is our obligation to continue in the faith which we received when we heard the Gospel. God’s plan of redemption is Christ living in us. The only way that we can be fully reconciled to God is to depend entirely on the power of Christ which lives within us. If we live in Christ in the same way that He lives in us, we will be reconciled to God and experience the power of His Spirit within us. I need to build my life upon Christ, extending my roots into Him so that I am firmly planted in His will.

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Psalm 77:1-20

     The psalmist speaks of his troubles being so great that he finds it difficult to even pray. He wondered if God would ever come to his rescue. Then he started thinking about what God had done in the past. As he thought about them, one after another they came to him until they filled his thoughts. In this way we learn the answer of what to do when our troubles overwhelm us and God seems distant. The answer is to remember the things which God has done in the past, the ways in which He has saved us from troubles in times gone by.

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Proverbs 24:23-25

     Judges who show partiality and declare the guilty innocent will be denounced, but those who punish the guilty will be blessed.

Daily Bible Study

April 5, 2013 Bible Study — Whoever Is Not With Me Is Against Me

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.

Crocus in bloom
Crocus in bloom

Deuteronomy 28:1-68

     Moses tells the people of Israel that they will be blessed if they keep the commands of the Lord. If they obey the commands of the Lord, they will be solidly established in their land, they will be prosperous and want for nothing. All nations will stand in awe of them. On the other hand, Moses tells them the curses they will experience if they rebel against God’s commands. If they do not keep God’s commands they will experience confusion and frustration in everything they do. They will suffer from diseases and natural disasters. They will work hard and have little to show for it. They will be conquered by foreigners and their children made slaves. They will be terrified by everything around them. I believe that these blessings and curses are there for any society that follows God’s commands or rebels against them.

More crocus in bloom
More crocus in bloom

Luke 11:14-36

     One day Jesus drove a demon that had made a man mute out of the man. The man began to speak and the people were amazed. However, some of them claimed that He drove out demons by the power of the prince of demons. Others demanded that He give them a sign from heaven. Jesus answered by telling them that any organization that is divided against itself is bound to fall. He tells them that if Satan grants someone the power to cast out demons, Satan would be acting against his own interests. He then asks them by what power the other exorcists are casting out demons?
     Jesus concludes that whoever is not for Him is against Him. This is interesting because only a little while earlier He told the disciples that whoever is not against them is for them. I think these two comments by Jesus tell us something about how people must react to Jesus. Ultimately everyone must choose, are they for Jesus or against Him? There is no middle ground. The earlier passage tells us that we should not alienate those who have not outright rejected Jesus and His teaching. Today’s passage tells us that over time people will either start to follow Jesus or to oppose Him.
     Jesus concludes His discussion of casting out evil spirits by telling us that when an evil spirit is cast out, it will wander through desolate areas. It will then return to the person it had left and find them “swept and in order”. It will get seven other spirits even more wicked than itself and together they will reenter the person. The end result will be that the person is worse off than before. My father used to say that the point of this passage was that it was not enough for the person to have evil spirits cast out. If they were not filled with the Holy Spirit in the place of the demons, the demons would return and possess them once more. I believe that my father was correct in his interpretation.
     Jesus then addresses the issue of those demanding a sign from heaven. He tells them that the only sign they will receive will be the sign of Jonah. That just as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so Jesus would be a sign to His own generation (and those that followed). There has been a relatively recent archeological discovery which suggests that the idea that the Messiah would die and rise after three days was present in first century Jewish thought. If such is the case, it would mean that Jesus’ audience knew exactly what He was saying here. He went on to tell them that on the day of judgment the men of Nineveh would condemn the current generation because the men of Nineveh listened to Jonah and repented, but the current generation did not listen to the One who was greater than Jonah.

Fencing in Schnecksville
Fencing in Schnecksville

Psalm 77:1-20

     The psalmist in today’s psalm is distressed because he has experienced trouble and has not heard an answer from God. When he become convinced that God had turned His back on him, the psalmist remembered all of God’s great deeds in the past. By looking back over all the things which God had done in the past, his hope was restored. He knew that God would act when the time was right. I am glad that I am reading this psalm today after reading Jesus’ teaching on prayer yesterday. The two go together. Jesus told us to be persistent in our prayers. This psalm tells us to remember what God has done in the past when He does not seem to be answering our prayers today. When I look over my life I can remember times when I was desperate for change in my life and cried out to God. He did not answer at once, but when He did answer, His plan proved to be wonderful.
     This psalm today, coupled with yesterday;s passage from Luke with its emphasis on persistence in our prayers, reminds me that God is faithful and will answer my prayers in His time according to His plans. Those answers when they come will be better than anything I could have imagined when I was praying. I will not lose faith that God will answer my prayers because I remember the great things He has done in the past.

More fencers in Schnecksville
More fencers in Schnecksville

Proverbs 12:18

     Today’s proverb hits home to me. There have been times when I have reveled in my ability to make stinging remarks that generated a laugh. I am not going to say that there is never a place for such exchanges. However, this proverb reminds me of something that I have recently been trying to work on. That is the quick quip which builds up the target rather than tearing them down. I have discovered that if I try I can get just as good of a laugh by cleverly worded quips about the positive aspects of a person as I can from quips which tear them down. It is harder to do, but much more satisfying. All too often I have been lazy and gone for the easy, cheap, negative laugh. I will strive going forward to do the extra work to make the quips which build others up and let them know that I think well of them.

Daily Bible Study

October 5, 2012 Bible Study

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

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Jeremiah 4:19-6:15

     Jeremiah tells us that the people of Judah were clever at doing wrong, but had no idea how to do right. He speaks of the destruction that God was planning against Judah and Jerusalem because of the people’s sin. Then he speaks of searching Jerusalem for an honest person. He tells us that even under oath to the Lord the people lied. Jeremiah suggests that one might expect no better of the poor, then he tells us that even the leaders of the people and the wealthy are dishonest. God gave them more than enough food and plenty of wealth and in response they turned to idolatry and to sexual sins.
     I read this and it reminded me of the rise of the middle class in the late 19th and early 20th Century. That transition occurred, to a large extent, as a result of well-to-do Christians teaching the poor to live godly lives. Teaching them to not to spend all of their money and time in drunken debauchery. The poor were taught to emulate the social mores and cultural standards of the well-to-do, who were frequently Christian (and when they weren’t, aped Christian morals). Today, our well-to-do emulate the social mores and cultural standards of the poor.
     Jeremiah tells the people of Judah that the wicked have become wealthy and set traps for people. Those with power refuse to provide justice to orphans and deny the rights of the poor. Those who should be messengers for the Lord give false prophecies and use their position for selfish ends. Worse than that, the people like it that way. That sounds much like the people of America today to me. We, as Christians, need to call on people to receive the Holy Spirit and change their lives. We have gotten caught up in the fighting over political power when we should be calling people to the Lord for the transformation of their hearts.

Colossians 1:18-2:7

     Once we were alienated from God, enemies of His in our minds. Now we have been reconciled to Him through the death of Christ. We must stand firmly in our faith in this transformation. God’s message was kept secret throughout history preceding Christ’s life, but now it has been revealed. That secret is Christ living within those who put their faith in Him. Let us work and struggle, as Paul did, to spread God’s warning and wisdom to everyone, so that they may also come to a faith in Him and the transformation that flows from that faith. We should pray and work so that believers everywhere will be knit together with bonds of love. I desire that no one be deceived by well-crafted arguments but that they maintain their faith in the Gospel of Christ. WE must continue to follow Jesus and let our roots grow down into Him. We should build our lives on Him and not allow faith in anything else challenge our loyalty to doing His will.

Magrat in the grass

Psalm 77:1-20

     The psalmist expresses his feelings that God is not listening, but then he looks back at what God has done and expresses his faith that God will not abandon those who turn to Him. We, also, need to remember that God will act according to His plans and in His time. We need to have faith that God has a plan for us, even when He does not seem to hear our cries.

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Proverbs 24:23-25

     Showing favoritism when passing judgement is wrong. Judges and peoples who let the guilty go free will be cursed, while those who punish the wicked will be blessed.