Tag Archives: Psalm 81

Daily Bible Study

October 11, 2015 Bible Study — Live In a Way Which Pleases God

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 25:6-8

    The proverb writer reminds us not to try forcing everything to our maximum advantage. On the one hand, honors are greater when others bestow them upon us in recognition of our good deeds than when they are given because we point out that we deserve them. On the other hand, things we think put others at a disadvantage to us may turn out to be less than we thought.

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Psalm 81

    I will make a joyful noise to the Lord (and if you have ever heard me sing, that is truly what it is), because He has lightened my burden. I will listen to God when He speaks and I will not worship any other gods.

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1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3

    We are called to live in a way which pleases God. It is not possible to do so if we allow ourselves to get involved in sexual sin. It is very hard to avoid sexual sin because our society today teaches that sexuality defines who we are as people. Those who reject Biblical instruction on sexual sin are not rejecting man-made rules, they are rejecting God. In a large part this is why sexual sin has such devastating consequences for society. If we truly love others we will avoid sexual sins, because all sexual sin involves treating others, and ourselves, as objects. Of course this also shows us how we can free ourselves from sexual sin, the more time we spend acting out our love for others the less time we will have to treat them like objects.

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Jeremiah 16:16-18:23

    Jeremiah’s prophesies are directed at the people of Judah, but there are themes which apply to every people living in every land. At the beginning of this passage Jeremiah tells us that God said that the people of Israel had defiled His land. In this context, it is referring to the land of Israel. Yet, in truth every land is God’s land and the prophecy applies to the people in those lands who have done as God accused the people of Israel. God will punish those peoples as He punished the people of Israel. However, in the same way, if those people turn from their idols and worship God, He will bless them as He has blessed the people of Israel.
    Those who put their trust in humans rather than in God will be like shrubs in the desert, stunted and bitter. However, those who put their trust in God are like trees planted by a river. They will not be bothered by the heat, nor suffer when the rains do not come. I believe that in this metaphor water, in its various forms, refers to love. If we do not look to God for His love, we will be constantly seeking love from those who do not love us. However, if we learn to trust in God’s love, we will know that we are loved and be able to love, even when everyone around us is seeking only to use us for their own advantage.

Daily Bible Study

April 12, 2015 Bible Study — How Do We React When the Lost Are Found?

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 13:1

    It is interesting how often the proverb writers contrast the wise vs the mocker. In this case they contrast the wise, who accept discipline, to the mockers, who refuse correction. The mockers refuse to accept the idea that they might be wrong, or have done wrong. The wise embrace receiving a penalty for their mistakes because they know it will make it easier for them to avoid repeating those mistakes.

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Psalm 81:1-16

    The psalmist calls on us to sing praises to God. Accompanying our singing with whatever instruments come to hand, especially those which are loud and exuberant. We are to do this both because of the wonderful things God has done for us and because He has commanded us to do so. The psalmist goes on to remind us that if we are struggling in this life we need to cry out to God for rescue and listen to the instructions He gives us.

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Luke 15:1-32

    After being confronted for associating and eating with notorious sinners (read that as, “partying with”), Jesus tells three parables. Our tendency is to look at the first two separately from the third. That is not wrong because there are lessons to be learned from the third which are different than those to be learned from the other two. However, all three are teaching variations on the same lesson.
    The first two teach us that we should spend more effort seeking to bring the lost back than we do on safeguarding those who are not lost. This runs counter to our human nature. When we have lost one of a group of things, we spend a small amount of effort to get it back and then spend greater efforts to safeguard that which we still have. We have a tendency to give up searching for what we have lost after a short time. That is fine when we are talking about material things, but when it comes to people, we should never quit seeking to “find” them for God.
    Then there is the parable of the prodigal son. It too teaches us that the return of the lost is a source of great joy. One part of this parable that is often misrepresented is the reaction of the older brother. His initial reaction shows him in a poor light, but often those who expound on this passage assume that his initial reaction continues after his father talks to him. I think that this is making an assumption about his actions that Jesus is not intending. When we find ourselves in the position of the older brother (and sooner or later all of us who have chosen to follow Jesus will do so), how do we react when God comes to us and tells us to embrace our returned, and celebrated, rebellious brother (or sister)? Do we accept the joy which God, and others, feel at this lost one returning home and join the party? Or do we turn away from God in anger and jealousy because someone else is receiving greater attention than we are?

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Joshua 5-7:15

    It is interesting to picture what it must have been like for the people of Jericho. They were frightened when they heard that the Jordan had stopped its flow to allow the Israelites to cross. Then the Israelites camped outside of their city. Each day for six days the Israelites marched around the city one time in complete silence. On the seventh day, they marched around seven times, still in complete silence until the end of the seventh circuit. At that point, some of them blew rams’ horns and the rest shouted loudly. That, in and of itself must have been very intimidating. The fact that it was followed by the collapse of the city walls and the armed Israelites charging into the city would have completely broken their morale.

Daily Bible Study

October 11, 2014 Bible Study — Live To Please God

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 25:6-8

    Do not boast that you deserve great honour and try to insinuate yourself among the decision makers. It is better to wait for those in authority to request your input than to be humiliated when they tell you that you don’t matter. Do not rush to report events, make sure you really understand what happened first. Otherwise, you will look like a fool when someone else reports what really happened.

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Psalm 81:1-16

    If we, as a people, follow God’s instructions and do as He desires, we will live lives of plenty and joy. Let us praise His holy Name for all He has done for us. If, on the other hand, we refuse to follow His instructions He will allow us to suffer the consequences we have chosen. The consequences of following our own stubborn thoughts, living according to our ideas of what is right are not ones we will like, but God will allow us to experience them if we insist.

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1 Thessalonians 4-5:3

    Paul urged the Thessalonians to live to please God, even though he knew they were already doing so. He encouraged them, and us, to do so more and more each day. Let us focus on those things we do which please God, and do more of them each day, until there is no time left to do things which displease God. It is God’s will for us to be holy. We cannot be holy if we indulge our sinful desires with sexual immorality. Time and again Paul warns us against sexual sins and the importance of controlling our own bodies. It is important that we live in ways that are holy and honourable, not in the lustful passion which those who do not know God indulge in. Paul points out that we give in to our lustful passions we are wronging and/or taking advantage of someone else.
    As I am reading through the Bible I am coming to realize that while all sin separates us from God, there are two types of sin which cause problems beyond just the sin itself. Those two types of sin are sexual sins and greed in all of its manifestations.

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Jeremiah 16:16-18:23

    I will fully agree with Jeremiah when he says,

O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed;
if you save me, I will be truly saved.
My praises are for you alone!

The corollary to that is that if God does not heal us, we will not be healed and if He does not save us, we will not be saved.
    God gives Jeremiah the metaphor of the potter with clay. There are two pieces to this metaphor, the personal and the corporate. God is shaping us into a form that only He understands. If, as He is shaping us, we take on a form contrary to His desire, He will crush us down into a formless ball and start over. There are limits to this metaphor, but it explains much of the suffering we experience as followers of God. This forming process holds true for both individuals and for nations.
    God gives a further example about how He treats nations, groups of people, if God announces that a certain nation will be destroyed for its sin, but the people of that nation renounce their sins and turn to God, God will withhold His judgement. On the other hand, if God has announced that He will strengthen and build up a nation, but the people of that nation turn to evil ways and refuse to follow God’s will, He will destroy that nation.
    I look at what is going on in the world today, and it seems to me that God is announcing His intention to destroy the nations of “Western Civilization”. But this passage gives me hope that it is not yet too late. If the people of those nations will turn from their sins, God will intervene and save them from the destruction their sins have set in motion.

Daily Bible Study

April 12, 2014 Bible Study — Joy When The Lost Is Found

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 13:1

    A wise child listens and learns from the instructions their parents give them. One can generalize this even further, a wise person listens to the advice of those with more experience than themselves in the area under discussion. The writer mentions a particular class of fool, the mocker, who mocks anyone who believes differently than themselves, even when that person is more knowledgeable on a particular subject than themselves. One should always be skeptical of the arguments made by someone who mocks people who disagree with them.
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Psalm 81:1-16

    Let us praise God with every means at our disposal. Let us make music praising Him with every instrument we can lay our hands on. If we will listen to God’s instructions, He will lift the burdens from our shoulders and provide for all of our needs. All too often, we refuse to listen to what He tells us. We stubbornly insist on following our own desires rather than the course which He lays out for us. I am guilty of this, even though I know that God’s plan for me is better for me that what I would choose for myself. Oh Lord, send Your Spirit upon me so that I will do your will!

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Luke 15:1-32

    Jesus tells several stories about how God feels when sinners repent and turn to Him. The first two stories are just about the joy which is experienced when we find that which we thought was lost. The third, the story of the Prodigal Son is much more complicated. Do I share the Father’s joy when those who were lost turn to Him?
    In the story of the Prodigal Son, we have the son who returned to his father, recognizing that he did not deserve to be counted as his father’s son. We have the father who welcomes his son home, despite the wrong that the son did him. Not only does he welcome him home, he throws a party to celebrate his return. Finally, there is the elder brother, who resents his father’s joy at the return of his brother. I hope we can empathize with all three characters in this story. There are three questions we need to ask ourselves. First, do I recognize my tendency to fall into the pattern of the elder son? Second, do I recognize myself in the prodigal son? Third, and most important, am I willing to share in the Father’s joy at the return of the son who was as good as dead? When non-believers find God and are welcomed into the family, do I want to throw a party?

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Joshua 5-7:15

    For six days the army of Israel marched around the city of Jericho. The army spoke not a word as they marched, while seven priests blew ram’s horns. On the seventh day they marched around the city seven times. At the end of the seventh circuit the priests let out a long blast on the horns and the entire army shouted as loud as they could. When they did this the walls of Jericho collapsed and the army was able to rush in and slay the town, sparing only Rahab and her family. Every time I read this account, I think that there is a lesson on trusting God in this story. They followed the instructions which God had given them and thus obtained the victory.

Daily Bible Study

October 11, 2013 Bible Study — Like a Tree Planted By the Water

     I cam across a website today as I worked on this devotional that touched me. While I think they could have made the video even better, it is a powerful video which captures, at least in part, the Christian message. I like the way they sum up who they are and what they are about: “It really is as simple as it appears. We are a small group of people humbled by the love of Jesus. We are not a church. We are not selling anything. We encourage you to tell as many people as possible. That’s it.” I, too, have been humbled by the love of Jesus.
     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.

Leaves begin to change color
Leaves begin to change color

Jeremiah 16:16-18:23

     This passage contains both a continuation of Jeremiah’s prophecy of doom and a prophecy of hope. The passage goes back and forth between the two. First God says through Jeremiah that the people of Judah cannot hope to hide from Him, He is sending judgment against them and it will find them. Then Jeremiah says that God is his refuge in a day of trouble. He then returns to talking about the coming doom. It is inscribed with an iron chisel. God’s anger burns like a fire that will burn forever.
     Jeremiah tells us that those who put their trust in humans are cursed. They are like shrubs in a salty desert. But blessed are those who put their trust in God. They are like a tree planted by the water. They will not fear when drought comes because their water supply is assured. In the middle of this passage is this phrase:

O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed;
if you save me, I will be truly saved.
My praises are for you alone!


Yes, that is my saying for today. Heal me Lord because then I will be truly healed.
     The prophet calls on the people of Jerusalem to keep the Sabbath. I do not know exactly what to make of this passage, but I am convicted by it. I chose last year when I read this passage to strive to make Sunday a day that I dedicate to God. I have striven, with mixed success, to avoid doing business on Sundays. As I read this passage today, I feel called to step it up another step. I feel called to dedicate one day a week, Sunday, to worship and fellowship with God.
     There is an analogy in this passage that sums up the dichotomy between doom and hope in Jeremiah’s prophecy. Jeremiah compares us to clay being formed by a potter. If the jar a potter is making does not come out as he intended, he will crush the clay and start over. In the same way, if God intended us for greatness and we refuse His commands, He will send us to destruction. But on the other hand, if God intended to send us to destruction and we turn to Him and honor His commands, He will send us to greatness. If we renounce our evil ways, God will bless us and rescue us from destruction.

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Another shot as the leaves begin to change
Another shot as the leaves begin to change

1 Thessalonians 4-5:3

     Paul wrote that we are to live lives pleasing to God. This means staying away from sexual sins. By staying away from sexual sin, we will learn to control our own bodies, which will allow us to live with holiness and honor. Holiness and honor are in opposition to the lustful passion which our society says is the human condition. Our society does not recognize how our lustful passions cause us to take advantage of one another in order to please ourselves at others expense. Paul instructs us to avoid doing this. Despite what our society proclaims, any time we indulge our sexual appetites outside of marriage (and perhaps sometimes even within marriage) we are treating those we are involved with as objects rather than as children of God.
     A second point which Paul touches on is how we face death. We do not need to grieve when our fellow believers die, because we have God’s promise that they will be raised again when Jesus returns. The day of Christ’s return will begin with a commanding shout. At that moment those who have died in Christ will rise to meet Him. Then those who remain alive will be caught up with them to meet Christ in the air. What a glorious day that will be. We do not know when it will happen. It will come about suddenly when no one is expecting it, so we should always be prepared for that day. There are two important points here. The first is that we need to consider every action as if we will need to make an accounting before God of that act before we have completed it. The second, and just as important, is that death is not something to be feared. Death is the end of our trials and tribulations on this earth and the beginning of our time spending every moment in the presence of God.

More leaves changing color
More leaves changing color

Psalm 81:1-16

     Sing praises to God, loudly so that everyone knows what you believe. In return for this God says that He will bear our burdens. If we turn to God, do as He asks, and praise His name He will provide for all of our needs. There is joy in praising God and recognizing before the world the things which He has done for me.

Fallen leaves on the trail
Fallen leaves on the trail

Proverbs 25:6-8

     The proverb warns against claiming honors for oneself. Honors which are given to one by others are more valuable than honors taken for oneself and having an honor which one took for oneself given to another is humiliating. In addition it tells us not to be in a rush to gain attention by telling our stories, it is better to wait for others to ask for what we know about something.