Tag Archives: Psalm 85

Daily Bible Study

October 15, 2015 Bible Study — Too Much Of A Good Thing Is Bad For You

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. This coming weekend I am going to be away Friday night through Sunday (October 16-18). I am going to try very hard to have my studies for the weekend done in advance. My plan is to publish Saturday’s and Sunday’s studies Friday evening before I depart. I hope this does not cause anyone a problem/

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Proverbs 25:16

    This proverb is a simple warning. Too much of a good thing is bad for you.

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Psalm 85

    I will make this psalm my prayer. I will ask God to restore His people to Him. I will ask that He call my neighbors to worship Him. Oh Lord, show me how to minister to those I interact with everyday. More than that show me how to reach out to those who need to experience Your love now. Use me to bring people to You so that they may experience your love and truth.

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2 Thessalonians 3

    Each and every one of us should work hard at whatever we are able. We should not allow ourselves to be idle and meddle in other people’s business. Let us strive to work hard to meet our own needs and the needs of those who are unable to provide for themselves. And even if we are unable to provide for our own needs, let us find something to work at, remembering that even the most disabled is still able to pray. Paul gives us a maxim, those who are able to work and do not shall not eat. Let us take care of our fellow believers by providing them with productive work to do. Most importantly, let us strive to find productive work to support ourselves.

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Jeremiah 26-27

    Jeremiah once more called on the people of Jerusalem and Judah to listen to god and turn from their evil ways. He promised that if they did so, God would turn from His plan rescue them from the coming disaster. But the people did not listen. Instead, led by the religious leaders, they accused him of treason and sought his death. It was only because a few officials recognized that Jeremiah had merely called on people to follow God’s commands. He had not called on people to be treasonous, let alone committed any treasonous acts himself. Although around the same time, another prophet making similar prophesies was put to death.
    Let us call on the people around us to turn from their evil ways and do God’s will. They may seek our deaths, nevertheless let us be faithful to God and seek to redeem them from the coming disaster.

Daily Bible Study

October 14, 2015 Bible Study

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. This coming weekend I am going to be away Friday night through Sunday (October 16-18). I am going to try very hard to have my studies for the weekend done in advance. My plan is to publish Saturday’s and Sunday’s studies Friday evening before I depart. I hope this does not cause anyone a problem/

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Proverbs 25:15

    If you patiently, and persistently, make your case, sooner or later, even the most obstinate and powerful person will give you what you want, if your want is reasonable (and possibly even if it isn’t). However, that patience and persistence must be accompanied by a gentle approach, or those with power are likely to take away your ability to continue to petition them.

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Psalm 84

    I would rather be a servant in God’s house than a ruler anywhere else. Do I truly believe this? Am I willing to humbly do whatever I can to help God’s people? There is something to be said for humbly serving where one can without seeking recognition or decision making status.

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2 Thessalonians 2

    Paul tells us that there are those who will claim that the day of Christ’s return has already happened. Paul tells us that there will arise a man of lawlessness. This man will fool, with signs and wonders, those who refuse to love the truth of the Gospel. When people reject the Gospel, they become gullible in other ways. The various deceptions and lies which are marshaled against the Gospel require us to stand firm in our faith in God’s word to us.

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Jeremiah 23:21-25:38

    There are times when so many people falsely claim to have a message from God that God stops giving prophetic dreams to anyone. Jeremiah tells us that we should seek an answer from God, but that we should be hesitant to claim that we know what that answer is. I am convinced that there is absolute truth, but I am not convinced that I know what that absolute truth. I will not give up seeking for that truth, asking God to reveal that truth to me, just because I do not currently know the truth.

Daily Bible Study

April 16, 2015 Bible Study — Do We Think We Are Good People?

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 13:7-8

    You should not judge people by the front they put up, some people will pretend to be richer than they are, some people will pretend to be poorer. Let us treat the rich and the poor the same, judging people by the results of their actions, not by who they pretend to be.

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Psalm 85:1-13

    Two phrases stood out to me in this psalm: “Now restore us again, O God of our salvation.” and “Won’t you revive us again,” I find myself praying to God for restoration and revival. I spent some time trying to compose deep thoughts about how that all tied together, but I will settle for that.

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Luke 18:1-17

    Jesus reminds us of the importance of being persistent in our prayers. When we see injustice in this world, let us cry out to God in prayer day and night until he brings justice. And not just about injustice, but whatever need we see in this world, let us persistently cry out to God that it be met. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this parable of Jesus is how He concludes it. After telling us to be persistent in asking God for justice, Jesus asks how many He will find on earth with faith when He returns. There is a connection between having faith and continuing to cry out to God for justice day and night. Do we have enough faith to keep asking God for the changes we desire in this world? Even when nothing seems to happen?
    The next parable which Jesus told is further instruction on praying. The Pharisee was busy telling God ho good he was. The tax collector was busy asking God for mercy. Do we recognize that we are sinners, or do we think we are good people? Being a Christian is not about being a good person. It is about knowing that you are not a good person and that you need God’s mercy.

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Joshua 13-14:15/a>

    Today’s passage begins by telling us that Joshua was an old man by the time the things recounted here take place. After describing the lands yet to be conquered and how the land was to be divided up, it tells us that Caleb came to Joshua for permission to claim his portion. Caleb was a contemporary of Joshua and had been one of the twelve spies whom Moses sent to scout out the land. Caleb was the only one, aside from Joshua, who advised the people to enter the land at that time. Caleb was forty years old when he spied out the land. Now forty five years later he was going to lead the conquest of the land that would be his and his families. At 85 years of age, Caleb was still a warrior for the Lord. Will I still be fighting for God’s causes when I am 85? I pray that I am.
Daily Bible Study

October 15, 2014 Bible Study — Pray For Us

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I want to encourage everyone who reads this blog to work on reading the Bible regularly, whether it is to work your way completely through it, or some other method of disciplining yourself to read from the Bible each day.

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Proverbs 25:16

    This proverb reminds us that too much of a good thing is not good for us. Something we enjoy eating in small quantities will make us sick if we consume too much of it. In the same way, too much of anything will have a negative effect on us.

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Psalm 85:1-13

    I will echo the psalmist’s prayer. Restore us again. Bring us back to following You. Make us Your faithful people. I will listen to what God says as I ask that He turn me away from foolishness, that He turn the people of this land from foolishness. Love and truth, righteousness and peace, will fall on those who listen to the Lord. He will pour out His blessing on the land if the people follow Him.

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2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

    There it is again, the instruction to pray. What are we to pray for? Let us pray that God’s message spreads rapidly and that it is honoured everywhere it is preached. Let us pray that those preaching God’s word be rescued from evil and wicked people. I will personally ask that you pray for me and I will strive to pray for you. There is more we should pray for, but that is a good start.
    We should stay away from those who live idle lives. We should fill our lives with work of various sorts so that we can earn enough for our own needs and more so as to help those who cannot provide for themselves. However, we should not be providing for those who could be providing for themselves but will not. Paul tells us that such people refuse to work and instead spend their lives meddling in other’s affairs. Paul tells us that those who are unwilling (Note: “unwilling”, not “unable”) to work shall not eat. It is important that while we should stay away from such people, we should still love them and care about them.

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Jeremiah 26-27:22

    God sent Jeremiah to prophecy in front of the Temple. God had set in motion judgement against the people of Judah for their sins, but time had not yet run out. If they turned from their sins, listened to God’s instruction and obeyed His commands, God would still turn the judgement aside. The same message applies today. Judgement for the sins of this nation has been set in motion. Disaster can be seen on the horizon Yet there is still time. If people listen to God’s message and obey Him, He will turn aside the coming disaster. I fear for this land and its people. It has not yet come to the point where those who call people to follow God are in danger of their life, but that time is not far off. Unless the Holy Spirit moves in the hearts of people and transforms them. Let us pray to God that His Spirit will soften the hearts of the people of this nation.

Daily Bible Study

April 16, 2014 Bible Study — Will The Son Of Man Find Faith On Earth?

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 13:7-8

    Those who have wealth can use that wealth to rescue themselves from dangers those who are poor will never face.

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Psalm 85:1-13

        God forgave our sins and covered them over. As I read this psalm there were a couple of lines which are my prayer today:

Now restore us again, O God of our salvation.
…
Won’t you revive us again,

I humbly request God to restore me and revive me in my love of Him. The phrase “revive us again” reminds me of this song. My prayer is not just for God to restore and revive me. I pray that He restore and revive all of those who have at one time or another accepted His invitation to become His people. God will pour down His blessing upon those who accept His call to righteousness and peace.

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Luke 18:1-17

    Luke recounts two of Jesus’ parables in this passage. In the first parable Jesus gives us a lesson for our prayer lives. If an unjust judge will grant the widow’s request because she is persistent, how much more will our loving Father grant our requests? As we seek God’s will in our lives and in the lives of those around us, let us be persistent in asking God to send His Spirit to carry out His will. When we feel that what we wish God to do will further God’s will, it is not enough to pray to God once requesting that He act. We are to be persistent in asking God to act in this world.
    The second parable is the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying. The Pharisee spends his entire prayer telling God how righteous and wonderful he is, recounting everything he does right. The tax collector on the other hand, recognized his sin and begged God to be merciful. When we come to God let us recognize our shortcomings and acknowledge that we need God’s mercy in our lives. By God’s standard of righteousness, there was not a significant difference between the tax collector and the Pharisee, except that the tax collector recognized his sin and turned to God for mercy. In the same way, the only difference between myself and the vilest sinner on this earth is the extent to which I recognize my need for God’s forgiveness.

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Joshua 13-14:15

    When Joshua was reaching the end of his life, God came to him and told him that in due time He would drive the peoples out of the rest of the land promised to the Israelites. God further told Joshua to assign those, as yet, unconquered lands to the tribes according to God’s direction. In Joshua’s lifetime the people of Israel were insufficient in numbers to occupy all of the land which God had promised to the descendants of Abraham, so God did not give drive out all of the people living in those lands. In the same way, in our lifetime the number of people serving God may not be sufficient to fulfill the mission which He sent us to begin (or extend). Nevertheless, let us carry out as much of it as He grants us the strength and wisdom to accomplish. The fact that the mission is not completed in our lifetime does not mean that we are a failure.

Daily Bible Study

October 15, 2013 Bible Study — Pray For Us

     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 26-27:22

     In today’s passage, God did not send Jeremiah to the secular leaders, or to the general populace. He sent him to the religious leaders and those who viewed themselves as righteous. The message which God gave these people who considered themselves righteous was that if they did not listen to God and obey the word which He had given them, they would be destroyed.

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     There is still time. If those who claim to be servants of God turn from their evil ways and listen to what God is calling us to, He will change His mind about the disaster He is about to pour out upon the world. We have forgotten what we have been called to do and have gotten involved in trying to rule our fellow man. Let us pray for the Spirit to come down upon the people of this land and change their hearts. Let us pray that the Spirit come down upon us and change our hearts. It is up to me to be faithful. I am not called to make others be faithful. I can only call on them to change insomuch as I am willing to do so as well.
     Oh Lord, rain down your Spirit upon me and show me Your will. Take control of my life and use me to bring honor to Your name!

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2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

     Over the last few weeks, I have been convicted to work on improving my prayer life by Paul’s comments to different audiences that he was praying for them continually. Today, I received that conviction from Paul’s request that the believers of Thessalonica pray for him. He asked them to pray that God’s word would spread rapidly and be honored. He asked that he, and others preaching the Gospel, be delivered from wicked and evil people. These are things which I am called to pray for. I will continue to seek the Spirit’s guidance in being more faithful in my prayer life.
     Paul gives an important command at this point,

Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.

He instructs us that we should avoid being idle. We should strive to follow his example and work to provide for our needs. In addition, we should work so that we have more than enough to meet our needs so that we can provide assistance to those who are unable to meet their needs. However, none of us should be idle, relying on others to provide our needs. Such idleness leads people to meddle in other people’s affairs and become busybodies. Rather than do meddle in other people’s affairs we should work continually at doing good.
     Paul concludes his letter with a prayer that is also a promise. He prays that God give us His peace at all times and in every situation. If we are willing to accept it from God, He will give us that peace.

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Psalm 85:1-13

     This is a wonderful psalm which reminded me of a great hymn, the final verse of which goes:

Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.

I will make this psalm my prayer for today. I will ask God to restore the people of this, and every, nation to Him once more, to revive faith in Him, so that people can rejoice in Him. I am under no illusions that the majority of the people of the U.S. were ever Christians, but at one time, the Christians were salt in this country, influencing it in a godly direction. Today, the salt has lost its flavor and I pray that God will restore us so that we can once more have a positive influence on those around us.

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Proverbs 25:16

     This proverb warns that too much of a good thing is bad. There is nothing wrong with doing things which bring pleasure, such as eating honey, but too much will cause problems.