For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    It is only by seeking God’s direction and guidance that we will be able to make plans which will succeed. God knows why we do the things we do and will judge us based on our motives.

    God’s promises hold my hopes and dreams. They revive me and give me comfort, no matter how deep the trouble I may face. I will not be ashamed of honouring God, even though the proud and mighty hold me in contempt for doing so. God’s words and instructions bring me comfort when I meditate upon them. My daily study of His word settles my mind and helps me live as I should. Oh Lord, I am Yours and You are mine. Teach me each day to follow your precepts.

    There parable Jesus told of the vine and the branches contained two important thoughts for us. If we fail to produce fruit, God will cut us off from Jesus and leave us on the pile to be destroyed. However, if we are indeed connected to the vine which is Jesus we will indeed produce abundant fruit. The important thing to remember from this is that we do not receive the blessings we receive from God in order to make our lives more comfortable. We receive those blessings in order to serve God and produce the fruits of righteousness. When we fulfill the commands which Jesus has given us, we demonstrate God’s love for those around us. As we remain in Jesus by fulfilling His commands we will experience joy. That joy will flow out from us on to all those around us.
    Jesus goes on to remind us that the world will not love us any more than it loved Him. Since the world crucified Jesus, we should examine our actions and beliefs very carefully when we are not being condemned by the world around us. There may be times when we are treated well by the world, just as there were times when Jesus was treated well by the crowds. However, we will always face opposition from those who view themselves as the “best and the brightest” in our society, just as Jesus did. Even those times when the crowds honour us will be short, just as they were for Jesus. Let us always remember that the world hated Jesus and that hate was most expressed by those who were seen as the “righteous” in society.

    In the account of how David came to sin with Bathsheba we learn that David failed to do what he should have done. Rather than lead his armies himself, he sent them off to war under Joab. If David had been leading his armies, he would not have been in Jerusalem to be tempted by the sight of Bathsheba. This is an important lesson for us. The best way to avoid sinning is to avoid temptation. The best way to avoid temptation is to keep busy doing the Lord’s work. Temptation will still come to us, but we will find it much easier to resist if we are busy doing God’s work.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    If you are unwilling to listen to constructive criticism you will be uncomfortable spending time around people of wisdom. Failure to take such advice will harm only you. On the other hand accepting and following that advice will increase your own wisdom.

    Today the psalm continues the themes from yesterday. I will pray to God that He open my eyes to the truths contained in His instructions. I will gain wisdom and understanding by obeying His laws and meditating on His instructions. I know that I do not fully understand how God would have me live. But I know that as I strive to do those things I do understand that He wants I will gain the wisdom and insight to see more clearly what God wants from me. I am encouraged by meditating on God’s law.

    Jesus told His disciples, and through them us, that they should love one another. He told them that people would know they were His disciples by their love for one another. As Jesus was giving His last sermon before His crucifixion to His disciples they still did not fully understand what He was teaching them. John makes this clear by recounting how three different disciples asked similar questions of what Jesus was saying. While Jesus chided them for having missed the point of things He had said, He did not condemn them. Rather He gently presented the ideas in yet another way.
    The disciples wanted to know where Jesus was going and how they could join Him there. Jesus told them that He was going to be with the Father and the only way to get there was through Him. There are those who claim that there are many ways to heaven. Jesus makes it clear here that there is only one path to heaven and that path is through faith in Him. Those who have faith in Jesus will do the same works He did, healing the sick, helping the poor, forgiving the sinner, and proclaiming the kingdom of God.

    After Abner’s death, Ishbosheth and those who looked to him as king became afraid of what would happen next. Two of Ishbosheth’s captains decided that his defeat was inevitable. So they decided to curry favor with David by killing Ishbosheth. When they brought evidence of Ishbosheth’s death to David, rather than reward them he had them executed. David chose not to encourage those who would turn traitor against his enemies.
    When the Philistines learned that David had become king over all of Israel, they mustered their armies against him. He defeated them twice when they attacked his capitol. The first time, David defeated them by a frontal assault. The second time, when they deployed themselves to face such an attack, he defeated them by outflanking them.
    Once he was secure in his position David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. As part of the celebration, David abandoned all of his dignity in praising God. David’s wife Micah, Saul’s daughter, was upset with him because she felt his lack of dignity reflected poorly on herself and on him. David responded that He was willing to look foolish in order to bring praise and glory to God. Let us never stand on our dignity when it comes time to praise God. We should be willing to look like fools in order that God may be glorified.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    We can be confident that, no matter what appearance they put up, the wicked do not have God on their side. Indeed, they are far from God. While the righteous need only whisper their prayers for God to hear and respond.
    This proverb contains an important point, although it expresses only one side of it. People around us will reflect the mood which we express and we will tend to reflect the mood which they express. If we strive to present a warm, sunny demeanor those around us will be more cheerful. This will make us more cheerful. We can take it one step further. If we focus on good news rather than bad, we will be healthier, as will those with whom we share such news. Focus on the positive and you will be happier and healthier, as will those with whom you interact.

    Every year when I read this psalm (in particular this section of it), I am inspired to continue this blog. It reminds me of the importance of studying the Scripture everyday (and this blog is what gives me the motivation to do that). Verse 5 reflects my desire:

Oh, that my actions would consistently
reflect your decrees!

While verse 7 tells us how we can truly express our thanks to God:

As I learn your righteous regulations,
I will thank you by living as I should!

Verse 11 tells us the first step in accomplishing these two things:

I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.

I want to quote more of it, instead, I will encourage you to follow the link (or open your own Bible) and read the entire passage.

    There are two important lessons in the account of Jesus washing the disciples feet. The first is that we should be willing to serve those around us, especially our fellow believers. Since Jesus, who is our Lord (the one whom we acknowledge as having authority to command us), served His disciples (the ones in that room with Him are proxies for the rest of us) by washing their feet, we too should serve our fellow believers to the point of accepting tasks which others might consider demeaning.
    The second lesson comes from the interaction between Jesus and Peter in this account. Peter initially refuses to allow Jesus to serve him. Jesus tells Peter that if he does not accept Jesus’ service to him, he, Peter, can have no part of Jesus. If we wish to be part of the Body of Christ, the Church, we must allow others to serve our needs. As I said, the lesson here is two-fold. We must serve our brothers and sisters in Christ. But we must also allow them to serve us. If we do not do both we are not part of the Body of Christ.

    We have here an account of the civil war in Israel between David and Saul’s last remaining son, Ishbosheth. The battles were inconclusive, although David’s armies had the better of them. There was a stalemate between the two sides until Ishbosheth offended Abner, who commanded his armies. Abner then defected to David, only to be killed by Joab in revenge for killing Joab’s brother during one of the battles (and perhaps to defend Joab’s position as commander of David’s armies). All in all this passage tells us how important it is to maintain good relations with your subordinates. Ishbosheth lost his kingdom because he offended his subordinate, Abner. David was realized that he could not discipline Joab for killing Abner because he needed Joab’s support.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    The godly think carefully before they respond to what they have been told. The wicked do not care about the consequences of their words and say what comes to mind when it comes to mind. I will think carefully about the impact my words may have on others before I speak.

    When God opens the gate through which the righteous will pass, I will go in. I will enter His presence and thank Him for all He has done. He has answered my prayers and given me victory over my troubles.

This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

I love this psalm and all that it says. I will bless those who come in the name of the Lord, not those who just say that they do, but those who genuinely come in His name.

You are my God, and I will praise you!
You are my God, and I will exalt you!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.

Yes, He is my God and I will give thanks to Him. I have experienced His faithful love and know that it will endure for all time and beyond.

    It is only when we are willing to sacrifice our lives to serve God that we truly find life. When Jesus faced the facts of His coming crucifixion, His prayed that the Father bring glory to the Father’s name. He did not turn from the path that led to His crucifixion. Let us walk in the light which Jesus provides so that we may see where we are going. But let us also let Jesus’ light shine through us so that others may see where they are going. I will always remember that those who are walking in darkness cannot see where their path is taking them. It is my job to let Jesus’ light shine upon them so that they can see their destination and perhaps choose another one.
    I will follow and trust Jesus so that His light will shine on me and through me. I will not judge others because Jesus came to save them. I too wish for them to be saved. However, I know that those who reject Jesus’ message will be judged by the truth of that message. There is such a thing as objective truth and I will strive to live according to that truth.

    The messenger who brought word to David that Saul and Jonathan were dead claimed to have killed Saul at Saul’s request. Yet, 1 Samuel tells us that Saul killed himself to avoid capture by the Philistines. The messenger appears to have believed that David would honour him for having done this and for bringing Saul’s tokens of kingship. David killed the messenger for the crime of killing Saul based on the messenger’s own confession. This is not the only time when David punished those who attempted to curry favor by taking credit for doing something that was wrong. If we are in a position of power, we need to follow David’s example and punish those who have done wrong to curry our favor, rather than rewarding them.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    God will work against the proud to destroy what they try to build for themselves. Yet, He will protect the property of the powerless. Those who seek God’s favor will avoid wicked thoughts and plans, which God detests. They will keep their words pure and truthful. By doing the latter rather than the former we gain favor with God.

    We may be surrounded by thousands who are hostile to us, yet if we trust in God He will rescue us. God’s love endures forever. Let us put our trust in Him. If we are with God, what can mere mortals do to us? I will put my trust in God and thus I will not fear. I may be forced to retreat and be on the brink of death, but as long as I rely on the Lord, He will be my strength and song. He will give me victory!

    John tells here the story of Mary anointing Jesus feet with expensive perfume. John points out that Judas Iscariot’s complaint was not because he cared about the poor. Rather, Judas complained because if the perfume had been sold, he would have been able to skim some of the money off for himself. This is a reminder to us that all too often those who are making the greatest demands that we help the poor are more interested in controlling our money than they are in the poor. This story points out that there are other ways we can spend our money to serve God than giving to the poor. Let us avoid being fooled by hypocrites into giving our money to them in the name of the poor.

    David had gone over into Philistine territory to get out of Saul’s reach. While based there he had conducted raids on various non-Israelite villages, but reported to the Philistine king in whose territory he was sheltering that he had attacked Israelite villages. The Philistine king was convinced that David had made himself hated by the Israelites and invited him to join his entourage as the Philistines went to war against Saul. David agreed to join his forces. However, the other Philistine kings did not trust David and his men. They demanded that he and his men not be part of their order of battle. God’s hand was in this in two ways. First, God thus kept David from going to war against his own people. Second, when David and his men returned to their village, they discovered that it had been raided and their families taken captive. If David and his men had stayed with the Philistine army, their families and goods would have been long gone by the time they returned. Instead, they were able to overtake the raiders and rescue their families and goods. They also gathered the plunder the raiders had taken from other villages.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    If you make plans without seeking, and listening to, advice, those plans will likely fail. The more people you get advice from, the more likely you are to cover all of your bases when you make plans. No one person is going to see all of the ways in which a plan may go wrong, so make sure you have gotten advice from enough different people to cover all of the likely problems you may face.

    I pray that everyone, from every nation, will praise the Lord. God loves us with a love which is beyond compare. If only people would come to understand and accept God it would make this world a much better place.

    There are many lessons for us in the story of raising Lazarus from the dead. There is Thomas telling the other disciples that they should go and die with Jesus. There is Martha’s statement of faith and Jesus pushing her to have even more faith. There is Mary’s anger at Jesus for not being there in time and Jesus not judging her for that natural reaction. But the thing I want to look at is the reaction of the Jewish high council. They had rejected Jesus’ teaching and were unwilling to accept that He was the Messiah. They had asked Jesus for proof. They had asked Him for signs and wonders. Now, when He had raised someone from the dead, they did not say, “Finally, proof. He is indeed the Messiah.” Rather they said, “What are we going to do?” They decided that they had to arrange for Jesus to die. It was the only way they could think of to protect their position. We need to remember that there are people who will never accept Christ, no matter what proofs they are offered.
    When faced with God’s signs and wonders we need to decide what we are going to do. Are we going to react like Martha (“I have always believed that you are the Messiah.”)? Or are we going to react like the Pharisees and chief priests (“If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him.”)? What am I going to do?

    Despite having repented of pursuing David after David had spared his life, Saul once more had his army out trying to track down and kill David. Once more David has the opportunity to kill Saul and declines to take that opportunity. David will not kill Saul because Saul was anointed by God as king over Israel. David feels that it is up to God to bring about Saul’s death. Shortly after this, David left the lands controlled by Saul and went to live among the Philistines, beyond Saul’s reach.
    The Philistines mustered for war against Saul and the Israelites. Saul was fearful and did not know what to do. My reading of these passages tells me that Saul was a great warrior and a good general. But he was unwilling to share the glory with anyone else. As a result, he had few subordinates who could command units of his army well enough to be given independent command. He could only muster an army which he could command himself. He could not raise and command an army as large as that of the Philistines, who had five or more independent commanders. Saul’s unwillingness to delegate left him in a bad way. Saul continued to compound the mistakes which he had made in not following God’s commands.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    People who lack judgement get a thrill out of doing foolish things, but those who understand the connections between actions and consequences choose a path of wisdom and follow it through.

    God will bend down to hear our prayer. I have heard people say that sometimes it seems like their prayers are bouncing off of the ceiling. That is OK, God will stoop down in order to hear even those prayers which do not make it out of the room. It may seem that our cries for His help cannot even get out of our own heads, let alone up to heaven. Yet, even so, when we cry to the Lord for help, He will answer. I cannot pay the Lord back for all that He has done for me. Everything that I possess is already His. So, I will praise His name and serve Him in whatever ways that I can.

    The crowd asked Jesus to tell them plainly if He was the Messiah. Jesus answered them by telling them that He had already told them, but they did not believe Him. The proof was in what He did. In the same way today, the proof of the Gospel we preach is in the works we do. If we listen to Jesus’ voice, speak what He has told us to say, and do what He has told us to do, we will provide proof of God’s existence and greatness. Jesus and the Father are one. Saying so, made the crowd want to kill Jesus. In the same way, we will face opposition when we show that we have become one with Jesus. When we preach the Gospel, let our message be the same as Jesus’ here, “Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work.” As we preach the Gospel we must also do God’s work in helping those in need.

    Continuing in the theme of Saul’s insecurity vs David’s faithfulness we have today’s story. Saul gathered a strong force of elite fighting men significantly larger than the group following David and went hunting for David in order to kill him. At one point Saul goes into a cave by himself to relieve himself. David and his men were hiding deep in this cave when Saul went into it. Despite having been told by Samuel that he had been chosen by God as the next king of Israel David refused to kill Saul when the opportunity presented itself. David demonstrates once more his confidence in God’s plan for himself. He was confident that God would protect him from Saul and would, in His own time, clear the path to fulfill His promise to David. Do we have a similar trust in God’s provision for our lives?

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    If you lose your temper easily, you will start many fights you did not need to have. If you can keep your temper, even when provoked, you will bring calm and end fights, even some you were not involved in. Those who are lazy see insurmountable obstacles to every endeavor. Those who truly wish to do what is right see a clear path to that goal. Where other people might see obstacles to doing right, the righteous either see a path around or consider the “obstacle” an acceptable consequence of doing the right thing.

    I will seek to live according to what the psalmist writes. I will not seek glory for myself, but I will act so that God may be glorified. If and when I have success I want it to cause people to glorify and praise God. God is my helper and my shield. Any thing I have done that is praiseworthy is because of God, not because of some credit that I am due. God has blessed me and I will praise Him.

    Jesus tells us that He is the good shepherd. His sheep know His voice and follow Him. They will not follow the voice of a stranger because they do not know it. Rather they will run from the voice of a stranger. This reminds me of those churches which constantly tell us that we need to change the message of Christ to be relevant. As a general rule, those churches seem to always get smaller. I will not say that we should measure the success or failure of a congregation by how big or small it is. However, I will also say that we should not measure our message by how “relevant” society finds them. We should measure our message by whether or not we are speaking with the voice of Jesus.

    Saul once again demonstrated the insecurity which eventually brought him down. When he discovered that Ahimelech, the priest, had aided David, he had him, his family, and the entire town where he had lived killed. Saul did this despite the fact that when Ahimelech aided David most of the people of Israel knew David as Saul’s faithful, and most successful, servant. Saul’s actions are contrasted with David’s. Saul ordered an entire town of Israelites killed and plundered. David, on the other hand, went to rescue a town in Judah from the depredations by Philistine raiders. Doing so put David at some risk because it allowed Saul the chance to attempt trap him there. Are we willing to put ourselves at some risk to aid others? Or do we hold a grudge against those who we perceive as having wronged us?

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    Those who allow depression to rule their lives will see trouble in everything that comes their way. Those who choose to be cheerful will see every day as a holiday. Those who fear the Lord, and have the peace which accompanies that, are better off with just a little than those who have great wealth, but are troubled by what tomorrow may bring. I would not trade a simple meal with my loved ones for daily feasts with those I do not like.

    I will praise the name of the Lord because He is greater and more glorious than anything else in this universe. It is He who will elevate the poor and needy to great heights. He will bring happiness and fulfillment to those who serve Him, no matter how low and hopeless they may seem. Look at what He did for the people of Israel as He brought them out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and into the Promised Land. He can and will do such wonders today.

    Years ago my father pointed out that the man born blind made one of the great statements of faith. When the Jewish religious leaders pushed him to repudiate Jesus the man gave them a great reply. He did not address their argument. He told them he would not judge on such things. He chose to judge on what he knew. He knew that he had been blind and now he could see. Let us follow his example. Let us stick to what we know. What I know, before I met Jesus, I was spiritually blind, now I can see. Jesus came to give sight to the blind, those who think they can see without Him will remain blind.

    Jonathan considered David his best friend and refused to believe that his own father would be out to kill him. David convinced Jonathan to put his belief to the test. Jonathan willing to put his friendship to David above his loyalty to his father because his father was in the wrong. Jonathan and David are a great example of loyal friends. They were both willing to subordinate their ambitions to their friendship. We have two men who were mighty warriors, yet they never became jealous of the admiration which the other received.