For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
The lesson here is that some problems cannot be fixed by giving them more. You do not stop a fire by feeding it more fuel. You will not fix a desert by pumping water into it. In both of these cases the solution is more complicated. You stop a fire by removing its access to fuel. While you may be able to fix a desert, it is complicated (and I do not think that is the writer’s point). Overall, I believe the point here is that there are some enemies with whom giving them what they want is not a viable path to peace.
Another psalm to meditate on. God knows every detail about us, even more than we know about ourselves. No matter where we are, or where we go, God is able to see our actions and our thoughts. If we want to get away from God, there is no place we can go to do so. If we want to turn to God, to call upon Him, He will be there for us, no matter where we are. He planned out every aspect of our bodies and our lives before we were born. There is nothing about our bodies that does not serve God’s purposes (if we allow it…and even if we don’t). Every aspect of our personality will be used by God if we choose to serve Him. God loves us deeply, is always thinking about us, and seeking to show us how to live joyously.
I will ask God to show me the things I think and the things I do which offend Him. With His help, I will strive to remove those things from my life so that I can follow the path He has for me.
This passage is worth some careful thought. Are the two witnesses in this passage two individuals? Or is there something more symbolic about them? My inclination is that they are two individuals. As I read this, I wonder how anyone will fail to recognize them when they appear? Or if there appearance is more subtle than the most literal reading of this passage suggests, how will I recognize them when they appear (assuming they appear during my lifetime)?
My experience leads me to believe that when God moves in this world He does so in a manner which allows those who reject Him to come up with logical explanations for events which do not require His existence. It requires at least the acceptance of the possibility of God to see Him working in the world. Therefore, I believe that when these two witnesses appear there will be those who call themselves Christians who will not recognize them. On the other hand, I also believe that there will be those who falsely present themselves as these two prophets. So, my fear is that I will either fail to recognize the real thing or fall for the imposters.
The lesson of this passage is that if we put taking care of our own needs ahead of serving God we will never have enough to give to God. It does not matter what the resource is, whether it is material goods, or time, or any other resource which we perceive to be in limited supply. We need to put God first. As soon as our most basic needs are met–shelter from the weather (even if it is only the most basic), clothes to wear (even if they are ill fitting and unfashionable), food to eat (even if we don’t like what it tastes like)– we need to start looking for ways in which we can serve God. And, when we hear the call to serve God, we should, at least sometimes, put that ahead of our needs. When Elijah went to the widow in Zarephath she was about to use the last of her food for a final meal. He told her to first prepare him a meal. As a result of serving God in this way, the meal she prepared was not her final meal. God provided her needs. He will do the same for us.