For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
I feel great sorrow for those for whom these proverbs do not apply; those who do not have a father and a mother; those whose parents, while technically being in their life, have chosen to be their “friends” rather than their parents. For all the rest of us, this is indispensable advice.
If we have truly turned to God for our salvation and trust in Him to provide it, whom shall we fear? If we trust in God and turn our lives completely over to Him, it is our enemies who will stumble and fall. We need not muster our forces and deal them a defeat in battle. God will cause them to trip over their own feet.
However, let us always remember in this life the question is not, “Is God on our side?” Rather the question is, “Am I on God’s side?” Let us strive, in every situation, to be on God’s side. If we succeed in that effort, we will always emerge on the victorious side.
Jesus tells continues His theme about those who have been religious, yet reject God’s will. The several parables He tells on this theme are important because we can make too much of the images He uses in one or another of them. One of the key points in all of them is that the religious leaders of His day were invited by God, more than invited, perhaps chosen would be a better word, to do God’s work and enter into heaven. The other key point is that when those religious leaders refuse to act according to God’s will, God will extend the invitation to, will choose, those whom the religious leaders believer, not without cause, to be unsuitable to replace them. The message here is that what God wants done, will be done. God will find those willing to do His will.
There is an interesting side story in Jesus’ parable about the wedding feast. Once the feast is in progress, the King is circulating among the guests and notices one who is not wearing wedding clothes. God invites us as we are, dirty, sinful people, but we cannot get into Heaven if we stay as we are. We need to allow Him to change us.
The passage begins with the Israelites praising God for rescuing them from the Egyptian army. However, the rest of the passage is story after story of the Israelites complaining because they are facing troubles. First they complain when the water at Marah is too bitter to drink. God showed Moses how to make the water drinkable, supplying the Israelites with water. Then they complain because their food is running out and they are afraid that they are going to starve. God provided them with quail and with manna to eat. The final story in the passage tells us that they came to camp at a place where there was no water. Once more the Israelites complained.
Time after time God demonstrated His power and His ability to care for their needs. Yet, time after time the Israelites complained and rebelled. Are we any different? Have we learned to trust God to provide for our needs and our safety? The Israelites mistake was not in crying out to God when they ran into troubles. Their mistake was crying out to God demanding that He meet their needs, rather than crying out to God asking Him what He wanted them to do now. When we find ourselves at the end of our rope, with needs that we have no idea how to meet, let us cry out to God, “What do You want me to do now?” Actually, let us start each day that way, “Oh Lord, what do you want me to do today?”