For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
When the first person in a disagreement makes their case, they will sound like they have right on their side. However, that often does not last once those who disagree with them gets the chance to make their case. Always wait until you have heard both sides of a story before you choose a side in a disagreement.
Sometimes the only way to choose between two options is by chance such as flipping a coin. Sometimes we cannot tell which choice is the better. When such is the case, our best bet is to allow God to decide by using a random event to decide.
God will answer us when we call on Him. We should only be concerned as to whether or not He declares us innocent. If God declares us innocent the condemnation of mere men is of no consequence. There is a corollary to that statement. If God declares someone else innocent our condemnation of them is of no consequence. Therefore, we must no allow our anger to cause us to sin. Instead, when we are angry we should remain silent and think about our anger overnight.
I have never been able to see how the last insight in this psalm connects with the rest. However, the psalmist tells us that many people spend their lives seeking someone, or something, that will give them even more pleasure. Yet, if they would just be satisfied with the joy provided by God they would discover it to be greater than the pleasure brought by any amount of material wealth.
When the representatives of the Sanhedrin brought their case against Paul before the Roman governor, Paul was able to quickly, and easily, counter their claims. Paul then pointed out that those who had actually started the trouble were not even present. It was not convenient for those prosecuting Paul to have the people who started the riot present at his trial. They did not truly have a case against Paul, so they tried to build one out of rumour and innuendo. This is a tactic that is often tried against Christians. Paul did two things which we need to imitate when we are in similar positions. First, he did not allow the rumour and innuendo to stand. He flat out denied their accusations and demanded that they provide evidence to support those accusations. He could do this because the accusations were indeed false. Second, he used the opportunity to preach the Gospel.
Once more the Old Testament passage for today is a genealogy. I did not see anything in these genealogies that stood out to me today. However, I believe that God has a reason for them being here. It is why reading through the Bible every year is valuable. If I did not discipline myself to do so, I would not read these genealogies. For that matter if I was not looking for something to write in this blog, I would probably not read through these genealogies any way.