For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I added a “Ministry Links” tab to my blog. On it I am going to link to the websites of various Christian Ministries which I support to one degree or another. Currently, it has a link to the congregation I attend and of which I am a member and a link to a ministry which does wonderful work in Honduras and elsewhere: MAMA Project
The proverb writer tells us not to envy sinners. He is not talking about envying someone who sins for their big house or fancy car. He is talking about envying people because of the sins they enjoy committing. I remember envying men who were womanizers. I was wrong to do so. Rather than envy sinners, let us fear and obey the Lord.
God will listen to our cry, He will hear our prayer. When our heart is overwhelmed He will lead us to safety. We may not be able to see the path, but God will guide us to a fortress where our enemies cannot reach us. Let us sing His praises forever.
If we want to be made right with God by following the law, we must never break any of the law. Any failure to live up to the law will doom us. No one is capable of living such a life. We cannot make up for our sins by doing good. It does not work that way. Doing good is what the law requires of us. We cannot hope to be made right with God by doing good. We can only be made right with God by placing our trust in Him and accepting the righteousness He offers us through Jesus’ death. I will do good because God has made me righteous, not in order to be made righteous.
God does many wonderful things, things which He planned long ago. He will destroy cities, turning them into rubble. He will bring nations down into the dust. But He will be a refuge to the poor and needy. He will provide shelter for all who fear Him. For those who are righteous (see above) life never becomes too difficult. God will smooth out the path in front of them. The righteous desire to bring glory to God’s name. The wicked, on the other hand, practice their wickedness despite God’s kindness to them. They continue to do wrong, even as the signs point to trouble coming. They will be struck down because of their wickedness.
Isaiah tells us that even those who seek God will suffer, but nothing will come of their suffering. Instead, those who die in the Lord will live, their bodies will rise again. The suffering we experience will be to call us to account and will be nothing like that of those who refuse to call on God. God will use our suffering to turn us from our sins. As we turn to serving God, He will gather us together. When we do not listen to His word spoken gently, God will then speak it with force. Let us turn from our sins and serve the Lord.