For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
It is a mistake to envy sinners. If you continue to fear the Lord, you will be rewarded by God’s good will. It is important to remember that those who fear the Lord often find reward in things that others do not view as a reward.
When my heart is overwhelmed I will cry to the Lord. As I read this today, my heart is overwhelmed in a different way than the psalmist is referring, but still I call out to the Lord and trust that He will answer. The psalmist was overwhelmed by his own problems. I am fortunate that I do currently have problems which overwhelm me. However, I read the stories about the refugee/migrant crisis in the Middle East and Europe and I feel overwhelmed. What am I to do? The answer is, as always, cry out to the Lord and beg the Holy Spirit for guidance (not that we need to beg for guidance in such situations). God will answer our cries and show is how to deal with this tragedy.
Paul points out that if we seek to be justified before God on the basis of our good works, we must never have done anything wrong. Unless you are capable of getting it right every time, you cannot measure up on the basis of your own actions. It is only by accepting God’s grace, His forgiveness, that we can be made right with God. We need to acknowledge that we have sinned and are guilty before God. It is only then that His Spirit can transform us into someone deserving of being in God’s presence.
There is a lot on this passage about God drawing all peoples to Himself. However, the part I want to focus on is where Isaiah addresses those who say that God’s message is just a bunch of rules:
a rule for this, a rule for that;
a little here, a little there.
God tries to be clear that He offers them a place of rest and safety. He speaks to them in multiple languages trying to get His message through. Nevertheless people refuse to listen. All they hear is:
a rule for this, a rule for that;
a little here, a little there.
When will people listen to God’s true message?