For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 22:15

    Children will behave foolishly until someone uses corporal punishment to teach them to behave differently. Children do not learn to behave well, or wisely, without discipline.

Psalm 46:1-11

    This psalm contains powerful imagery. The earth may tremble and the mountains may crumble, but if we put our trust in God we will be secure. The world may be falling apart around us, but God is still in control. The psalmist tells us that a river brings joy to the city of God and that God dwells there. because God dwells there it will never be destroyed. The natural tendency is to read that as referring to heaven, and that is not wrong. However, I believe that the city of God is where the people of God dwell.
    The nations may be in chaos, crumbling around us. But the city of God will remain secure. Those who dwell with God will have stability and peace, perhaps not as the world understands it. When I think of this psalm, I think of the Christian martyrs who went to violent, painful deaths singing hymns of praise to God, singing of the joy of worshiping Him.
    There is yet more to this psalm. It reminds us that, in the middle of our chaotic lives, we need to slow down and remember God.

Be still and know that I am God
This phrase is the basis of a simple and wonderful hymn. One that is out of copyright, so I can list it here:
1 Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am God.

2 I am the Lord that healeth thee.
I am the Lord that healeth thee.
I am the Lord that healeth thee.

3 In Thee, O Lord, I put my trust.
In Thee, O Lord. I put my trust.
In Thee, O Lord, I put my trust.

2 Corinthians 6:1-13

    I try to avoid doing this, yet time and again I find myself thinking as I begin writing on a passage, “There are two messages in this passage.” Why two? Why don’t I see three? Don’t they teach preachers to always have three points? Yet I keep finding myself with two points in these passages. Which brings us to today’s passage in 2 Corinthians.
    We must remember that there is urgency in the Gospel message. The time to preach the Gospel is now. The time to accept God’s grace is now. We need to remember that today is the day of salvation, tomorrow may be too late. This is my biggest failing as a follower of Christ. I lack of sense of urgency in preaching the Gospel to those around me. I pray that the Spirit move in me and give me a greater sense of urgency in attempting to reach my friends for Christ.
    I just realized that the second message is related more closely to the first than I thought. Paul had that sense of urgency I lack. He was willing to be beaten, face angry mobs, be put in prison, go without food, work himself to exhaustion. All of this so that he might reach one more person with the Gospel message. He was willing to serve God equally if people honoured him, or despised him, whether people praised him or slandered him. His heart ached for those who did not respond to the Gospel message, yet he was filled with joy because of those who did. I beg the Spirit to move in me so that I too will preach the Gospel with urgency.

Ecclesiastes 1-3:22

    I am both troubled and fascinated by the book of Ecclesiastes. I am troubled by the fact that it talks about how meaningless everything is. On the other hand, that very message is what led me to the Lord. Everything we can attempt is meaningless. We may seek wisdom, but we can never learn all there is to know. No matter how much wisdom we acquire, we will make mistakes. And ultimately, those who are wise will die much the same as those who live foolishly. We can pursue pleasure, but there is no satisfaction to be found in pleasure. It will leave us feeling empty and unfulfilled. We can work hard and acquire great wealth and/or accomplish great things. But in the end our wealth will end up going to others and our accomplishments will be left in the hands of those who do not appreciate them (or worse, take them for granted).
    Chapter three begins with some verses which have great meaning for me, partly because my wife and I included this on our wedding favor. For me the song by The Byrds “Turn, Turn, Turn” has always conveyed what this passage means to me (and fits it into how I read today’s passage from 2 Corinthians). There is a right time for everything. A time to be born and a time to die. There is a time for every purpose under heaven. And today is the day to turn to God and accept His grace. There is a time for peace on this earth and that time will arrive when enough people accept and embrace the Gospel. Today is the day, and as The Byrds sing in that song, I swear it is not too late. God is calling you now. Nothing else you can do will give your life meaning.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Ecclesiastes 1-3:22

     Ecclesiastes begins with the writer telling us that everything is meaningless. In some ways, Ecclesiastes can be a depressing book. The writer speaks of how so many things are cyclical and that nothing has really changed throughout recorded history. He points out that the things that people refer to as new, happened in the past. People act as if history began when they were born.

***
     I have discussed this in my blog before, but this passage brings it up again. Years ago I was seeking proof that God existed. I really wanted something that would satisfy my reasoning mind as evidence I could use to prove both to myself and to others that the God I believed in existed. I was unable to find any such proof that would prove that anything beyond the material world existed. If you start with the assumption that the material world is all that exists, it is impossible to prove that anything beyond the material world does exist. This led me into great depression, much like that expressed in the book of Ecclesiastes, because if this world is all there is, what is the point of putting out the effort life requires?
     I finally realized that I could not accept the idea of a purposeless life. So, I decided that even though I did not have the evidence of God’s existence that I desired, I would live as if I did. I would live as if the Gospel message was true. Within a short period of time, I knew that God existed in the manner I had been seeking to know. I had learned that it is possible to know things which you cannot prove.
     The writer here talks about how nothing is really new. He is not talking about technology, but about human nature. People think that something is new because they have never seen it before in their life time. Time and again, people think they have some new insight that negates centuries old values, but it is merely the recycling of an idea that has proven to not stand the test of time.
***
     In his discussion of the meaningless of life, the writer tells us something very important. He writes it so beautifully that I will quote it here: For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
This is something we all need to remember. There is an appropriate time for everything and we need to pay attention to what it is time for.

2 Corinthians 6:1-13

     Paul urges the Corinthians to act on the gift of God’s grace which they have received. Now is the day of salvation.

***
     This passage is often used, correctly, to remind us that when God calls us the time to act on that call is NOW, not tomorrow, or next week. This is a hard one for us to follow, partly because we are always afraid that it is not God calling us. I am working on responding any way, because I realize it is a lot easier to guide something (or someone) that is in motion than something that is standing still.
***
     Paul continues by saying that he works hard to conduct his ministry in such a manner so as not to place a stumbling block in anyone’s path. He spoke truthfully and relied on the power of God. The only tools he was willing to use in his ministry were righteousness and truth. He was confident that they were more than adequate both as an offensive weapon to pierce evil and as a defense to protect himself from evil.

Psalm 46:1-11

     What a lovely psalm. As I read this psalm today, there were three pieces to it that spoke to me separately. It begins:

God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!
Do we believe this? I was fortunate that I was raised by parents who took this passage (and others like it) to heart. I was raised to be sure that no matter what happened God was in charge and things would work out well for me. The faith my parents did not mean that nothing bad would happen to me, merely that everything that did happen would be according to God’s will and if I lived in His will, I would find joy in whatever came my way. I am not immune to fear, but my parents instilled a trust of God in my heart that allows me, most of the time, to face life’s problems with equanimity.
     The second piece tells us that it is God who brings wars to an end. When God decides that the time for war has come to an end, the war will stop. Those who attempt to take up weapons after that will find those weapons failing to function. When God says, “Be still, and know that I am God!” All will stop and learn what it means to worship Him.
     Which brings me to the third piece of this psalm. That phrase, “Be still, and know that I am God!” is a command. We can choose to obey it voluntarily, or the time will come when God will force us to do so. Usually God speaks in a still, small voice, asking us to be still and listen, but have you ever known that person, who normally speaks quietly, that, on those rare occasions when they raise their voice, even the toughest, nastiest characters cringe? That is God. I do not want to be the one who causes God to raise His voice.

Proverbs 22:15

     Despite what some say, children are not naturally good, or wise. They need to be disciplined so as to learn good and wise behavior.