For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 17:27-28

    Those who are wise use words sparingly. There are several reasons for this. One of which is touched on in today’s passage: even a fool will seem wise if he doesn’t say anything. Another advantage of not saying everything that comes to your mind is that you have time to think over what you thought and polish your thought so that your wording is well chosen. Yet another reason to not say what comes to your mind is that by keeping silent and listening you may learn things which show you the error in your original thought before you speak.
    There is one other point I would like to make. While it is true that a fool who keeps silent will be thought wise when they are not, a fool who keeps silent will gain wisdom by doing so (and is probably demonstrating that they have already started the process of ceasing to be a fool).

Psalm 144:1-15

    I will praise the Lord, He provides me with stability and a safe place to stand. He gives me the talents and training I need to accomplish the tasks to which He has called me. I am but a man, a human being of little consequence is this large and varied universe. Yet God cares for me. He cares for every single person.
    I was going somewhere else with my thoughts on this psalm when I got to this point. I am not very significant when one looks at the universe, or even at the people of this earth. Despite my insignificance God cares for me. Not only does He care about me, He cares about every single person on this earth, no matter how insignificant we think they are. What does that mean for us? There is the obvious; if God cares about you (and He does), then you should not think of yourself as someone of no worth. If God cares about you, you are clearly someone of value. However, there is a more important thing for us to take from this; if we think that someone is not worth caring about, we had better re-examine our conclusion because God disagrees. He is a much better judge of a person’s value than we are.

Acts 17:1-34

    When Paul arrived in Athens he got into a discussion with some philosophers there. It seems that they found his philosophy appealing, but balked at the idea of resurrection from the dead. One of Paul’s key points in his discussion with the philosophers of Athens was that they were spiritual in every way they could imagine, yet they acknowledged that something was missing. Paul’s message to the people of Athens is one we need to convey to those around us. No matter how spiritual people may be, if they have not come to know Jesus, something is missing. Most of them will realize this and seek to fill that void. The Christian message is that the Gospel provides the answer about what is missing. Once one truly comprehends the Gospel message one realizes that Jesus fills the missing place in all other spirituality.

2 Kings 9:14-10:31

    Jehu killed Ahab’s son to become king over Israel. He killed all of Ahab’s family, fulfilling Elijah’s promise regarding Ahab. Jehu then proceeded to completely eliminate Baal worship in Israel. It is interesting that while Jehu recognized the evil in Baal worship, he did not recognize the evil in worshiping the golden calves which Jeroboam had set up.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 17:24-25

    This proverb reminds me of something I hear said about how news stories often seem designed to distract us from what is important. While I do not quite subscribe to that, it dovetails with this proverb. We need to keep our eyes focused on what is wise. It is important that we not allow ourselves to be distracted by either the “shiny” or the “train wreck”.

Psalm 142:1-7

    When overwhelmed by your troubles, cry out to God. He will tell you which way to turn. You may think that you are surrounded by traps, that no matter which way you go you will be trapped and destroyed. But if you cry out to God and follow the path He shows you you will bypass all of those traps and escape the fate your enemies had in store for you. I will trust in God and call on Him.

Acts 15:36-16:15

    When Paul spoke to Barnabas about going back to visit those who had accepted the Gospel on their first mission trip, Barnabas was enthusiastic about doing so. However, Barnabas wanted to bring John Mark with them again, while Paul felt that John Mark had abandoned them on the first trip. I think we see in this another example of Barnabas’ tendency to care for “strays”. In the end, it was Barnabas who revisited the cities they preached at on the first trip.
    Paul went in a different direction. It is interesting that not long after starting his mission trip, Paul recognized that Barnabas had a point when he argued for having John Mark accompany them. I, also, believe that this story tells us something about how God often works. Paul and Barnabas had a falling out over John Mark. It was a shame that two such great men could allow that to damage their friendship, even if only for a short time. However, let us look at what came of this falling out. Barnabas took John Mark with him and revisited the cities to which they had gone on the first trip, bringing encouragement and further teaching to those who believed in those cities. John Mark later worked closely with Paul. Paul, on the other hand, set forth on a new mission trip to cities which had not previously heard the Gospel. He took with him Timothy, who later became a leader in the Church. God used their falling out to reach twice as many people as would have been reached if they had not argued, AND gained training for two future leaders of the Church rather than just one.

2 Kings 6-7:20

    There are two stories in today’s passage which really convey how God controls what goes on in this world. In the first story, the king of Aram decides to deprive the king of Israel of the support of God’s prophet, Elisha. He sends a large portion of his army to capture Elisha. When the king of Aram’s army arrived, Elisha’s servant was frightened. Elisha was not. Elisha realized that the power of God was more than sufficient to protect from the army of Aram. Elisha told his servant that there were more on their side than on the side of their enemy. As I read this I was reminded of when Elijah fled into the wilderness and proclaimed that he was the last man of God, all the rest had been killed, but God told Elijah that He had reserved 7,000 men who had not bowed down to Baal. Here, Elisha’s servant was overwhelmed with fear when he saw the forces arrayed against them. He did not see, at first, the forces arrayed for their defense.
    The second story describes a siege of Samaria. Things have gotten so bad that mothers are eating their own children to survive. Yet, Elisha prophecies that by the following day, not only would the siege be lifted but food would be ridiculously cheap. There was no way that such a thing could happen, and yet it did. This story reminds me of the 1980s. The Soviet Union and its Communism was just something we were going to need to live with. Best case scenario, it would take decades to break their terrible power over the lands they controlled. Then in 1989, the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union soon followed. Our God is a powerful God and history flows according to His plans and no thers.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. For those of you who do not read this every day, I was very sick last week and it affected my writing (I do not know if for the better or worse). While I am still taking antibiotics, I am otherwise feeling better. I thank those of you have been praying for me.

Proverbs 17:19-21

    This proverb reminds us that quarreling is closely tied with sinning. If you start a quarrel because you trust your defenses, you are inviting disaster. If you attempt to win your quarrel using deceits and lies you will suffer as a consequence, even if you “win” the quarrel.
    I will say that this proverb serves as a warning to me. I love to argue (as in debate…but debates are more formal), but this reminds me that it important to not allow an argument to become a quarrel. I strive to extract myself from an argument when my emotional investment in my argument starts to overwhelm my rational thought (or I observe the same happening to the other party).

Psalm 139:1-24

    I love this psalm. This psalm is one which we should teach regularly. God knows our every thought and action. Nothing is hidden from Him. He knows what we are going to do before we do it. He knows what we are going to say before we say it. He knows what we are going to think before we think it. There is no place, and no circumstance where God does not know what we are doing. When we do things which harm ourselves, it pains Him. And the final verse is my prayer

Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Change my life so that those things in me which offend you are removed.

Acts 13:42-14:7

    After Paul’s sermon many people asked Paul and Barnabas to speak about the topic again the following week. Many of those who had heard Paul speak followed them to continue the discussion. The following week, Paul and Barnabas attracted a large crowd. This led some of the Jews to be hostile to them and to seek to turn others against them. In response to the Jewish hostility, Paul and Barnabas left the synagogue and preached among the Gentiles. Many came to believe as a result. However, and here we have a warning, the Jews managed to stir up the influential religious women and city political leaders against Paul and Barnabas. The warning is against efforts to stir up hostility among those who strive to be righteous against people and groups on the basis of rumor and innuendo.
    When they were chased out of Antioch in Pisidia, Paul and Barnabas went to Iconium, where they had a similar experience. They initially spoke at the Jewish synagogue, but some of the Jews were offended by their message and spread lies about them. Nevertheless, Paul and Barnabas were able to preach there for an extended period of time. Overall these two accounts remind us that we should be true to the Gospel message in the face of hostility. We should not change the message in order to attempt to respond to hostility to that message.

2 Kings 1-2:25

    What I am about to write is not original with me. In today’s passage we have the account of three army captains and their men sent to arrest Elijah. The first two captains acknowledged that Elijah was a man of God, but believed that the king had authority over him nevertheless. The king had commanded Elijah to appear, so in their minds, Elijah was obligated to do so. They believed that their own authority, which derived from the authority of the king, was greater than Elijah’s authority, which derived from God. The third captain recognized that Elijah’s authority, because it derived from God, was greater than his own authority. The lesson here is that the government’s authority is subordinate to God’s authority. When the third army captain acknowledged that he had no authority, no ability, to compel Elijah’s actions, God instructed Elijah to accompany him. I think this is an important message for us today. The agents of the government do not have the authority to compel the agents of God to obey them. It gets more complicated when we consider whether the government has the authority to compel the agents of God. I will keep this topic in the back of my mind as I continue reading through the Bible to see what it says on that subject.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I am starting to feel better and, God willing, should experience steady improvement to full recovery in a little over a week. I thank those of you have been praying for me.

Proverbs 17:17-18

    A friend is always loyal, but that does not mean that they will not tell you when you are wrong. I have three brothers and I can attest that they have been a help to me at various points in my life. This proverb is a good reminder that, since I am a brother, part of my purpose on this earth is to be a help to my siblings in their time of need, whenever that might be.

Psalm 138:1-8

    This psalm reminds me to give thanks to God for the many wonderful things He has done for me. His promises are backed by the honor of His name. When I pray He answers me immediately (although it usually takes me quite a bit of time to hear). Whenever I face trouble too great for me to bear, He provides me either the strength to bear up, or relief from my trouble. God has been good to me all of my life. I thank Him and praise Him every day (although not nearly as much as He deserves).

Acts 13:13-41

    I decided to start today’s reading from Acts a couple of verses earlier than where One Year Bible Online does because otherwise my first thoughts don’t make sense. It was after Saul’s confrontation with Elymas that Luke began referring to him as Paul. In addition, it was at this point that Luke began listing them as “Paul and Barnabas” rather than “Barnabas and Saul”. From this point forward, Paul is the primary focus of most of the activities of these two men. Something happened to Paul in his confrontation with Elymas which changed him.
    To follow up on this change it is Paul who stands up when he and Barnabas are asked to address the synagogue. His sermon is very similar to the one Stephen gave before the Sanhedrin, which led to his killing. It is interesting that one of the differences from Stephen’s message is the reference to John the Baptist. This suggests that the Jews of Cyprus were familiar with John the Baptist and his teachings. As Paul wraps up his message he offers an indirect invitation to his listeners to accept Jesus, followed by a direct warning not to ignore the Gospel which he had just preached.

1 Kings 22:1-53

    King Ahab has been at peace with the Arameans for three years when King Jehoshaphat of Judah paid him a visit. This suggests there is more to Ahab’s decision to go to war than just, “Hey, that town belongs to us. We should go to war to get it back.” It suggests that something which Jehoshaphat said encouraged Ahab to decide to go to war. That being said, I find it much more interesting that when Jehoshaphat asked Ahab to consult God before going to war, Ahab summoned 400 prophets (the same number as the prophets of Baal at Mt.Carmel). Instead of accepting the prophecies of the prophets Ahab produced when he asked to consult God, Jehoshaphat asks if there isn’t a prophet who can consult God for them. Jehoshaphat does not consider the prophets whom Ahab produced to be prophets of God, although Ahab does.
    From time to time I read about historians and others who say that the pre-Exile Israelites were not monotheistic, that monotheism was a later development. Reading passages like this reminds me that while they are not wrong, they are also not correct. Ahab was not a monotheist, and he probably thought that he worshiped God. However, Ahab also worshiped other gods and appears to have considered Baal and God to be the same. However, Jehoshaphat did not consider Baal to be the same as God, and appears to have only worshiped God. He was somewhat tolerant of those who worshiped other gods (after all he married his son to Ahab’s daughter). This suggests to me that while there were many Israelites, and probably members of the tribe of Judah, who worshiped multiple gods and thought of God as the Supreme God over a pantheon, there were also those who recognized that God alone was divine and the gods others worshiped were mere idols.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I am starting to feel better and, God willing, should experience steady improvement to full recovery in a little over a week. I thank those of you have been praying for me.

Proverbs 17:14-15

    Once you start a quarrel you will not be able control its path or direction any more than you will be able to control a flood when a dam gives way. So, stop egging people on before the quarrel breaks out.
    When I was younger, I always thought the proverb writer was talking about two separate evils in the second of today’s proverbs. I have realized in recent years that they go hand in hand. A society that acquits the guilty will also condemn the innocent. When society does that it will see evil run rampant.

Psalm 136:1-26

    This psalm would make a wonderful responsive reading, especially for two groups going back and forth. The whole psalm makes a wonderful point about giving thanks to the Lord, constantly coming back with “His love endures forever.” It does indeed.

Acts 12:1-23

    I certainly understand Peter’s reaction in this story. James, the brother of John, has just been executed, Peter is being held in prison awaiting his own execution. He is being held by four squads of four soldiers each. Peter was sleeping bound with chains between two guards with more at the entrance. Someone wakes him up in the middle of the night and tells him to put on his clothes and follow them. Peter followed the angel past the guards and out of the prison. It certainly must have seemed like a dream.
    The interesting thing for me is that, while the believers were gathered, praying desperately for Peter’s release, when he arrived at the door they thought it must be his ghost/angel. How often are we like this? When God answers our prayers, we have trouble that it has actually happened. Do we have the faith to expect God to answer our prayers?

1 Kings 19:1-21

    After his impressive victory over the prophets of Baal, Jezebel promised to kill Elijah. Elijah fled for his life and sank into depression. He traveled as if he was in a trance, eating the food put before him and moving on. Then Elijah came to Mt Sinai, where he spent the night in a cave. Elijah was convinced that he was the last man of God alive. Then God reminded Elijah who was really in charge and that power is not what humans think it is. This story always strikes me.
    God tells Elijah to stand before Him on the mountain. Elijah stands forth on the mountain. A windstorm hit the mountain, tearing rocks loose from the side of the mountain and tossing them around. But God was not in the wind, mighty as it was. Next an earthquake struck, but God was not in the earthquake. The earthquake was followed by fire, but God was not in the earthquake. Finally, when all of the sound and fury was over, there was a gentle whisper. Elijah knew that the gentle whisper was God. One more time God asked Elijah why he was there and once more Elijah proclaimed that all of the other men of God had been killed and that now they are trying to kill him. God’s reply is, “I’m not done with you yet…oh by the way, I have preserved for myself 7.000 other men who have refused to bow to Baal. Now, stop hiding.” There are times when God acts with sound and fury, but I firmly believe that when He is about to truly change history it begins with a quiet whisper.