Tag Archives: Proverbs 10:5

February 19, 2015 Bible Study–Who Is In YOUR Family?

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 10:5

    There are times when we can be productive and gather for our needs. The wise work hard during those times. Those who sleep when they have such opportunities are a disgrace.

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Psalm 37:12-29

    There are many wise statements in this psalm. However today two of them strike me the strongest:

It is better to be godly and have little
than to be evil and rich.

And
The wicked borrow and never repay,
but the godly are generous givers.

I will hold these two thoughts close to my heart as I consider my day.

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Mark 3:31-4:25

    When Jesus says that those who do the will of God are His brother, and sister, and mother I have always taken it to mean that if I do God’s will I am part of His family. This is true, but it also means that if I am a member of Jesus’ family anyone else who does God’s will is a member of my family. That means it is my responsibility to help them in any way that is within my ability and that I should be able to count on their help when I am in need. All too often we in the Church today fail to live as a family.
    In the past when I have read the parable of the farmer scattering seed, I have always thought about which type of soil am I? Am I the shallow soil? Showing enthusiasm at first and then losing interest when the going gets tough? Or am I the soil with the thorns? Where the concerns of this life choke out my witness? Or, maybe, I am the good soil? But have I really yielded a ten-fold or hundred-fold harvest? Those are questions which can help us evaluate our lives and see where we need to make changes.
    However, it struck me that there is another way we should look at this parable. When we witness to those around us we should think about what type of soil they are. If they are the footpath, we should pray that God break up the surface so that the seed can take root and grow. If they are the shallow soil, we should work with them to attempt to dig those rocks out so that the seeds can grow to full maturity. If they are the soil with thorns, we should help them weed. And if they are the good soil, we should strive to plant as much seed as possible so that the harvest may be great.
    There is one mistake we must not make. We must not think that because someone is the footpath there is no reason to spread seed there. Because even the footpath may have a spot where the seed can take root. As I think about this, I think about sidewalks I have seen where a plant grows up between the cracks. Over time, that plant may break up the sidewalk, allowing other plants to grow through other cracks. In the same way, if we spread the seed of the Gospel among those who appear to us to be hardened “footpath”, perhaps one of those seeds will take root, breaking up that hardened soil and turning it into good soil. Never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit and remember, it is not possible to overestimate that power.
    I was going to stop there, but I had a thought about the parable of the lamp which I think is relevant here. There is an aspect about attempting to hide a lamp that I have often overlooked because we use electric lights today. If you put try to hide the type of lamp Jesus was talking about by putting it under a basket or a bed (especially the baskets and beds Jesus would have been thinking of), there is a significant chance that the basket or the bed will catch fire.

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Leviticus 7:28-9:6

    The priests were to be given a share of the offerings which the people brought to God. This is a model for us today. It is appropriate that a portion of the money we donate to doing the work of the Lord go to pay those who actually carry out that work.

February 19, 2014 Bible Study — What Type of Soil Am I?

     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. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

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Proverbs 10:5

     Those who are wise work when it is time and do not take their leisure when there is work to be done.

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Psalm 37:12-29

     God will turn the weapons and plots of the wicked against them. I would rather be godly and poor than evil and rich. In due time the wicked will suffer for their evil, but God will care for those who trust in Him. I will allow God to direct my steps because if I do, He will not allow me to fall.

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Mark 3:31-4:25

     Every time I read the parable of the sower, I fear that I am represented by the soil which has thorns. All too often I allow the worries of this life, and my desire for material things, distract me from following God. I know people who are like the footpath and will not give the Gospel message a second thought. That is clearly not me. I, also, know people who are like the rocky soil, when they first heard the Gospel they were enthusiastic, but soon they were subject to scorn because of it and went on to other things. That is, also, not me. Finally, I know people who have produced a wonderful crop of righteousness. I look at my life and do not see a similar crop. I can, however, see those times when the concerns for this life kept me too busy to do the Lord’s work. Oh God, please weed my heart so that I can produce a crop of righteousness for You to put into Your storehouses!

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Leviticus 7:28-9:6

     The passage describes the ceremony which Aaron and his sons went through in order to be ordained priests. It was a seven-day affair. As I was reading this I thought about the effort the people of Israel put out in order to make themselves right with God. Do we work that hard? Is it important enough to us to make things right with God to put out that kind of effort? We don’t need to follow those rituals, thanks to the sacrifice of Christ. I will strive to put that much effort into serving God, not in order to be made right with Him, but because I have been made right with Him.

February 19, 2013 Bible Study — The Wicked Borrow and Never Repay

     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. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.

Gunnar opts for reach over finesse
Gunnar opts for reach over finesse

Leviticus 7:28-9:6

     God instructed the people of Israel that the breast and right thigh of their peace offerings were to be the portion of the priests. The passage then goes on to describe the actual ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests. The ordination occurred over a period of seven days. On the eighth day, Aaron and his sons took up the duties of the priesthood and began offering sacrifices for the children of Israel. On the first day he took up his office as high priest, Aaron was instructed to offer a sin offering and a burnt offering for himself and his sons. The people of Israel were instructed to bring a sin offering, a burnt offering and a peace offering. The animals for these sacrifices were brought to the Tent of Meeting and the entire community gathered before the Lord.
     The people did not come one by one to make their offerings to make themselves right with God. They came as an entire community. Our relationship with God is both individual and communal. We must each personally enter into a relationship with God, but we do so as part of the community of God’s people.

Cat tracks on fresh snow
Cat tracks on fresh snow

Mark 3:31-4:25

     Today’s passage begins with a follow-up to yesterday’s passage. Yesterday, we were told that Jesus’ family set out to take charge of Him because they thought He had lost His mind. In today’s passage, His mother and His brothers arrive at the place He was teaching. He is in a house surrounded by a crowd. His mother and brothers send someone in to call Him out to them. When Jesus was told that His mother and brothers were outside, He rhetorically asks the crowd who His family is. He then indicates those seated around listening to Him and tells them that they are His mother and brothers and sisters, that those who do the will of God are His family. We still do not learn why His family decided to not take charge of Him.
     We have Mark’s version of the parable of the sower. Mark’s description of Jesus’ explanation of the parable is shorter than that given in Matthew, but much the same. First Jesus explains why He preaches in parables. Jesus taught in parables so that those listening who did not take the time to understand would hear what He said but be unable to comprehend what He was saying. I think He was talking about those who get caught up in creating a carefully spelled out set of rules about what Jesus’ teachings were. Jesus told stories that explained how we should live, rather than giving rules we should follow. We need to learn to live our lives so that they look like the stories Jesus told. There are not a set of rules we can follow and check off, “Yup, did that. Now I just need to do that and that and I’m golden.” Getting back to the parable of the sower, every time I read it I fear that I am in the third group. I always fear that I have gotten so caught up in my day-to-day life, going to work, paying the bills, etc, that I have failed to put proper emphasis on following and sharing God’s Word. That I have failed to produce the fruit that I am called to bear.
     The next parable Jesus tells is the parable of the lampstand. We do not light a lamp and put it under a bowl or a bed. Instead we put it on a stand so that its light may cover the greatest area possible. We should strive to do the same. We should strive that as many people as possible see our faith and know that we strive to follow the teachings of Jesus. That message is followed up with the next thing Jesus said. The measure we use to give will be used to give to us. If we have received few blessings from God, perhaps that is because we have not given much of God’s blessings to others (whether in material things or in spiritual things). I will strive to give more of God’s blessings to those around me.

Someone new tries the reach game
Someone new tries the reach game

Psalm 37:12-29

     The psalmist tells us that the wicked become angry with the righteous and plot against them. But God merely laughs at the posturing of the wicked because He knows that their plans will turn against them. It is better to be righteous and have little than to be wealthy yet wicked because in time the wicked will face judgment for their wicked acts while the righteous will receive God’s commendation. The righteous will receive God’s protection and when disaster strikes, He will care for them.
     There is a line in this psalm that I think applies to our current society, “The wicked borrow and never repay.” This is a strong indictment of our society. All too many in our society borrow without ever considering how they will repay the loan. They borrow money to purchase something and then borrow more money to pay the debt, constantly going from debt to more debt. The psalmist contrasts this with the righteous who he says are always generous and lend freely. The psalmist tells us that he was young and now he is old, but in all that time he has never seen God abandon the righteous. God will keep the godly safe forever.

Magrat spots something moving from the hood of the car
Magrat spots something moving from the hood of the car

Proverbs 10:5

     The proverb tells us that the wise youth harvests when the crops are ready for harvest and the one who chooses to let that time go by in sloth is a disgrace. We should spend the time to gather goods when we are in the prime of our life so that we have resources when our strength begins to fail.