Tag Archives: Proverbs 8:1-11

February 7, 2015 Bible Study –How Have You Invested God’s Gifts?

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 8:1-11

    Wisdom is not some hidden secret we have to go looking for. Instead, wisdom is not only readily available, it calls out to us, extolling what it has to offer. Will we be instructed by wisdom? Or will we choose folly? Those are our choices. All too many reject what wisdom has to offer.

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Psalm 31:1-8

    Today, this psalm will be my prayer. God is my rock and my fortress. I entrust my spirit into His hand. Read the psalm and join me in praying it.

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Matthew 25:1-30

    In yesterday’s passage Jesus spoke of being prepared for His return. Today’s passage gives us two parables He used to illustrate what it means to be prepared. The first parable is the parable of the ten bridesmaids. Five of the bridesmaids did not take any extra oil for their lamps, five of them had extra oil. The bridegroom was delayed. When word finally reached them that he was approaching, the first five discovered that their lamps were going out. They asked the others five for some oil, but the latter did not have sufficient to lend them. The first five went out to get more oil, but by the time they returned with oil, it was too late. The groom had come and gone. We too must stay alert and make sure that our light is burning when the Lord returns.
    The second parable always makes me feel inadequate. God has given me many gifts in this life and I am not convinced that I have full use of those gifts. I fear that I am the third servant who hid my Lord’s money and failed to invest it wisely. Yet, He has not yet returned. There is still time for me to take the gifts which God has given me and use them to produce gain for Him. It may be too late for me to become the first servant in this parable, but if I work hard, I believe that I can still transform myself from the third into the second.
    How have you used the gifts God has given you? Which of the three servants are you?

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Exodus 26-27:21

    God gave Moses and the people of Israel detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle and its furnishings. There was no room for misinterpretation. Yet for all of that there was room for artistic expression. The plans give detailed instructions for the structural details of the Tabernacle, but the decorative details were more vague. There were to be various curtains of specific sizes, but each of those curtains was to be decorated with embroidery. The only part of the embroidery which was described was that it was to include “cherubim”. It does not describe a “cherubim”, although I am sure that the people listening had a pretty good idea what image was meant. This means that each embroiderer could vary off of that base theme as they saw fit.

February 7, 2014 Bible Study –What Have I Done With What God Has Given Me?

I am trying something different. Previously, I have always placed my comments on the passage in the order Old Testament passage, New Testament passage, Psalm, Proverb. For the near future I am going to post them in the order in which I prepare the comments. This is likely to be the reverse of how I was doing it, but I foresee changing it up depending on what strikes me first. Please let me know what you think of this change.
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 8:1-11
     The proverb writer tells us that wisdom and understanding are not hard to find, if we look for them. They are calling out to us and making themselves available to any who desire them. Wisdom is more valuable than anything we can desire, let us seek it with all that we are.

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Psalm 31:1-8
     If we turn to God for protection, He will not let us be disgraced. If we allow God to be our fortress, He will pull us from the traps set by our enemies. Trust in the Lord and He will set you in a safe place. Following God’s commands will lead us away from danger and into safety.

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Matthew 25:1-30
     In today’s passage Jesus told two parables about the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven. In the first parable He talks about ten brides-to-be waiting for the bridegroom to arrive. Five of them carefully prepare with extra oil, five only bring the oil which is in their lamp. The bridegroom is later than they expected and they fall asleep. When he arrives and they awaken, the five with extra oil quickly prepare their lamps and are ready to go. The other five need to go and get more oil, causing them to miss his arrival. Jesus tells us to be like the five wise brides-in-waiting and prepare against His return. In addition, He warns us that we cannot borrow preparation from someone else.
In the second parable Jesus gives us an example of what being prepared meant. It means taking the gifts God has given us and working hard to maximize those gifts and the impact they can have in the world around us. This second parable has always left me feeling a little scared. I have always felt that God has given me great gifts, but I must confess that I have not done much with those gifts. Throughout my life I have sought God’s guidance as to what He would like me to do with the gifts He has given me. To go along with my feeling of receiving great gifts from God has been the feeling that I have never received the guidance as to what He wants me to do with them. I suspect that my inability to discern God’s guidance for my life is a product of my laziness and fear of what He is calling me to. All of this leads me to fear that I am the third of the servants in God’s parable. Which leads me to continue to seek what He wants me to do with the talents He had given me. I know that, even if my gifts are less than I perceive them to be, that I have not lived the life to which God has called me. I will continue to strive to find the tasks to which He is calling me.

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Exodus 26-27:21
     Today’s passage gives a detailed description of the Tabernacle which Moses was instructed to have built. Then it ends with the instruction to use pure olive oil to keep the lamps lit. Those lamps were to be kept lit continuously, so that the light might of those lamps might shine in the presence of God. I was going to say that the bit about the lamps being kept lit was what struck me, but then I realized that was not true. What really struck me was the attention to detail necessary to construct the Tabernacle according to God’s instruction. Things like the three feet of overhanging tent covering mentioned in verse 12 of chapter 26. Or like the fact that the Tabernacle would be made of one continuous piece as mentioned in verse 6 of the same chapter. Such attention to detail is something that I have a hard time with, I believe that God is telling me that I need to work on that.

February 7, 2013 Bible Study –Keep Watch, Because You Do Not Know the Day or the Hour

     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.

Fum and Lillia Prepare to Dance
Fum and Lillia Prepare to Dance

Exodus 26-27:21

     Today’s passage is a detailed description of the plans for building the Tabernacle. As I read this I became impressed by the attention to detail called for in this. The craftsmanship necessary to follow these directions is impressive, although what it calls for is not great artistry but rather painstaking attention to detail. This passage is definitely one of those which led me to start this blog. There are two things I saw in here to highlight. The first is that Moses was given the detailed description of how various parts of the Tabernacle should be built, the detailed description was followed at several points with instructions to make it as he was “shown on the mountain.” Indicating that the earthly Tabernacle was based on a heavenly Tabernacle which was shown to Moses. The other thing I want to highlight is that the Israelites (in particular the priests) were to maintain lights in the Tabernacle at night. There was always to be light in the Tabernacle, during the day from the sun and at night from the lamps that Moses was instructed to have made.

Red Amaryllis blooms about to open
Red Amaryllis blooms about to open

Matthew 25:1-30

     Today’s passage contains two parables about the Kingdom of Heaven. The first parable is about 10 women waiting for their bridegroom to come. Five of them prepared for a long wait and brought extra oil for their lamps. The other five were foolish and assumed he would come before the oil in their lamps ran out. Then while all ten waited, they became drowsy and fell asleep. Suddenly they were awoken by word of the bridegroom’s coming. Those who had prepared added oil and trimmed their lamps. The unprepared asked to borrow some oil from them, but the prepared brides explained that they did not have enough for both themselves and the unprepared. They sent the unprepared out to get more oil, but by the time they returned it was too late. Jesus tells us that we should remain prepared, no matter how long the delay, because when we see Him coming it will be too late to prepare.
     The second parable tells us to make the best use of the resources which God has given us. This parable has always been a challenge to me because I have been given many talents in this life, yet I have always struggled with knowing how and where to apply them. I will continue to strive to find the ways to use the gifts God has given me to please Him. All too often I feel like I am the man given the five bags of gold acting like the man given just the one bag.

Bringing in some firewood
Bringing in some firewood

Psalm 31:1-8

     I desire to be as the psalmist and turn to the Lord for protection. I will not turn to idols or worship other things in the hope that they will protect me. I will not rely on the government, myself or anything else for my protection. I will trust in the Lord. God will be my rock and my fortress. If I follow the path He guides me on I will not fall into any of the traps set for me. I will commit my spirit and all that I am into God’s hands, for He will protect me.

More Office Greenery
More Office Greenery

Proverbs 8:1-11

     Wisdom calls out to us. The proverb writer tells us that wisdom is there for anyone willing to listen. Anyone who does not possess wisdom has chosen not to listen to wisdom calling out to them. Not listening to the wisdom that is there for us to acquire as we experience life is like leaving precious metals or gems lying on the road as we walk along. Yet all too many people make that choice everyday, treating the wisdom they could acquire like a penny that is not worth their trouble to bend over and pick it up.