Tag Archives: Psalm 90

Daily Bible Study

October 22, 2015 Bible Study — Do Not Be Ashamed To Tell Others About Jesus

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

DSCN9650

Proverbs 26:1-2

    The godly need not fear the “evil eye” because an undeserved curse will not cause any harm. If you do right by everyone you meet than you need not fear any attempts to send negative “karma” your way.

DSCN9651

Psalm 90-91

    I will not fear plague nor death because I trust in God. God provides us with a place of safety where no harm may come to us. If we do God’s will our reward will be greater than any danger we may face.

DSCN9653

2 Timothy 1

    We should never be ashamed to tell others about Jesus and our faith. Not only should we not be ashamed to speak of our faith, we should not be ashamed of those who suffer for having that same faith. Rather than be ashamed of the gospel message we should be willing, even eager, to suffer for speaking that message. In the face of persecution let us cling to the confidence Paul expresses here. Paul knew in whom he believed and was confident that He was able to guard his faith until the day of Christ’s return.
    There is a great song based on this passage which reminds us that in the face of challenges there may be many things we do not know, but there is one thing which we can know. That one thing is who we have believed in.


Verse 1
I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

Refrain
But I know Whom I have believèd,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.

Verse 2
I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.

Refrain

Verse 3
I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing us of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

Refrain

Verse 4
I know not what of good or ill
May be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

Refrain

Verse 5
I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.

Refrain


This song reminds us that, no matter what doubts we may have, we do not need to doubt God’s power or His faithfulness. I may not know the answers to your questions, but I know whom I have believed.

DSCN9654

Jeremiah 39-41

    In this passage, Zedekiah receives the reward for his timidity, for his refusal to stand up for what he knew was right. On the other hand, Ebed-melech, the man who had saved Jeremiah from the cistern, was rewarded for the risks he had taken in serving God.

Daily Bible Study

April 23, 2015 Bible Study — The Kingdom Of God Is Near

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

DSCN8109

Proverbs 13:24-25

    I am not a parent, but I have observed the truth of this proverb time and again. Parents who love their children discipline their children. I have seen many parents with different discipline styles. The key factor in those parents who did a good job raising their children was that they were consistent in their application of discipline. They did not discipline out of anger. They did not fail to discipline because it wasn’t worth their time. They made it clear through their actions that they imposed the rules they had because they believed those rules were best for their children.

DSCN8110

Psalm 90-91:16

    Today’s reading contains 2 psalms. The first one reminds us that our life is short. We have but a few years to do God’s will. It reminds us to pray that God remind us of how short life is so that we will use our time wisely.
    The second psalm reminds us that if we turn to God for safety we will not need to fear anything, neither terrors in the night, or attacks by day. When we trust and obey God, He will protect us from all harm. God promises to rescue those who love Him and protect those who trust Him.

DSCN8113

Luke 21:29-22:13

    At the end of yesterday’s passage Jesus described a time of great destruction and trials that was to come. His prophecy was primarily concerned with the coming destruction of Jerusalem (which happened in A.D. 70). However, His conclusion to that prophecy which begins today’s passage shows us that there is more to this prophecy than just that. He tells us that when we see the signs He spoke of, we will know that the Kingdom of God is near. So, when we see the nations in turmoil and people terrified by what is coming upon the earth, we should rejoice because it means that God’s Kingdom is near.
    Even more importantly, as we see these things going on we must not allow the day of the Lord’s return catch us unaware. There are several ways in which that might happen. We might allow the worries of this life weigh down our hearts, or our hearts may become dulled by drunkenness and carousing. Rather than allowing that to happen let us keep our hearts and minds sharp in service to God. Otherwise we may get caught unawares when that day arrives. Above all let us pray for the strength to escape the coming difficulties.

DSCN8114

Judges 1-2:9

    Joshua failed as a leader in one key respect. He did not train up a leader to take his place when he died. It was the resulting lack of leadership which allowed the people of Israel to move in among the pagans living in the Promised Land rather than waiting until they were driven out to move in. Since they were living among the pagans, they adopted some of their practices and worshiped their gods. Rather than insisting that those who wanted to live among them worship God, they began to live among those who worshiped other gods. This is an important reminder that if we begin to water down God’s commands before long we will be following the commands of other gods.

Daily Bible Study

October 22, 2014 Bible Study — Never Be Ashamed To Tell Others About the Lord

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have been convicted over the last few weeks to seek to develop a disciplined prayer life. It is still a work in progress. Please pray for me, that the Holy Spirit may show me how to pray in a disciplined manner.

DSCN6703

Proverbs 26:1-2

    No one expects a fool to be honourable any more than they expect snow in the summer. It happens on rare occasions, but people are always surprised when it does. Curses can be real, but those who are undeserving of a curse will be no more effected by it than a sparrow will land on a moving person’s head.

DSCN6705

Psalm 90-91:16

    Let us remember that our lives are short. We do not have much time to serve the Lord, so let us not waste what time we have. If we seek to do the Lord’s will, He will make our efforts successful.
    This psalm speaks to me with what is going on in the world today. If we make Him our shelter and rely on Him for our safety, we need not fear anything in this world. In a world where diseases such as Ebola are once more spreading, where war and chaos are spreading, and where economies seem about to crash, the psalmist tells us this:

Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

The Lord is my shelter, my place of safety. He is my God and I will trust in Him.

DSCN6707

2 Timothy 1:1-18

    Often times we see those who have come to Christ after being lost in sin, drug addicts, convicted criminals, low-life’s of various sorts, as the greatest witnesses for Christ. However, Paul commends Timothy for the faith imparted to him by his mother and grandmother. Timothy was able to serve the role he had in the early Church because he was raised in a godly household. Those of us who were raised in Christian families and came to our faith as a result bring necessary skills to the Church. Let us use those skills to further God’s will, just as those who experienced the complete devastation of sin use their skills for that purpose. Whatever background we have, God has used it to mold us into the people we are, people He wants to use to accomplish His purposes.
    We have been given a spiritual gift. Let us seek to fan into flames the gifts which the Holy Spirit has given us. These gifts will help us to proclaim the Gospel to those we encounter without shame. Perhaps the hardest part of what Paul tells us here is that we should never be ashamed to tell others about Christ. God will give us the strength to face and embrace any suffering which may result from us doing so. We will face ridicule and worse when we publicly declare our faith, but let us embrace that as evidence that we have been judged worthy of sharing in the suffering of Christ. Rather than trying to avoid persecution and suffering for our faith, let us embrace the opportunity to show our love for God, relying on the Holy Spirit to give us the strength to see us through.

DSCN6708

Jeremiah 39-41:18

    When Jerusalem fell, just as Jeremiah had predicted, Jeremiah was given a message for the man who had rescued him from the death certain Jewish courtiers had planned for him. Because that man, Ebed-melech, had trusted God and acted to protect Jeremiah, God protected him when Jerusalem fell, even though he had been a high official in Jerusalem and the Babylonians slaughtered most of those.
    The Babylonians offered Jeremiah a place in Babylon where they would care for him. However, Jeremiah chose to stay in Judah and continue to minister to those Jews who remained. One of those who had led guerrilla forces against the Babylonians killed the governor Nebuchadnezzar had set over the land. His actions suggest that he intended to set himself up as the next king of Judah. The other former guerrilla leaders banded against him and gathered the people together to decide what to do. They were afraid of what Nebuchadnezzar would do when he heard that his governor had been killed.

Daily Bible Study

April 23, 2014 Bible Study — Be Always On The Watch

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

DSCN5622

Proverbs 13:24-25

    This proverb is based on an important point about love. If I truly love someone, I want what is best for them, even if that results in them not liking, let alone loving, me. I am not a parent, yet I have observed the truth of this proverb time and again. Parents who truly love their children make the effort and take the time to lovingly discipline them. Those parents who are more concerned with having their children loving them than in what is best for the child carry out lax discipline. In both cases, the children know the truth. Children whose parents discipline them consistently based on what the parent believe is best for the child know to the deepest part of their being that their parents love them. Children whose parents are lax, or inconsistent, disciplinarians do not truly believe that their parents love them.

DSCN5623

Psalm 90-91:16

    The psalmist reminds us that what to us is a long time is but a moment to God. God will fulfill His promises, but the passage of time is not the same to Him as it is to us. The psalmist follows that up by reminding us that we do not have much time to serve God. Let us do what we can to serve God while we still have strength and time.
    I will join the psalmist in saying about God:

He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

I know that He will rescue and protect me. He will answer when I call. You too may have such confidence if you love Him and trust in His name. I will seek to serve the Lord in all of my actions.

DSCN5624

Luke 21:29-22:13

    Jesus reminds us not to let ourselves become distracted by carousing and drunkenness, nor by the worries of this life. Let us keep alert for how we can serve God and pray that He give the strength to stand before Christ. Let us always be on the watch for Christ’s return so that He will find us faithfully serving Him when He arrives.

DSCN5629

Judges 1-2:9

    After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel conquered more of the land. However, they failed to completely drive the people who were already living there out of the land. From the account written here, this was partially a lack of ability and partially a lack of will. For example, the tribe of Judah attacked and defeated Jerusalem, killing everyone there. However, when the tribe of Benjamin too possession of Jerusalem, they allowed the Jebusites to live there with them. I always struggle with the lesson presented here and at other places in the Old Testament. The Israelites often fell into sin because they failed to keep themselves separate from the peoples around them.
    On the one hand, it is important to keep ourselves separate from those who do not worship and serve God. On the other hand, we cannot bring the Gospel message to the lost if we do not interact with them. As we live our lives we must balance our need to spend time with those who will strengthen our dedication to serving God with reaching out to those who do not yet have a relationship with Him.

Daily Bible Study

October 22, 2013 Bible Study — I Know Whom I Have Believed

     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 in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

DSCN4159

Jeremiah 39-41:18

     As Jeremiah had warned, Nebuchadnezzar returned with his army and sacked Jerusalem. King Zedekiah attempted to flee the city at night, but he was captured along with all of those with him. Because he had been afraid to follow Jeremiah’s advice to surrender to Nebuchadnezaar, Zedekiah suffered the fate he feared. Part of Zedekiah’s fate was to watch the execution of his court officials. We are told, however, that Ebed-melech, who had rescued Jeremiah from those officials seeking his death, was spared and kept safe. We see here the difference in the fate of those who followed God’s commands vs. those who refused to do so.

…

DSCN4159

2 Timothy 1:1-18

     This passage is one of great encouragement to me. I strive to follow the command which Paul gave Timothy. I will fan into flames the spiritual gifts which God has given me. God does not put His Spirit in us so that we can live timidly and in fear. Rather, He gave us a spirit of power, love and self-discipline. This spirit, which God has given us, moves us to tell others about Christ without shame or fear. God has saved us and called us to live a holy life, not because we deserve such treatment, but because He planned to do so from before He created the universe.
     In this passage Paul wrote the words which inspired the hymn, “I Know Whom I Have Believed.” The words of this song touch my heart and brings me to tears of humility and joy every time I hear or read them:

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.
Refrain:
But “I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.”


Each successive verse begins with “I know not…” I confess that there are many things I do not know. But, as this passage, and the refrain of the song point out, there is one thing I do know. I know that I have believed in a God who is more than able to guard and keep safe that which I have entrusted to Him. I have no need to fear condemnation and damnation because I have offered myself up to God and asked Him to transform me into His image. I know that, while I am unable to live up to His standards, He is able to transform me into His likeness, and He has promised to do so.

…

DSCN4161

Psalm 90-91:16

     The psalmist reminds us that God does not see time the way that we see time. Our lives are but a moment to God, yet He sees everything we do. There is no place we can go to sin where He will not see it. We need to recognize that our lives are short and we have only a short time to honor and glorify God. If we do, He will make us glad all of our days.
     The psalmist entreats us to find refuge in God, to rest in His shadow. If we do this we will not fear anything. The psalmist tells us the following:

Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
…
If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.

God promises that He will rescue those who love Him and protect those who trust Him. This is such a wonderful promise. Our lives may be short, but if we spend them honoring God, He will keep us safe and give us joy for all of our days.

DSCN4162

Proverbs 26:1-2

     A fool is as unlikely to get honored as snow is to fall in the summer. In addition, giving an honor to a fool is as disruptive as rain during harvest.
     The more interesting proverb is the second which tells us that if someone curses us, and we do not deserve the curse, it will not come to rest upon us.