Tag Archives: Psalm 97

October 26, 2015 Bible Study — Everything Is Pure to Those Whose Hearts Are Pure

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 26:13-16

    The lazy person sees danger around every corner. They are convinced that the dangers involved in getting any work done outweigh any benefit from the work.

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Psalm 97-98

    These are two psalms of praise which make good meditation for the day. The first reminds us of God’s power and judgment against those who oppose Him. God is supreme over all the earth. He is exalted above all gods. The second reminds us of the joy which comes from singing praises to God. When we worship God and truly praise Him, our hearts will be filled with joy. God judges with justice and fairness.

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Titus 1

    Once again Paul lays out the qualifications to be an elder in the Church. These read much the same as what he wrote in 1 Timothy. An elder must be the husband of one wife. His children must be believers and not have a reputation for rebelliousness or wild living (which suggests that someone is not qualified for the role until their children are grown). As I said, these are essentially the same qualifications as laid out in 1 Timothy, which to me suggests that those who try to interpret them to allow for other qualifications are wrong. I do believe that Paul’s exposition on the qualifications to be an elder here adds some useful understanding. In this passage, he puts greater emphasis on hospitality, spiritual discipline, and standing up for the truth.
    Paul makes an interesting comment in this passage, which I am going to apply in a way that is slightly out of context. Paul writes, ” Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted.” This is a true observation about people. Those whose hearts are pure do not see double entendres, let alone make them (except, perhaps, in the eyes of others). They give others the benefit of the doubt when their actions are questionable. We are warned from time to time in the Bible to be cautious about naivete which results from having a pure heart. On the other hand, those whose hearts are corrupt see the worst in others. They see dishonesty and betrayal when others do not act as they wish they would, sometimes even when they do. By examining how we interpret others’ behavior we can judge whether or not our own hearts are pure. I would rather be naive than judge that others’ actions are always from base motives.

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Jeremiah 49:23-50:46

    Jeremiah continues his prophesies concerning what will happen to the rest of the world (as known to him) after the fall of Jerusalem. However, he also warns those who think that they can rely on Babylon to bring stability. The Babylonians, in their arrogance, will continue to bring disruption and pain until God brings judgment against them as well. God will bring deliverance to those who choose to trust in Him.

April 27, 2015 Bible Study

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 14:7-8

    If you spend all of your time with fools, you will not learn anything useful. Think about the consequences of your actions carefully. Otherwise you are fooling yourself into thinking you are a good person because you “mean well”.

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Psalm 97-98:9

    The first psalm tells of God’s great power, how His mere presence causes destruction to those who oppose Him and the things which might impede His will. Those who worship something, anything, other than God will be disgraced because that which they worship will be forced to submit to God. God is supreme over all the earth and far more powerful, and worthy of worship, than any other god, or anything we might worship.
    The first psalm ends by reminding us that those who worship and serve God will rejoice and be filled with joy. This is the perfect transition into the second psalm, which calls on everyone and everything to praise God. Yes, I will do as this psalm recommends. I will sing and shout to God in praise. I will use whatever tools are at my disposal to express my praise and worship to Him.

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Luke 23:13-43

    The two criminals crucified alongside Jesus show us two types of sinners in this world. The first is the one who mocks God, and those who strive to serve Him, right up to the end, even as they suffer the consequences of their sin. The other recognize that their suffering is the natural consequence of the life they lived and something they deserved. The latter also recognize that those who have striven to serve God do not deserve such suffering and attempt to protect them, even to the very end, from being mocked by others. This passage shows us that there is hope for the latter right up to the very end. As long as one yet lives one has the opportunity to accept God’s forgiveness and serve Him, even if only in a small way.

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Judges 7-8:17

    When Gideon raised his army to fight against the Midianites, God told him that he had too many men. God insisted that Gideon reduce his forces so that everyone would know the victory came from God. This contains an important lesson for us. God does not call us to tasks which are easy, tasks which we can accomplish through our own strength and ability. He calls us to tasks which demonstrate His power and will in this world. He calls us to tasks which we can only accomplish through the power of God. If your thought when you fell called to a task is, “I’ve got this,” you are either badly overestimating your abilities, or you have misjudged the task to which God has called you. The appropriate response when confronted by a task to which God has called you is to cry out to God for help because the task is beyond your ability, while doing the best that you can.

October 26, 2014 Bible Study — Live Blameless Lives

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.

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Proverbs 26:13-16

    A lazy person is afraid of the dangers of taking action. They overstate the dangers in order to excuse doing nothing. When you are considering the dangers of a particular course of action, think about whether you are truly looking at the dangers, or if you are merely looking for an excuse to do nothing.
    Those who are lazy are convinced that they are wiser than any number of advisers whose advice advocates taking actions they wish to avoid. If everyone else thinks that some action is your best course of action, but you do not, you should think about whether you are merely being lazy.

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Psalm 97-98:9

    Those who love the Lord will hate evil. They will live godly lives and God will rescue them from the wicked. The Lord is ruler over all the earth and all other gods (and whatever people view as gods) will be forced to submit to Him. Those who worship anything other than God will be disgraced. Let us sing songs of praise to the Lord, both new songs and old songs. The joy which those who love the Lord feel because of His greatness overflows all bounds. Shout for joy those who love the Lord for He is victorious. The mountains and oceans will sing His praise. The Lord will judge the earth and everything in it with justice and fairness. If you love the Lord and His righteousness this will fill you with joy.

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Titus 1:1-16

    Once more Paul gives lays out what characteristics we should look for in those we are considering selecting for Church leadership. These are the “job requirements” for the position. Unlike in many job ads these are actual requirements. Unfortunately all too many Church groups treat them like the “job requirements” in many job ads: “things we would like to see, but as long as you have most of them, we will consider you”. Not only are these God’s requirements for Church leadership, they represent characteristics we should all strive to have in our lives (well, OK, if you are a woman you should not strive to “be faithful to your wife”, but I think you already knew I did not mean that).
    Twice Paul says that a Church leader must live a blameless life. The fact of the matter is that the other things he lists are examples of what that means. We should all live blameless lives. Paul’s list of what it means to live a blameless life is not comprehensive and he does not intend it to be. However, it is a pretty good list to start with. Paul also mentions that a Church leader must have a strong belief in the message he has been taught (the NIV says “hold firmly”). We should strive to have such a belief so that we, also, can teach others and show those who teach differently where they are wrong.
    He contrasts this teaching with those who teach distortions of the truth in order to get rich. This gives us a hint about how to recognize those teaching a false doctrine. If someone is claiming to teach the Christian message and has gotten rich from doing so, it is likely that some aspect of what they are teaching is not in accordance with God’s word. There may be exceptions, but we should be cautious about accepting the teachings of someone who got rich through preaching.

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Jeremiah 49:23-50:46

    Jeremiah continues to warn the countries around Judah that they will not escape the destruction which fell upon Judah. Their failure to stand together against the coming destruction means that it will fall upon them one by one. As important, Jeremiah tells Babylon, the originator of this destruction, that it too will fall to the wrath it has unleashed. Those who believe that they can unleash the destruction of war and have it fall only upon their enemies are wrong. When war, famine, and disease begin to spread they will not fall only on our enemies. If we do not want to face similar destruction we must muster our efforts to stop them while they are still far away.
    Jeremiah had predicted the fall of Jerusalem, the suffering of those who were God’s chosen people. That suffering was coming upon them because they had failed to faithfully follow God. However, Jeremiah now prophesied that the tool which God had used to bring about that suffering would in turn fall. God would raise up a power to bring down those who had brought violence and mayhem all around. At the same time He punished those who mistreated His people (something God allowed because of their sin), He would restore His people. This is something we can hold close to our hearts. When we see persecution and suffering coming for God’s people, we need to remember that it will be temporary, only for a short time. God will rescue those who faithfully serve Him through the times of trouble.

April 27, 2014 Bible Study — Father Forgive Them

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 14:7-8

    Stay away from those who have an opinion on everything and knowledge of nothing. Carefully consider what the results of your actions will be. Do not be foolish and trick yourself into thinking that because you want to do something that it will produce the results you desire.

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Psalm 97-98:9

    God is supreme in all of the earth. As I seek to love Him more, I need to seek out those places in my life where I harbor a love for evil and sin. The more I come to love God, the more I will hate evil in all its forms. Let us take joy in worshiping the Lord and sing songs, both new and old, to Him. As I read Psalm 98 it causes me to break forth in joy and wish that I had musical talent (or even ability). I want to sing out with whatever words come to me. I will sing and shout and praise the Lord.

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Luke 23:13-43

    Jesus prayer as He hung on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing,” is one of the most powerful, and convicting, passages in Scripture. As Jesus hung on the cross in agony, He did not rage against those who had put Him there. Instead, He begged the Father to forgive them. If Jesus, as He experienced the agony of the cross, could forgive those who had put Him there, how can we fail to forgive those who have done us wrong?

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Judges 7-8:17

    When Gideon gathered his forces to drive the Midianites out of the land of Israel, God told him that he had too many men. God told Gideon that if was victorious with too large of an army, he, and the people, would take credit for the victory rather than giving credit to God. Gideon culled his army down twice until only 300 men remained. This is a lesson we need to remember. When we are seeking to do the Lord’s work, more is not necessarily better. It is important that those who witness our success in carrying out God’s will know that it was not through our might that we succeeded. Let us make sure that everyone knows that our success was only possible because God fought on our side.

October 26, 2013 Bible Study — To the Pure, All Things Are Pure

     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.

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Jeremiah 49:23-50:46

     Jeremiah continues prophesying against those who profited from the fall of Jerusalem. He writes that, yes, God brought judgment against His people. God raised up Babylon in order to destroy Jerusalem and punish His people for their sins. However, the Babylonians became arrogant and sinned as well.


     Reading this made me realize that while the sinful actions we take may serve God’s purpose, we will still pay the price for our sins. As I read this, it struck me that this works well with my understanding of the Christian’s relationship to government. God used Nebuchadnezzar to punish the people of Judah for their sins, but this did not make Nebuchadnezzar’s actions righteous. In the same way, God will use government officials to accomplish his purposes, but that does not mean that the actions those officials take are righteous actions.

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Titus 1:1-16

     Once again Paul writes a list of requirements for someone to be appointed as an elder/authority in the Church. Once more I am struck that we so often overlook that all Christians are called to live according to most of these criteria. I will strive to live up to these criteria. As I look at the list, some of them are easy for me. Others are more of a challenge. I am not quick-tempered or violent, but I struggle with arrogance. I enjoy entertaining guests, but I struggle with leading a disciplined life. I will pray for the Spirit to change me to be more like this model for all Christians, to make me someone who others may imitate in an attempt to follow Christ.
     Paul warns Titus that there are, and will always be, people who engage in useless talk and deception in order to seem godly without actually being godly. Their error must be shown because some will be deceived into turning away from true godliness to follow their false teachings. Then Paul tells us a key to recognizing those who are teaching these false teachings.

Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted.

Years ago I was told that people who are untrustworthy do not trust anybody. I have learned through experience that this is true. In my experience, people who are constantly afraid that they are being cheated are constantly looking for ways to cheat others. That is the sort of thing which Paul is talking about here. I have tried to flesh out the meaning of what Paul meant with the passage I quoted above, but the more I think about it the more it seems that that passage says all that needs to be said. Those who are pure do not need to be told what is impure, while those who are busy making lists of impure things and acts are spending too much time thinking about impurity and not enough time seeking to do God’s will.

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Psalm 97-98:9

     The Lord rules, and this is a cause to rejoice. Those who worship other things will be put to shame. God is supreme over all of the earth. He is greater than anything else we could worship. I will call on all the earth to shout for joy and praise the Lord. As I read this psalm, I am filled with joy thinking of the great things which God has done.

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Proverbs 26:13-16

     Those who are lazy will imagine danger to avoid work. The lazy person always has an excuse as to why they cannot work. They will suffer rather than put forth the effort to care for themselves. Yet despite all of this, they are convinced that they are wiser and smarter than those who offer wise counsel.