Thursday, May 13

Alright, in the city today and feeling like crap. Feelin good about the Bible though. I've been thinking about a lot of different things today. One of them is my irrational fear of going to prison. Yes, I have a fear that one day, I will be charged for something I didn't do and spend a large amount of time in jail. So I began thinking about the issue of prayer and the placebo effect and how that would look in jail. If you know me, you know that I am not what most would consider to be a "tough guy". I cry at Sweet Home Alabama every time its on. So the instant I got put in the slammer, I would likely break down into a blubbering whale - which I've heard is like pouring blood into a tank of sharks. I would be terrified and prayer would become a necessary part of my life.

My point is that I think God becomes a lot more valid in a person's life when everything else is taken away. When you live a comfortable life without much trouble - you always have a meal on the table, you have a group of friends, and something for your hands to do each day, it's very easy to ignore the existence of anything supernatural. But if you lose your job, lose a friend or family member, or even go to jail, God becomes a lot more necessary in your life, I would imagine.

Reading for May 13
1 Samuel 14:1-52
Good God, ya'll. 

The fruits of having a king in Israel have come to pass. The clear message here is that Saul led his people into battle over and over again. While there was certainly war and bloodshed prior to having a king, it always occurred in waves - there was war time, then there was a time of peace. With Saul in charge, Israel is at war for his entire reign. He also makes some terrible choices - I even made a picture about one of them:

Saul Makes a Ridiculous Command

So Israel loses a battle against the Philistines and Saul must regain his ego. He commands his army that they are not to eat anything until they defeat the Philistines - and if they do eat anything they will be put to death. Obviously a fairly bonehead move because soldiers need to eat to fight. So unsurprisingly, the army grew weak, but Saul's son, Jonathan did not hear this decree and while walking through the woods, took some honey from the ground. Saul finds out and tries to put him to death but the other soldiers confront Saul with his outrageous demand that his son die for eating.

John 7:31-53
There is an image in here of Jesus speaking to the people on the last day of "The Feast". There was a sermon on this that Christian gave a few months back. Have a listen, it's got some great historical information and some killer analysis, along with Christian's delicious humor: SERMON

I'll let the sermon speak for itself, as I would just bastardize the beautiful message. I sincerely encourage you to listen to it.

Psalm 109:1-31
David is pissed. Check it:

He's talking about someone specifically who is being a jerk to him. He would like God to smite this mean man, but he is pretty brutal:

 ⁹ May his children be fatherless
       and his wife a widow.
 ¹⁰ May his children be wandering beggars;
       may they be driven ^[d] from their ruined homes.
 ¹¹ May a creditor seize all he has;
       may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
 ¹² May no one extend kindness to him
       or take pity on his fatherless children.

Damn, son.

Proverbs 15:5-7
 ⁵ A fool spurns his father's discipline,
       but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.
 ⁶ The house of the righteous contains great treasure,
       but the income of the wicked brings them trouble.
 ⁷ The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
       not so the hearts of fools.

I like the distinction between treasure and income there in verse 6. Treasure meaning non-material things here, while income represents the material. One more for a socialist society!