August 25

NT- 1st Corinthians 16:1-24
So, Paul leaves to the last the bit about money. He isn't shy about telling them to collect and how to do it but clearly does not want to hear all the yammering about pulling the funds together.
These funds went with Paul and Timothy to Jerusalem to help the 'home church' that was in desperate need. Corinth was a wealthy port city while Jerusalem really was an occupied backwater.
In my Bible, I have written beside verse 21 'Paul wrote this?' My study Bible says that Paul dictated most of the letter to Sosthenes (see chapter 1:1) but this was his way of signing it and endorsing what was in it as his own beliefs.

Proverbs 22:1

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than gold or silver.

The conversation at dinner tonight was about Lance Armstrong. Click here to read the USA Today article about his awful day. I should say that I have no horse in this race -- I do not follow any athletics much less cycling. But it does say something about our obsession with winning that athletes would dope, would help others dope, and that we have whole agencies funded just to catch these sophisticated cheats. JUST TO WIN.

If Solomon was telling his sons this, clearly, there were folks that he knew, that ran around him, who also cheated and lied to get ahead. He didn't want his boys to be that kind of man.
I don't want my children to be that kind of person either.
Unfortunately, Solomon left the kingdom to Rehoboam who stuck it to the people and split the kingdom. Rehoboam was listening to young men who just wanted to win (gain riches) at any cost, regardless of how others saw them.

Psalm 40
This is one of my all time favorite psalms. Click here to go back to the post I wrote about it when it came up the first time around.

Have a lovely Saturday.