Thurzo Gizella Bible Study

Word for today: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 NIV

A Christian’s goal should be to create the Kingdom of God here on earth, as it is in Heaven. Not only, to get to Heaven.

Watch this to start your day.

Reflection for Today.

To finish the Bible in one year, Read Job 35,36,37, & Titus

Old Testament Reading for today – Listen or read it for yourself:

Also read the verses, if you like.

Job 35

Elihu continued his speech. He said:

² Do you think you can prove yourself upright and establish your uprightness before God

³ by daring to say to him, ‘What does it matter to you, or how does it benefit me, whether I have sinned or not?’

⁴ Very well, I shall tell you and your friends as well.

⁵ Take a look at the skies and see, observe how high the clouds are above you.

⁶ If you sin, how can you affect him? If you heap up crimes, what effect has it on him?

⁷ If you are upright, what do you give him, what benefit does he receive at your hands?

⁸ Your wickedness affects only your fellows, your uprightness, other human beings.

⁹ They too groan under the weight of oppression, they cry for help under the tyranny of the mighty,

¹⁰ but none of them thinks of saying, ‘Where is God, my Maker, who makes glad songs ring out at night,

¹¹ who has made us more intelligent than wild animals wiser than birds in the sky?’

¹² Cry they may, but get no answer, to be spared from the arrogance of the wicked.

¹³ Of course God does not listen to trivialities, Shaddai pays no attention to them.

¹⁴ And how much less when you say, ‘I cannot see him, my case is open and I am waiting for him.’

¹⁵ Or, ‘His anger never punishes, he does not seem aware of human rebellion.’

¹⁶ Hence, when Job speaks, he talks nonsense, ignorantly babbling on and on.

Job 36

¹ Elihu went on speaking. He said:

² Be patient a little longer while I explain, for I have more to say on God’s behalf.

³ I shall range far afield for my arguments to prove my Maker just.

⁴ I guarantee, nothing I shall say will be untrue: you have a man of sound learning here.

⁵ God does not reject anyone whose heart is pure

⁶ or let the sinner live on in all his power. He does accord fair judgement to the afflicted;

⁷ he does uphold what the upright deserve. When he raises kings to thrones, if they grow proud of their unending rule,

⁸ then he fetters them with chains, they are caught in the bonds of affliction.

⁹ He shows them the import of their deeds, of the sins of pride they have committed.

¹⁰ In their ears he sounds a warning, ordering them to turn back from doing wrong.

¹¹ If they take notice and obey him, the rest of their days are prosperous and the years pass pleasantly.

¹² If not, they go down the Canal and perish in their stupidity.

¹³ The stubborn, who cherish their anger and do not cry for help when he chains them,

¹⁴ die in the bloom of youth or live among the male prostitutes of the temple.

¹⁵ But God saves the afflicted by his affliction, warning him in his misery.

¹⁶ You, too, he would like to snatch from torment. While you were enjoying boundless abundance, with rich food piled high on your table,

¹⁷ you did not bring the wicked to trial and did not give fair judgement to the orphan.

¹⁸ Beware of being led astray by abundance, of being corrupted by expensive presents.

¹⁹ Take the powerful to law, not merely the penniless, those whose arm is strong, not merely the weak.

²⁰ Do not crush people you do not know to install your relations in their place.

²¹ Avoid any tendency to wrong-doing, for this is why affliction is testing you now.

²² See, God is sublime in his strength and who can teach lessons as he does?

²³ Who has even told him which course to take, or dared to say to him, ‘You have done wrong’?

²⁴ Consider, rather, how you may praise his work, a theme that many have sung.

²⁵ This is something that everyone can see, gazing, as we do, from afar.

²⁶ Yes, the greatness of God exceeds our knowledge, the number of his years is past counting.

²⁷ It is he who makes the raindrops small and pulverises the rain into mist.

²⁸ And the clouds then pour this out, sending it streaming down on the human race.

²⁹ And who can fathom how he spreads the clouds, or why such crashes thunder from his tent?

³⁰ He spreads a mist before him and covers the tops of the mountains.

³¹ By these means, he sustains the peoples, giving them plenty to eat.

³² He gathers up the lightning in his hands, assigning it the mark where to strike.

³³ His crashing gives warning of its coming, anger flashes out against iniquity.

Job 37

¹ At this, my very heart quakes and leaps out of its place.

² Listen, oh listen, to the blast of his voice and the sound that issues from his mouth.

³ His lightning is hurled across the heaven, it strikes to the extremities of earth.

⁴ After it comes a roaring sound, God thunders with majestic voice. He does not check his thunderbolts until his voice resounds no more.

⁵ Yes, certainly God shows us marvels and does great deeds that we cannot understand.

⁶ When he says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth!’ to the showers, ‘Now rain hard!’

⁷ he brings all human activity to a standstill, for everyone to acknowledge his work.

⁸ The animals go back to their dens and take shelter in their lairs.

⁹ The storm wind comes from the Mansion of the South, and the north winds usher in the cold.

¹⁰ At the breath of God, ice comes next, the surface of the waters hardens over.

¹¹ He weighs the clouds down with moisture, and the storm clouds radiate his lightning.

¹² He himself guides their wheeling motion presiding over their seasonal changes. They carry out his orders to the letter all over this earthly world.

¹³ Whether to punish earth’s peoples or as a work of faithful love, he despatches them.

¹⁴ Listen to this, Job, without flinching and reflect on the marvellous works of God.

¹⁵ Do you know how God controls them or how his clouds make the lightning flash?

¹⁶ Do you know how he balances the clouds — a miracle of consummate skill?

¹⁷ When your clothes are hot to your body and the earth lies still under the south wind,

¹⁸ can you, like him, stretch out the sky, tempered like a mirror of cast metal?

¹⁹ Teach me what we should say to him: but better discuss no further, since we are in the dark.

²⁰ Does he take note when I speak? When human beings give orders, does he take it in?

²¹ There are times when the light vanishes, behind darkening clouds; then comes the wind, sweeping them away.

²² and brightness spreads from the north. God is clothed in fearful splendour:

²³ he, Shaddai, is far beyond our reach. Supreme in power, in equity, excelling in saving justice, yet no oppressor-

²⁴ no wonder then that people fear him: everyone thoughtful holds him in awe!

Titus 2

¹ It is for you, then, to preach the behaviour which goes with healthy doctrine.

² Older men should be reserved, dignified, moderate, sound in faith and love and perseverance.

³ Similarly, older women should behave as befits religious people, with no scandal-mongering and no addiction to wine — they must be the teachers of right behaviour

⁴ and show younger women how they should love their husbands and love their children,

⁵ how they must be sensible and chaste, and how to work in their homes, and be gentle, and obey their husbands, so that the message of God is not disgraced.

⁶ Similarly, urge younger men to be moderate in everything that they do,

⁷ and you yourself set an example of good works, by sincerity and earnestness, when you are teaching, and by a message sound and irreproachable

⁸ so that any opponent will be at a loss, with no accusation to make against us.

⁹ Slaves must be obedient to their masters in everything, and do what is wanted without argument;

¹⁰ and there must be no pilfering — they must show complete honesty at all times, so that they are in every way a credit to the teaching of God our Saviour.

¹¹ You see, God’s grace has been revealed to save the whole human race;

¹² it has taught us that we should give up everything contrary to true religion and all our worldly passions; we must be self-restrained and live upright and religious lives in this present world,

¹³ waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Christ Jesus.

¹⁴ He offered himself for us in order to ransom us from all our faults and to purify a people to be his very own and eager to do good.

¹⁵ This is what you must say, encouraging or arguing with full authority; no one should despise you.

Sermons and explanations for the above chapters.

Book of Job commentary click here

Book of Titus Chapter One Sermon click here

Catholic Daily Reflections

Reading 1, Acts 12:1-11

1 It was about this time that King Herod started persecuting certain members of the church. 2 He had James the brother of John beheaded, 3 and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he went on to arrest Peter as well. 4 As it was during the days of Unleavened Bread that he had arrested him, he put him in prison, assigning four sections of four soldiers each to guard him, meaning to try him in public after the Passover. 5 All the time Peter was under guard the church prayed to God for him unremittingly. 6 On the night before Herod was to try him, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with two chains, while guards kept watch at the main entrance to the prison. 7 Then suddenly an angel of the Lord stood there, and the cell was filled with light. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him. ‘Get up!’ he said, ‘Hurry!’ — and the chains fell from his hands. 8 The angel then said, ‘Put on your belt and sandals.’ After he had done this, the angel next said, ‘Wrap your cloak round you and follow me.’ 9 He followed him out, but had no idea that what the angel did was all happening in reality; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed through the first guard post and then the second and reached the iron gate leading to the city. This opened of its own accord; they went through it and had walked the whole length of one street when suddenly the angel left him. 11 It was only then that Peter came to himself. And he said, ‘Now I know it is all true. The Lord really did send his angel and save me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.’

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 2 I will praise Yahweh from my heart; let the humble hear and rejoice. 3 Proclaim with me the greatness of Yahweh, let us acclaim his name together. 4 I seek Yahweh and he answers me, frees me from all my fears. 5 Fix your gaze on Yahweh and your face will grow bright, you will never hang your head in shame. 6 A pauper calls out and Yahweh hears, saves him from all his troubles. 7 The angel of Yahweh encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them. 8 Taste and see that Yahweh is good. How blessed are those who take refuge in him. 9 Fear Yahweh, you his holy ones; those who fear him lack for nothing.

Reading 2, Second Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 6 As for me, my life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to depart. 7 I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; 8 all there is to come for me now is the crown of uprightness which the Lord, the upright judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his appearing. 17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed for all the gentiles to hear; and so I was saved from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Gospel, Matthew 16:13-19 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of man is?’ 14 And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ 15 ‘But you,’ he said, ‘who do you say I am?’ 16 Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ 17 Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a blessed man! Because it was no human agency that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. 18 So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community. And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’

Previous Daily Bible Study Blogs

Book of Job , Outline Summary, Outline Book of 1 Timothy (we are studying these books presently)

Audio Drama: Old Testament New Testament Each book is read in its entirety. You can listen to the bible, one book at a time in contemporary English.

Dr. Myles Munroe

I am including a video by Dr. Myles Munroe, I’ve listened to him back in the nineties, and rediscovered him recently. Now his perspective seems to be a good way to also look at scripture. In Pursuit of Purpose – Book Highlights