Bible Monday 3/20: True Vision

Studying this morning's four readings from the St. James Daily Devotional Guide (click to subscribe), I examined myself with these questions. Where is your self-examination leading today?

Psalm 80:1-19. How can I more fully realize my dependence on God today by seeing myself as both a lamb that he is shepherding and a vine that he is tending?

Proverbs 29:1-27. To reclaim the true spiritual meaning of verse 18 from the shallow political or cultural uses often made of it, what vision do I believe God is actually talking about here?

Ecclesiastes 2:12-26. Has the depression that hates life (verse 17) ever attacked me or someone I know?  Where was God in all that?  What was the outcome and the lesson?

Matthew 18:6-9. Has something in me ever had to be radically torn out to avoid hell (verses 8-9)? Or must that occur even now? What's the role of God (unmentioned by Jesus here) at such a time?

To go deeper, see interpretive notes by Bible scholar Patrick Reardon for many of this week's readings.