Burning Coals

Jeremiah 31:27-32:44
A little ways back, God was exposing false prophets.  Then He began to talk about restoring Israel and Judah- how He would turn their mourning into joy.  The Lord tells Jeremiah to buy a field as a sign that one day the people will return and have land here and not be under the control of another nation.  Then Jeremiah is asking the Lord for understanding of why all this destruction has happened.  God reassures him that a time is coming when the people will return to the Lord.

1 Timothy 3
Paul is telling Timothy the requirements for men who are to be overseers and deacons.  Overseers can also be translated bishop.  They need to uphold many standards.  Paul is telling Timothy these things in case he is delayed in visiting, so Timothy will know how people ought to behave in the church.

Psalm 88
This psalm is very much a lament, with no resolution.  The writer is crying out because he is full of troubles and has been abandoned by his companions.

Proverbs 25:20-22
Some of the comparisons in this book are a bit odd, but this one really gets me:
"Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda."  I don't really get it.  Also, I have always heard the line about heaping burning coals on your enemy's head, and today I found it!  We can do it by feeding him when he is hungry and giving him something to drink when he's thirsty.