For a full description of the (Y4) reading plan, see the “About” page.
Num. 2
One thing I see about how God ordered the Israelites is that His presence, and the Levites who belonged to Him, were always at the center. When they camped, the tabernacle and the Levites camped in the middle. The other twelve tribes camped to the east, south, west, and north. When they set out, the east and south tribes headed out first and the west and north last, with the Levites and the tabernacle in the center. So should it be with our lives, both individually and as Christ’s Church. Keep God at the center.
Ps. 36
This Psalm says of the ungodly, “For it flatters him in his own eyes concerning the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it.” (Ps. 36:2). That’s a bit of a strangely worded statement, so I looked up this verse in a few other translations. Some translate this verse in a way that implies that the ungodly thinks he will never be discovered. Others, that he is too caught up in his own sin to notice it himself. The implication I got from reading this NASB translation, though, went beyond either of those. What my mind heard when I read it is that the ungodly is actually proud of his sin. Talk about defiant opposition to God! But it illuminates for me the need to stop and examine myself whenever I find myself trying to defend my actions.
Ecc. 12
“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no delight in them.’” (Ecc. 12:1). Life has a way of wearing us down. Thus, we grow weary as we age. I’m not talking about physical strength. I’m talking about the zest for life slowly becoming a burden. The days go by faster and faster, living gets harder and harder, and we see more and more evil and death. And we just get tired of it all.
I think that’s why it’s important, while we still have energy in us, to pour it into pursuing God. I know that’s hard, because we have so many things vying for our youthful attention. But if we build strong habits when we are young and energetic, they will stick with us as we age. Then we won’t find ourselves lost in the hopelessness of a futile life.