Ps. 99-100, 102 The Psalms continue to add more layers to praise. Psalm 102 also takes the thought from yesterday – that we should declare God’s praise to the whole world – one step farther. ...
Day 207 – Ps 96-98; Acts 14:1-15Day 207 – Ps 96-98; Acts 14:1-15
Ps. 96-98 I see a couple of themes in these three Psalms. One is that the call for praise to God goes out to all of creation – the whole earth! We, as God’s chosen, ...
Day 206 – Ps 93-95; Phil 4Day 206 – Ps 93-95; Phil 4
Ps. 93-95 One thing that stands out to me in this group of Psalms is Ps 94:12-13. “Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law, to ...
Day 205 – Ps 89, 92; Phil 3Day 205 – Ps 89, 92; Phil 3
Ps. 89, 92 There are so many things in the Bible that have a double meaning or that we can read two ways. As I was reading through Psalm 89 this morning, one such alternative ...
Day 204 – Ps 67, 71; Phil 2Day 204 – Ps 67, 71; Phil 2
Ps. 67, 71 Yesterday’s NT reading spoke to me of Paul’s focus on God and God’s good purposes. Today’s Psalms take me to the same point. In Psalm 67, the Psalmist asks for God’s blessing. ...
Day 203 – Ps 33, 43, 66; Phil 1Day 203 – Ps 33, 43, 66; Phil 1
Ps. 33, 43, 66 It is good to praise the LORD. Praise should be a regular habit in my life, because praise acknowledges and brings to mind all that God is and does. The Psalms ...
Day 202; Ps 1-2, 10; Acts 16:22-40Day 202; Ps 1-2, 10; Acts 16:22-40
Ps. 1-2, 10 These first two Psalms contrast those who acknowledge and serve the LORD God, making them righteous, and those who reject God in their wickedness. It says in Psalm 1:1-2 that the one ...
Day 201 – 2 Kings 24-25; Acts 16:1-21Day 201 – 2 Kings 24-25; Acts 16:1-21
2 Kings 24-25 Judah and Jerusalem fell to Babylon, according to God’s word through His prophets from even before His people entered the Promised Land. The story of God’s people shows me just how much ...
Day 200 – 2 Kings 22-23; Gal 6Day 200 – 2 Kings 22-23; Gal 6
2 Kings 22-23 When Josiah was presented with the previously “lost” and ignored Book of the Law, he threw himself into it wholeheartedly. As he did, he did not need anybody to tell him that ...
Day 199 – 2 Kings 19-21; Gal 5Day 199 – 2 Kings 19-21; Gal 5
2 Kings 19-21 I see a repeated pattern among the righteous kings of Judah in the humility with which they approach the LORD. They do not approach God with pomp and pride, demanding action on ...
Day 198 – 2 Kings 17-18; Gal 4Day 198 – 2 Kings 17-18; Gal 4
2 Kings 17-18 I want to be like Hezekiah. Of all the kings of Judah, Hezekiah was the one who was wholeheartedly committed to God alone. 2 Kings 18:6 says, “he held fast to the ...
Day 197 – 2 Kings 15-16; Gal 3Day 197 – 2 Kings 15-16; Gal 3
2 Kings 15-16 There is a stark contrast between the history of the kings of Judah and that of the kings of Israel. Judah was far from perfect, but most of the kings generally “did ...
Day 196 – Amos 7-9; Gal 2Day 196 – Amos 7-9; Gal 2
Amos 7-9 Amos 7 starts off with two visions of God’s judgment on Israel. When Amos sees these, he pleads for God’s mercy, saying, “O Lord God, please forgive! How can Jacob stand? He is ...
Day 195 – Amos 4-6; Gal 1Day 195 – Amos 4-6; Gal 1
Amos 4-6 God’s people had not been faithful to their God. Learning what I did the other day about Bethel being a hot spot for the worship of false gods, I am not certain exactly ...
Day 194 – Amos 1-3; Acts 15:22-41Day 194 – Amos 1-3; Acts 15:22-41
Amos 1-3 These prophesies of Amos reveal many things about the character and nature of God, as well as His plan – both temporal and eternal – for humanity. 1. Just because God uses someone ...
Day 193 – Jonah 1-4; Acts 15:1-21Day 193 – Jonah 1-4; Acts 15:1-21
Jonah 1-4 Ahh…the story of Jonah – a good one! I’m sure there are many things to learn from this story, but I want to note three for now: 1. You cannot flee from ...
Day 192 – 2 Kings 13-14; Jms 5Day 192 – 2 Kings 13-14; Jms 5
2 Kings 13-14 The Bible is a multi-faceted book that teaches us many different things if we care to look. I firmly believe that one of its many purposes is to teach us about both ...
Day 191 – 2 Kings 10-12; Jms 4Day 191 – 2 Kings 10-12; Jms 4
2 Kings 10-12 God commissioned Jehu to clean up Israel. He wiped out all of the house of Ahab as well as the house and prophets of Baal. Jehu even took out Ahaziah, the evil ...
Day 190 – 2 Kings 7-9; James 3Day 190 – 2 Kings 7-9; James 3
2 Kings 7-9 It is interesting to me how Israel could not keep a royal family. The ‘house of Ahab’ was the third that God cursed to utter destruction. Not one member of any of ...
Day 189 – 2 Kings 4-6; Jms 2Day 189 – 2 Kings 4-6; Jms 2
2 Kings 4-6 When God took Elijah, Elisha, his replacement, asked for a double measure of Elijah’s spirit. God granted him this when he saw Elijah taken away. The text then launches into a series ...
Day 188 – 2 Kings 1-3; Jms 1Day 188 – 2 Kings 1-3; Jms 1
2 Kings 1 The Bible is often harsh, and I don’t always understand it. There are a few examples of that in the first three chapters of 2 Kings. In chapter 1 Elijah called down ...
Day 187 – 1 kings 21-22; Acts 14Day 187 – 1 kings 21-22; Acts 14
1 Kings 21-22 Ahab was a real piece of work. After all that he saw of who God is, he still refused to let go of his selfish pride and to commit his ways to ...
Day 186 – 1 Kings 19-20; Acts 13:26-52Day 186 – 1 Kings 19-20; Acts 13:26-52
1 Kings 19-20 The Bible tells us a lot about the nature of God. It also tells us quite a bit about the nature of man. There are a few things in this passage that ...
Day 185 – 1 Kings 16-18; Acts 13:1-25Day 185 – 1 Kings 16-18; Acts 13:1-25
1 Kings 16 God’s word is true. The Bible shows that over and over. We find another example here in 1 Kings 16:34, when a man named Hiel of Bethel, under evil king Ahab’s rule, ...
Day 184 – 1 Kings 14-15; Acts 12Day 184 – 1 Kings 14-15; Acts 12
1 Kings 14-15 Why did God choose Jeroboam to rule Israel? Surely He knew what Jeroboam would do! Why not choose someone He knew would be faithful? One could fall down a rabbit hole of ...
Day 183 – 1 Kings 12-13; Acts 11Day 183 – 1 Kings 12-13; Acts 11
1 Kings 12-13 God promised Jeroboam the bulk of the kingdom of Israel – 10 of the 12 tribes – after Solomon’s death. And God fulfilled His promise, as He always does. God also promised ...
Day 182 – Eccl 10-12; Acts 10:24-48Day 182 – Eccl 10-12; Acts 10:24-48
Eccl. 10-12 Solomon launches into what seems to me to be a random string of Proverbs (wise sayings). I have no idea the connection or meaning in any of it, but I do like Ecclesiastes ...
Day 181 – Eccl 7-9; Acts 10:1-23Day 181 – Eccl 7-9; Acts 10:1-23
Eccl. 7-9 Solomon sounds tired to me. He has spent his whole life in great wisdom and riches, doing many great things. He no doubt had everything he ever wanted. We also know that Solomon ...
Day 180 – Eccl 4-6; Acts 9:23-43Day 180 – Eccl 4-6; Acts 9:23-43
Eccl. 4-6 “Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor” (Eccl. 4:4a). This is an interesting statement to me. This speaks to the concept ...
Day 179 – Eccl 1-3; Acts 9:1-22Day 179 – Eccl 1-3; Acts 9:1-22
Eccl. 1-3 Why is it that the heart of man is never satisfied? I mentioned yesterday that Solomon, with all that he had and did, managed to be discontent with his life. The book of ...