Ps. 136, 146 It’s very repetitive, but I like the structure and the message of Psalm 136. It is basically a list of reasons to give thanks to God, starting with the simple fact that ...
Day 219 – Ps 133-135; 1 Cor 2Day 219 – Ps 133-135; 1 Cor 2
Ps. 133-135 “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (Ps 133:1). We just read Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthian church for this very thing yesterday. But unity is hard, isn’t ...
Day 218 – Ps 130-132; 1 Cor 1Day 218 – Ps 130-132; 1 Cor 1
Ps. 130-132 Reading today’s first two Psalms really impressed me with God’s greatness. “If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be ...
Day 217 – Ps 127-129; Acts 18Day 217 – Ps 127-129; Acts 18
Ps. 127-129 Any effort done apart from God is in vain. Got it. But how does this thought in the first half of Psalm 127 connect with the second half, which states that children are ...
Day 216 – Ps 123-125; 2 Thess 3Day 216 – Ps 123-125; 2 Thess 3
Ps. 123-125 These and the last few Psalms we have read focus on God as our help. They tell us that God is both more than capable and more than willing to help those who ...
Day 215 – Ps 120-122; 2 Thess 2Day 215 – Ps 120-122; 2 Thess 2
Ps. 120-122 “Deliver me, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.” (Ps 120:2). Was the Psalmist referring to the lips and tongues of others or his own, I wonder? Perhaps both. It sounds ...
Day 214 – Ps 119:89-176; 2 Thess 1Day 214 – Ps 119:89-176; 2 Thess 1
Ps. 119: 89-176 Affirmations are big these days, the idea being that if you tell yourself something often enough and with enough confidence, you will begin to believe it. This Psalm feels like that to ...
Day 213 – Ps 119:1-88; 1 Thess 5Day 213 – Ps 119:1-88; 1 Thess 5
Ps. 119:1-88 Psalm 119 is about commitment to God’s law, also noted as His ways, His precepts, His testimonies, His commandments, His rules, His statutes, and His word. When this Psalm was written, the law ...
Day 212 – Ps 116-118; 1 Thess 4Day 212 – Ps 116-118; 1 Thess 4
Ps. 116-118 “What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits to me?” (Ps 116:12). God hears us; He is our help and our salvation. He has dealt bountifully with us. There is ...
Day 211 – Ps 113-115; 1 Thess 3Day 211 – Ps 113-115; 1 Thess 3
Ps. 113-115 These three Psalms are most definitely praise Psalms, exalting God above all else. I like the contrast in Psalm 113. Right after making a point of how high God is, the Psalmist notes ...
Day 210 – Ps 106, 111-112; 1 Thess 2Day 210 – Ps 106, 111-112; 1 Thess 2
Ps. 106, 111-112 “Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD or declare all His praise?” (Psalm 106:2). Who indeed. The LORD is bigger than our minds can imagine; greater than we can fathom. ...
Day 209 – Ps 104-105; 1 Thes 1Day 209 – Ps 104-105; 1 Thes 1
Ps. 104-105 These two Psalms show God as creator and caretaker. Psalm 104 speaks of His creation of the whole earth and how He cares for it all. It even mentions His rejoicing in His ...
Day 208 – Ps 99-100, 102; Acts 17:16-34Day 208 – Ps 99-100, 102; Acts 17:16-34
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 ...