Day 163 Bible Readings - Jonah 4:10-11 (NLT)

Jonah 1-4, Psalm 8

Jonah 4:10-11 (NLT)

"Then the Lord said, ‘You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?’”

In Jonah 4:10-11, the Lord explains to the prophet Jonah his misplaced priorities. Jonah felt sorry for the plant that died because it provided him temporary comfort from the sun, even though he didn’t create or maintain it. The plant grew in one day and withered away the next. Even though the people of Israel considered the people of Nineveh their enemies, Father-God showed them compassion and mercy, which angered Jonah.

These verses remind believers of the Lord’s compassion for everyone, even those who are far from Him. Father-God’s compassion extends to everyone, even to people whom we might consider undeserving. One Bible commentary I read noted that one of the reasons Jonah attempted to flee from the Lord’s call on his life was because he didn’t want the people of Nineveh to escape Father-God’s judgment. Jonah wanted the Lord to bring judgment upon the people he hated rather than save them.

Jonah’s distress over the plant dying also shows believers the temporary nature of our earthly comforts and possessions and how attached we can become to them. One Bible commentary I read noted that the dying plant metaphorically represents life’s fleeting nature. We can become emotionally attached to temporary things, while the Lord is concerned with the eternal souls of people.

Father-God’s compassion and mercy really touched me when I read these verses. No one is unredeemable in the Lord’s eyes. Father-God’s compassion and mercy, even for the enemies of the people He had a covenant with, show us that the Lord desires all people to come to repentance. We can never underestimate the Lord’s willingness to forgive those who come to Him in repentance. The Lord’s willingness to save Nineveh also foreshadows Jesus Christ’s mission to seek and save the lost and those who are spiritually blind.

If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the One who wants to save everyone, even those we deem unworthy—this may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Tell Him you trust Him and desire to walk with Him. He is faithful, and He will meet you exactly where you are.

Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 162 Bible Readings for June 13 - Obadiah 1:3-4 (NLT)

Obadiah 1, Psalm 7

Obadiah 1:3-4 (NLT)

“‘You have been deceived by your own pride because you live in a rock fortress and make your home high in the mountains. ‘Who can ever reach us way up here?’ you ask boastfully. But even if you soar as high as eagles and build your nest among the stars, I will bring you crashing down,’ says the Lord.”

In Obadiah 1:3-4, the prophet Obadiah told the people of Edom that the Lord was bringing judgment against them because of their pride. The Edomites, who were descended from Esau, the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the brother of Jacob, lived in the area of Mount Seir. Their pride came from the fact that Mount Seir provided them with natural fortifications. Their cities, such as Petra, were carved into the rock faces and gave them a sense of security, and they believed their location made them impossible to attack. The Edomites also boasted of their wisdom. But Father-God tells the people that He will bring them crashing down.

These verses remind believers about the dangers of pride. When we trust in worldly strengths such as physical security and our own wisdom, it can lead to our downfall. The Lord is sovereign, and true security can only be found in Him. Because of their pride, the Edomites were blind to their vulnerabilities and thought they were not subject to the Lord’s divine judgment. The people of Edom mistreated the people of Israel many times, including refusing to let them pass through their country to enter the Promised Land. Edom also allied with Moab and Ammon to attack the kingdom of Judah.

One Bible commentary I read noted that although the Edomites fought side by side with Israel in the rebellion against Rome in AD 66–70, they were defeated by Rome, and the Edomites were never heard from as a people again, fulfilling Obadiah’s prophecy.

When I read these verses, I saw examples in my own life where pride blinded me to my need for the Lord. When I was backsliding, I didn’t think I needed the Lord very much. I was born with intelligence, a good work ethic, and a strong sense of independence, and I was proud of those qualities. But as the years passed, my self-reliance proved to be a deception. I couldn’t rely on my own strength to bring me peace or make me feel secure in life. During my years of backsliding, I lived in a constant state of fear of losing everything.

When the company I worked for during that time started laying people off every two years to save money, I lived in fear of losing my job. It wasn’t until I started paying attention to the guidance of the Holy Spirit that I began to place my trust in the Lord rather than in myself or the world around me. When I became born again, I realized that any success or wealth in my life came from the Lord. While I still occasionally experience fearful thoughts of loss, I have learned to focus instead on the many ways the Lord has blessed my life.

If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the One who is the true source of all your strength and success in life—this may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Tell Him you trust Him and desire to walk with Him. He is faithful, and He will meet you exactly where you are.

Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 161 Bible Readings - Amos 9:11-12 (NLT)

Amos 6-9, Psalm 6

Amos 9:11-12 (NLT)

“‘In that day I will restore the fallen house of David. I will repair its damaged walls. From the ruins I will rebuild it and restore its former glory. And Israel will possess what is left of Edom and all the nations I have called to be mine.’ The Lord has spoken, and he will do these things.”

In Amos 9:11-12, the Lord tells the prophet Amos that He will restore the royal line of King David to the northern kingdom of Israel, since they had rejected David’s heirs. Father-God also promised that He would take what was ruined and repair and rebuild it. Then the Lord announced that Edom and all nations would recognize His authority and worship Him.

These verses give us another prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ, since Christ was a descendant of King David. These verses are quoted by James in Acts 15:17 when he was speaking to the Jerusalem Council. A Bible commentary I read noted that James used these verses to demonstrate that Father-God had promised to reach the Gentiles and bring them into His kingdom through their faith in Jesus Christ.

These verses also remind believers that the Lord is always faithful to His promises. Father-God made a covenant with David, and despite the unfaithfulness of the people, the Lord promised to restore the fallen house of David through His descendant, Jesus Christ. The Lord also desires redemption for the whole world when He expanded His covenant to include Edom and all Gentile nations.

When I read these verses, I am reminded that the Lord rebuilt and renewed what was broken in my life. I was never good at managing money, but through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Father-God guided me to make decisions with my investments that helped make up for the years I spent not saving for retirement. I now have a peace of mind regarding money that I never had before.

If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the One who can rebuild and restore what is broken in your life—this may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Tell Him you trust Him and desire to walk with Him. He is faithful, and He will meet you exactly where you are.

Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 160 Bible Readings - Amos 5:14-15 (NLT)

Amos 1-5, Psalm 5

Amos 5:14-15 (NLT)

“Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed. Hate evil and love what is good; turn your courts into true halls of justice. Perhaps even yet the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will have mercy on the remnant of his people.”

In Amos 5:14-15, the prophet Amos tells the people of Israel of the Lord’s cure for their sin. Amos tells the people to pursue righteousness and actively reject evil as a way of life. The Lord wants the people to act with fairness and righteousness in matters of public justice. Amos prayed that the Lord’s mercy would be available to those who turn back to Him.

These verses remind believers that the cure for sin is to always return to the Lord. One Bible commentary I read noted that the people of Israel were guilty of social injustice and idolatry. Amos was warning the people of Father-God’s impending judgment and calling them to repent to avoid it. The people needed to return to the Lord and correct their actions by following the path of good instead of evil. They could not justly claim the Lord’s presence without being repentant and demonstrating through their actions that they valued fairness and righteousness.

What stood out to me in these verses is that my actions and my life need to reflect how my heart is aligned. If my heart is aligned with Father-God, then my actions will reflect the Lord’s values, especially those of fairness and righteousness. I cannot simply claim to love the Lord; my actions must reflect what Father-God values.

The Lord’s presence is conditional upon our obedience to His Word. Sometimes the Holy Spirit guides me to examine my interactions to see if I have been reflecting the Lord’s character through my actions. When I find myself falling short, I repent and ask the Holy Spirit to help me examine why I chose those actions in the first place. What idols am I holding onto that guided my actions? Why didn’t I more fully reflect the Lord’s character in my actions? With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I know I can more actively pursue goodness rather than the pathway of sin and evil.

If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the One who has given us the Holy Spirit to enrich our lives and guide us daily—this may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Tell Him you trust Him and desire to walk with Him. He is faithful, and He will meet you exactly where you are.

Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.