Day 210 Bible Readings for July 30 – Romans 12: 17-19 (ESV)

1 Chronicles 6, Romans 12, Psalm 113

Romans 12: 17-19 (ESV)

“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Verses 17 through 19 from Romans 12 show Paul’s advice to the Church in Roman for how a person who believes in Christ should act towards those who commit evil deeds. Paul tells us to do what is always honorable in any situation and live in peace with all people. A Christian should not take revenge on anyone because it is God’s job to judge the person doing the evil deeds. Paul tells us that God will always repay those who do evil deeds with his wrath. This advice is great but sometimes so hard to put into practice. We want immediate justice when someone does us harm. But I have found over the years that I don’t know the whole story when someone has done me harm. Only God can see into a person’s mind and heart and judge whether the person has done evil deeds, so we need to let God always exact the justice that we feel we need. If we can leave the justice to God, we can have peace in our lives knowing that God has a plan and is taking care of punishing those who do evil in the world.

Day 209 Bible Readings – 1 Chronicles 4: 9-10 (ESV)

1 Chronicles 4: 9-43, 1 Chronicles 5, Romans 11: 11-36, Psalm 112

1 Chronicles 4: 9-10 (ESV)

“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked.”

Verses 9 through 10 from 1 Chronicles 4 talks about Jabez, who was descended from the tribe of Judah. Jabez prayed to God that he would always be with him and to keep him from harm so that the harm would not bring him pain. When I was at a very low point in my life several years ago, I discovered the prayer of Jabez in several songs. I used to listen to these songs every day, sometimes for hours, and it brought me out of what was a short season of depression in my life. Sometimes I would cry uncontrollably when I listened to these songs of the prayer of Jabez. Whatever I was going through during this season of depression, listening to the prayer of Jabez in song brought me so much comfort. I don’t much listen to the album anymore, but I have it in case a season of depression comes upon me again.

The album I listed is called “The Prayer of Jabez: Music … A Worship Experience” – The Prayer of Jabez album

If you are in need to listen to worship music during a season of depression, I recommend this album.

You can also find it on YouTube - 

Day 208 Bible Readings for July 28 – Romans 10: 8-10 (ESV)

1 Chronicles 2: 18-55, 1 Chronicles 3: 1 Chronicles 4: 1-9, Romans 10: 5-21, Romans 11: 1-10, Psalm 111

Romans 10: 8-10 (ESV)

“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

Verses 8 through 10 from Romans 10 shows Paul emphasizing again that we are not saved by works. We are saved when we say that Jesus is the Lord and believe in our heart that Christ was resurrected from the dead. Many bible commentaries say that to confess means to agree with, so if we confess we are also agreeing what God said about Jesus that he is the son of God. But we must alos believe it in our heart that Christ was raised from the dead and resurrected for our sins, because to believe in our heart is to trust God. But you cannot just confess and not believe in your heart, or believe in your heart and not confess with your mouth. You must do both because to confess is the action of what in your heart you believe.

These verses remind me of a friend I had at a church a long time ago. She confessed to me in secret that she did not know if she believed in the resurrection. I was shocked and asked why she came to church. She told me it was because she liked being in a community of faith. I believe this what Paul meant by these verses. My friend was confessing belief but she did not believe in her heart the truth of the resurrection. God asks us to do both, to tconfess and to believe. This is our responsibility to God as believers in Jesus Christ.

Day 207 Bible Readings – Romans 10: 1-4 (ESV)

1 Chronicles 1, 1 Chronicles 2: 1-17, Romans 9: 22-33, Romans 10: 1-4, Psalm 110

Romans 10: 1-4 (ESV)

“Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

Verses 1 through 4 from Romans 10 shows that Paul wants his fellow Hebrews to be saved. He knows that they love God, but they do not want to submit to Christ or believe that Christ was a part of God’s plan and righteousness. The Sanhedrin said that the Hebrews’ relationship to God was based on their obedience to the laws. Christ said that our relationship to God is now based on our relationship with Christ if you have faith in him, since he is the son of God and therefore a part of him. The law still reflects God’s standards, but our relationship with him is now based on our faith in his son Christ, and not on obedience to the laws.

I think belief and faith in Christ makes it easier to obey God’s laws because we have Jesus and the Holy Spirit helping us to overcome our sinful nature. We no longer must rely just on ourselves to keep God’s laws, we have help from God.

Day 206 Bible Readings – Romans 9: 1-3 (ESV)

Hosea 13 – 14, Romans 9: 1-21, Psalm 109: 21-31

Romans 9: 1-3 (ESV)

“I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”

Verses 1 through 3 from Romans 9 show that even though Paul primarily preached to the Gentiles, he was still concerned about his fellow Jews. Paul felt such anguish that his people were not saved by faith in Christ, that he was willing to cut himself off from Christ if his fellow Jews could be saved by Christ. Paul’s words remind us how much like Jesus he was. Paul wanted the Jews saved, even though they often caused trouble for him in his mission work. Paul’s love towards those who hated is an example to anyone who wants to be more like Jesus. Can we love as Paul did, the people who cause us the most problems in our life? Can we pray for their salvation and be willing to be cut off from Christ, so our enemies might be saved? Paul’s words reminds us that he not only preached the words of Christ, but he was willing to “walk the talk” and behave like Christ towards his enemies.

Day 205 Bible Readings – Romans 8: 26-27 (ESV)

Hosea 10 & 11, Romans 8: 18-39, Psalm 109: 1-20

Romans 8: 26-27 (ESV)

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

Verses 26 and 27 from Romans 8 shows Paul describing how the Holy Spirit helps us. Christ said he will send the Holy Spirit to help us with prayers to God. Paul tells us the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we don’t know what to or how to pray for what we want. I have been learning this year to rely on the Holy Spirit for prayers and to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. I used pray only to God and Jesus Christ only and thinking of them as interchangeable, until my pastor preached on reaching out to the Holy Spirit earlier this year. It feels like I now have extra help when talking to God. Now that I couldn’t talk to God on my own, but it’s nice having the Holy Spirit there as well to convey everything that I cannot say or forget to say. Jesus Christ said there is a trinity of God, himself, and the Holy Spirit, and I now know exactly what he meant.

Day 204 Bible Readings – Romans 8: 5-8 (ESV)

Hosea 8 & 9, Romans 8: 1-17, Psalm 108: 6-13

Romans 8: 5-8 (ESV)

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Verses 5 through 8 from Romans 8 is Paul’s advice to find out if we walk with God or with sin or flesh. If you walk with God, your mind will be set on the things of the spirit. If you walk with God, you will have life and peace. If we do not walk with God, our mind is set on things of the flesh which leads to death and no peace. The person whose mind is set on flesh is hostile to God and does not submit to God’s laws because they cannot. Paul argues that a person who does not walk with God, cannot please God because their mind is set on things of the flesh.

I think these verses are important for those who have faith in Christ. You will know if you are walking with God, if your mind is set on things of the spirit. Since your mind is set on things of the spirit you are not hostile to God, since you will try to please God by submitting to God’s law. In your submission to God’s laws, you will please God, have life, and most importantly of all peace of mind.

Day 203 Bible Readings – Romans 7: 24-25 (ESV)

Hosea 6 & 7, Romans 7: 7-25, Psalm 108: 1-5

Romans 7: 24-25 (ESV)

“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”

Verses 24 and 25 from Romans 7 is the conclusion of Paul’s question of whether the law is sin. Paul argues that sin eventually leads to death. Even if we are saved in Jesus Christ and given a new life, we will still struggle with sin. Paul writes “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” Even though we may delight in the law of God, we will always face a struggle within ourselves between our body and our mind to commit sin. Paul argues that the only way to win this inner struggle with sin is to rely on Christ. We cannot face this struggle alone. Faith in Jesus doesn’t take away the struggle, but Jesus works through so we can victory over sin. David Guzik in his bible commentary has argued that 1) the law teaches us what not do but we couldn’t do because of our sinful nature, and 2) the law tells us what we need to do like a coach but we still couldn’t do it, and 3) the law cannot heal our sinful nature; what we need is a savior and that savior is Jesus Christ.

Day 202 Bible Readings – Romans 6: 20-23 (ESV)

Hosea 3-5, Romans 6: 15-23, Romans 7: 1-6, Psalm 107: 33-43

Romans 6: 20-23 (ESV)

“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Verses 20 and 21 from Romans 6 shows Paul asking us to look into our future to see what we get if we continue to sin and forget how our faith in Christ saved us and gave us a new life. If we continue to do the same things over and over again and sin, does it lead us to a better life 20 to 30 years down the road. Paul says NO, sin leads us to death. Now contrast this bleak future with the future we are promised with faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ leads to eternal life with God when we die. We will live in paradise with God when we die. We will not judged by our life of sin, because the grace of Christ prepaid our sins before God.

I think Paul’s advice is also a great way to look at any habit we want to break from rom in our life. We need to view each habit that we want to eliminate from our life and ask ourselves to see what our life will be like 20 to 30 years into the future if we continue this habit. Does the habit lead to us to have a long, fulfilling life filled with pleasure and fun? Or does the habit lead to a future that is filled with problems of health, wealth, and worry? If we don’t like the future we see with that habit, it may be enough incentive to give up the habit for good and create new habits to create the future that we do want. I know that I like the future I see with my continued faith in Christ. I see a future that is free from worry and filled with miracles from God.

Faith in Jesus Christ is the 13th Step to break free from addictions

I just realized after reading a part of Romans 6 that faith in Jesus Christ is the 13th step. If you follow 12-step philosophy about how to break addictions or strongholds, there is a phenomenon called the 13th step. When you reach the 13th step, you break your addictions to the point where you no longer identify yourself as a person who was addicted in the first place. You have a new life.

If you have believe you have been truly saved by Jesus Christ and you identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, then you have a new life and body. Faith in Jesus Christ gives you a new life as a person who never had the addictions and strongholds of your old life. 

But this type of belief in Christ can only come to a person who believe that grace and faith in Christ has truly changed them. For some believers this will be an all-at-once process. For other believers, this change will take time. A part of our life will be changed, and another part will need to be changed. But if we have faith and trust in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, then we know that we will be guided to change the parts of our life that have not been changed. It make a take a lifetime, but we know that we will have victory with God on our side.

Day 201 Bible Readings for July 21 – Romans 6: 3-4 (ESV)

Hosea 1 & 2, Romans 6: 1-14, Psalm 106: 23-32

Romans 6: 3-4 (ESV)

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Verses 3 and 4 from Romans 6 shows Paul reminding us that once we have faith in Christ and were baptized into the faith, we are also baptized into how Christ died. Jesus was crucified on the cross and his physical body died, and he was buried and laid in a tomb. Three days later, Christ was resurrected by God his father and lived a new life. I believe Paul wants us to identify with how Christ died so we know as Christians that when we have been born again, it is like a physical death to our old self. When we are saved, we have a new life. Our old self died like Christ and was resurrected by God. If we believe this, then our relationship to sin is changed. We can no longer sin in the same way because we are different people who have been given a new life.

Does this mean sin will never be in our life when we become a Christian? No, because we are still in a physical body. But if we really believe we have a new life when have been saved by Christ, then our nature has truly changed. Sin can longer control us as it did before our new life with Christ. We have been set free in Jesus from sin, who gives us strength and grace to battle with sin.

Day 200 Bible Readings for July 20 – Amos 8: 11-12 (ESV)

Amos 8-9, Romans 5: 12-21, Psalm 107: 10-22

Amos 8: 11-12 (ESV)

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.”

Verses 11 through 12 from Amos 8 is the prophet Amos telling us that not hearing the words of the lord is worse than not having enough to eat and drink. And even when we seek the word of the Lord, we will not find it. I was moved when I read these verses from Amos 8 because I had an experience with losing thousands of dollars worth of lectures I bought and paid for when I recently transferred them to a new computer drive. I was devastated by the loss because of the money I had spent, but I also realized that this was a lesson from God. I had been so worried about losing these physical things that I had collected, and when I did lose them, I realized that it wasn’t the worse thing that could have happened to me. I had lost money for sure, but I knew I could with time rebuy these lectures again. God taught me that losing physical things is nothing compared to losing my faith in God.

Day 199 Bible Readings – Romans 5: 1 (ESV)

Amos 6 & 7, Romans 4: 16-25, Romans 5: 1-11, Psalm 107: 1-9

Romans 5: 1 (ESV)

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Verse 1 from Romans 5 gives us Paul’s first benefit of the argument he has been making to the church in Rome that he wanted to visit. Paul’s argument is that the only way of salvation is to be justified by grace through faith. We are justified by grace through faith because Christ died for our sins. We have peace with God because Jesus paid for our sins in full by his death on the cross. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we will no longer battle with God because of our sinful nature. But this peace with God doesn’t mean peace with everything else in our life.  We will still have troubles with the world, with our desires, or with our sinful nature. Life will unfortunately always be a battle, but our battle with God is over and we die we will live forever with Christ.

Paul of Tarsus was a complex thinker

When I read Romans in the Bible, I am reminded what a complex thinker Paul of Tarsus who preached the gospel of Christ to the Gentiles was a complex thinker. His arguments about Christ and who he is are complex. It makes me wonder if the people Paul was writing were more intelligent than we are today, or if the translations of his letter make his arguments more complicated. 

Seriously, I feel really uneducated reading Romans. I have to read passages over and over again. I have a friend who reads and write Greek fluently, even though he is French. My friend is the most studied and intelligent men I have ever met. Paul wrote in Greek, and I wonder if my friend has read the original letters of Paul in the Greek language. It wouldn't surprise if he did because my friend is just that nerdy. I mean, who reads and writes in fluent Greek if you aren't Greek? I'm going to have to ask him.

When I went to college, my professors drilled into our heads to always try to read the original source material in the original language if you can because translators bring their bias to any translation. I would love the read Paul's letters in the original Greek, which would be a lifetime task. I also still want to learn to read Latin, another lifetime task. 

Many bible commentaries recommend reading a passage you want to study in the many versions of the Bible, so you can compare the different translations and get a better understanding of the verses you wan to understand. This recommendation may be the way I go, and reading Bible commentaries of course. 

People are right. You have to study the Bible yearly to really understand it for yourself. 

Day 198 Bible Readings for July 18 – Amos 5: 21-24 (ESV)

Amos 5, Romans 6: 1-15, Psalm 106: 40-48

Amos 5: 21-24 (ESV)

“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Verses 21 through 24 from Amos 5 show God speaking through Amos about how he did not like people giving me offering and feast and songs because of the injustice that was being done. Amos was a prophet during the time of King Jeroboam I in Israel. God sent Amos to deliver a message to the people of the northern kingdom of Israel to stop abusing its own people and worshipping new idols. Many bible commentaries have noted that Amos was saying the same things Jesus said referred to in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said to be reconciled against those who have wronged you before you bring gifts to God.

I find these verses interesting because it does make wonder if this is truly God’s reaction to people in church who worship, but have not repented to God of their sins. It’s almost like Amos is saying God will let people worship God all they want thinking God has forgiven them all of their sins, but God will not accept their worship. God will still bring justice on people for the wrongs they have done if they do not repent. It is not enough to just worship God, we need to ask God for repentance of our sins. Even if we have faith in Christ, it’s not a free pass to sin all we want thinking that God will always forgive us. We must always make a sincere attempt to follow God’s law, and always ask God for forgiveness of our sins.

Day 197 Bible Readings – Romans 3: 21-22 (ESV)

Amos 3 & 4, Romans 3: 9-31, Psalm 106: 32-39

Romans 3: 21-22 (ESV)

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.”

Verses 21 through 22 from Romans 3 shows Paul’s argument that we are saved from our sinful nature because of our faith in Christ Jesus. We are not saved by knowing the law, because our sinful nature will always lead us to break God’s laws. Paul also says we cannot be saved by our deeds. God’s righteousness is apart from the law of the first covenant God made with Abraham. God’s righteousness will only come from our faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot earn righteousness by our faith in Christ. Our righteousness comes through Christ. The gift of righteousness is freely given to all who believe in Jesus Christ, because Christ paid for sins by his death on the cross and resurrection.

Paul lays out a complex argument explaining that God’s first covenant with Abraham never worked, because of our sinful nature. Even when we know God’s laws and try to follow them, our sinful nature will always lead us to break God’s laws. God’s new covenant with his people through the sacrifice and death of Jesus Christ, ensures that grace is freely given to us despite our sinful nature because Christ paid for ours sins in advance with his death. Leon Morris from his book “The Epistle of the Romans” writes that “Through faith points to the fact that faith is not a merit, earning salvation. It is no more than the means through which the gift is given.”

Day 196 Bible Readings – Romans 2: 22-23 (ESV)

Amos 1 & 2, Romans 2: 17-29, Romans 3: 1-8, Psalm 106: 16-31

Romans 2: 22-23 (ESV)

“You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.”

Verses 22 through 23 from Romans 2 shows Paul reminding us that all people will be judged by God whether they know God’s laws or not. In David Guzik’s bible commentary, he says that “God applies his law to both our actions and our attitudes…God will hold us accountable for both our motives and actions.” We cannot just teach God’s law. We need to constantly examine our actions and our attitudes to make sure we are also obeying God’s laws. If we only preach the law to other people and not follow it ourselves, then we are hypocrites in the sight of God. I think for Paul this might even mean that God will judge even more harshly those who point out people who break the law, while they themselves are guilty of doing the same thing. While Jesus was alive, he constantly pointed out the rabbis who told people they were sinning by disobeying God while they themselves were guilty of doing the same thing.

Day 195 Bible Readings – Jonah 2: 1-4 (ESV)

Jonah 1-4, Romans 2: 1-16, Psalm 106: 1-15

Jonah 2: 1-4 (ESV)

“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.”

Verses 1 through 3 from Jonah 2 moved me. God wanted Jonah to go Nineveh and ask the people to repent, and Jonah ran away. Nineveh was a Gentile city and Jonah did not want to do as God asked. Jonah ran away and boarded a ship but God sent a storm, and the sailors threw Jonah into the sea and God had a fish swallow him. Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and nights before he started to pray to God. These verses moved me because I know what it is like to run away or avoid a task that God has given to me, and for awhile in my life things in my life got worse. And for a while I know I thought that God had abandoned me. I had to rely on my faith like Jonah to get me through this period. My experience was nothing as fantastical as Jonah getting swallowed by a fish, but the experience felt like I was in the “belly of the beast”.

When you have this kind of experience in your life that is of your own making because of something you’ve done or not done, you have to rely on your faith in God to get through this season of your life. It will feel like God has abandoned you, and I can promise you that thought will cross your mind. But let the thought go and renew your faith in God. Trust that God has your best interests at heart, and that this experience will draw you closer to him and you will look back at it and know that it has strengthened your faith.

Spent the weekend in Tucson and getting caught up

I was invited to spend the weekend in Tucson with family in a rented house. The house was beautiful with a pool, and Tucson was so much cooler than Phoenix. It was nice to sit outside at night because it was only in the 90's instead of in the 100s. We swam in the small pool and it was nice to cool down in the water. 

However when I'm on vacation, I get behind in my Bible readings. I don't get to see my family all that often, so I feel like I need to spend as much time with as possible when I'm with them. I do read the Bible readings for the day, but I always seem to never have the time to think about what part of the daily Bible readings spoke to me. 

So I'm getting caught up on my Bible readings, which is nice after the traumatic and shocking events over the weekend. Fires in San Carlos which destroyed many homes. I spent a weekend in March doing volunteer work in San Carlos, so these fires made me sad. The people I met in San Carlos were so nice. And the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump. I am thankful I have a God that protects our leaders from evil. Reading the Bible reminds to have peace in the midst of chaotic and shocking times. 

Day 194 Bible Readings for July 14 – Romans 1: 18 (ESV)

2 Kings 24: 8-20, 2 Kings 25, Romans 1: 18-32, Psalm 105: 37-45

Romans 1: 18 (ESV)

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

Verse 18 from Romans 1 shows Paul defining what angers God. “Ungodliness” refers to people’s offenses against God, and “unrighteousness” refers to people’s offenses against each other. These offenses are not following the two commandments that Jesus said are the greatest; 1) love the Lord, your God with your heart, soul, and mind, and 2) love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. If you love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind, you will not commit offenses against him by disobeying his laws. If you love your neighbor as much as you love yourself, you will not commit offenses against other people because you would be hurting yourself. We need to remember what Paul is telling us about what angers God, because if we don’t anger God we will be following the two commandments that Jesus said are the greatest commandments to follow.

Day 193 Bible Readings for July 13 – 2 Kings 23: 2-3 (ESV)

2 Kings 23, 2 Kings 24: 1-7, Romans 1: 1-17, Psalm 105: 23-36

2 Kings 23: 2-3 (ESV)

“And the king went up to the house of the Lord, and with him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the prophets, all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.”

In 2 Kings 23 verses 2 through 3, King Josiah read out all the words from the Book of the Covenant and made a covenant to keep his commandments and laws. The people were so moved that they joined in the covenant. These verses show that the leader of a country can inspire the people he rules to become closer to God. A leader cannot command his people who to worship. A leader can only be an example for worship of God and pass laws that are in keeping with God’s laws. A leader of a country is responsible for the well-being of a nation. If the leader sins, then his people will follow his example. But if a leader worships God, then his people will be inspired to follow him. As Christians we need to remember the example of King Josiah when we vote at the ballot box. A good Christian leader will bring us closer to God, and we need to remember this when deciding who to vote for in any election.

Day 192 Bible Readings for July 12 – 2 Kings 22: 18-20 (ESV)

2 Kings 21 & 22, Acts 28: 17-31, Psalm 105: 12-22

2 Kings 22: 18-20 (ESV)

“But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.’” And they brought back word to the king.”

Verses 18 through 20 from 2 Kings 22 shows the judgement of God upon Josiah King of Judah. Josiah began repair of the temple, and listened to words of the Book of the Law that was found. Afterwards, Josiah tore his clothes which was a traditional expression of the sadness and grief when he realized that his nation and his father had disobeyed the laws of Moses and sinned in the eyes of God. When Josiah sent his priest and servants what will be judgement upon Judah for their sinfulness. The Lord said judgement will come to the nation of Judah but because Josiah had repented and realized his nation’s sinful ways, the Lord told him he would die before he saw the destruction of his nation.

Josiah’s example shows us that God is merciful to those who repent and realize their sinfulness. We cannot stop the eventual judgement of God, but we can delay it if we pray to God and seek repentance.

Day 191 Bible Readings for July 11 – Acts 28: 7-10 (ESV)

2 Kings 19: 14-37, 2 Kings 20, Acts 28: 1-16, Psalm 105: 1-11

Acts 28: 7-10 (ESV)

“Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him, healed him. And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. They also honored us greatly, and when we were about to sail, they put on board whatever we needed.”

Verses 7 through 10 from Acts 28 shows how Paul kept doing the work of God when he was stranded on the island of Malta. The boat carrying Paul was stranded was called the island of Malta. Paul did not let being stuck on a strange island deter him from doing God’s mission. If there were people to be healed, Paul healed them. No matter what circumstances Paul found himself in, he was always focused on spreading God’s message and making friends wherever he went.

Paul’s example shows us that no matter what unfortunate circumstances we find ourselves in, we need to keep our focus on God and do his good work in whatever gifts God gave us. If we have this attitude, we will always be participating in God’s plans.

Day 190 Bible Readings – Acts 27: 22-26 (ESV)

2 Kings 18, 2 Kings 19: 1-13, Acts 27: 13-44, Psalm 104: 31-35

Acts 27: 22-26 (ESV)

“Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island.”

Verses 22 through 26 from Acts 27 shows Paul talking to the people on the ship about what God had told him. He tells the men that they will survive but the ship will not survive. He also tells them that they must run aground on some island. From the words God spoke, it sounds like Paul had prayed not only for his safety but also for the safety of the men on the ship. I love how Paul only had confidence in the words of God, but he had no confidence in the sailors on the ship.

At the of Acts 27, the ship did run aground on an island fulfilling the words of God. Even when we are in the most dire of circumstances, God can bring us to safety.

Day 189 Bible Reading – Acts 26: 31-32 (ESV)

2 Kings16 & 17, Acts 26: 24-32, Acts 27: 1-12, Psalm 104: 19-30

Acts 26: 31-32 (ESV)

“And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Verses 31 through 32 shows the verdict of Paul’s hearing in front of Festus and King Agrippa in Caesarea. Paul was such a persuasive speaker that both Festus and Agrippa wanted to free him, but since Paul appealed to Caesar they had to send him on to Rome. But since God had told Paul in Acts 23 that he would testify in Rome, so Paul said he wanted to appeal to Caesar to obey what God had told him.

Paul was a very persuasive speaker, and he almost convinced King Agrippa to become a Christian. Paul was allowed to speak to an audience who would not normally hear him, so he was following God’s plan to spread the word of God to as many people as possible. Sometimes we are in difficult situations by design like Paul to fulfill God’s plan. We might not immediately perceive the God’s plan at the moment, but if we have faith in God we have to trust that whatever is happening to us good or bad is part of God’s plan.

Day 188 Bible Reading – Acts 26: 4-8 (ESV)

2 Kings 14: 23-29, 2 Kings 15, Acts 25: 23-27, Acts 26: 1-23, Psalm 104: 1-18

Acts 26: 4-8 (ESV)

“My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?”

Verses 4 through 8 from Acts 25 shows Paul’s argument on how his belief in Jesus Christ was not inconsistent with his Jewish faith. Paul was raised as a Pharisee, and the Pharisees unlike the Sadducees believed in the resurrection of the dead and the afterlife. Biblical scholars contend that in Paul’s heart and mind, Paul believed that he remained a faithful Pharisee who was convinced of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul’s story of his what happened on the road to Damascus proved to him that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead. Paul argued that he was following what the resurrected Jesus had said to him.

I’ve always loved the story of Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, but I never knew about how he was able to reconcile what happened to him and his Jewish faith. God had picked the perfect person in Paul to spread the gospel to the jews and the gentiles, because Paul had reconciled within himself how his faith in Jesus Christ was not in opposition to his Jewish faith. Because Paul knew his own mind so well, he was a great evangelizer and was able to lead so many people to Christ who were also struggling to come to the terms with the resurrection of Christ.

Reading Daily Bible Readings Over and Over

Sometimes I have to read the bible passages set forth in my daily bible readings over and over again to decide which verses have touched for the day. If constant reading doesn't work, then I read commentaries on the verses to see what other biblical scholars have said. Sometimes even then, I still get stuck and cannot find any verses that make me think more deeply about what the word of God is trying to me.

But I know if I persist, something will come through and I find biblical verses that have a deeper meaning for me. I just have to keep trying. 

Day 187 Bible Readings for July 7 - 2 Kings 13: 18-19 (ESV)

2 Kings 12-13, 2 Kings 14: 1-22, Acts 25: 1-22, Psalm 103, 13-22

2 Kings 13: 18-19 (ESV)

“And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped. Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.”

Verses 18 through 19 from 2 Kings 13 teaches us a lesson in how to act when God gives us a task to do. King Joash of Israel came to see the prophet Elisha, who told him that the arrows of the bow represent his victory over the Syrians. Joash seemed to not have faith or believe in the prophecy of Elisha, and he only used three arrows. If Joash had shot more arrows, Israel would have had more victories over the Syrians and ended the conflict with them. But Joash’s lack of faith of Elisha’s prophecy guaranteed that the conflict with the Syrians would continue.

The lesson here is that if God invites us to do something by faith, we must fulfill the request with as much enthusiasm as we can knowing that God will fulfill all of prayers. If we only half-heartedly fulfill God’s request to us, then we will miss out on the full blessings of God.

Day 186 Bible Readings – Psalm 103: 1 (ESV)

2 Kings 10 & 11, Acts 24, Psalm 103: 1-12

Psalm 103: 1 (ESV)

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!”

When I started reading Psalm 103 I immediately starting singing the song “10,000 reasons” by Matt Redman. When I researched the song, I found out that Redman said that inspiration of the song came from verse 1 for Psalm 103. Redman wrote the song for another singer, and it was covered by many artists. In 2013, the song won a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song, and other Grammy for Best Gospel/Contemporary Music performance when Matt Redman included the song on his album.

10,000 reasons is one of my favorite Christian songs. Here is Matt Redman’s version – Enjoy!

Day 185 Bible Readings – 2 Kings 9: 35-37 (ESV)

2 Kings 8: 16-29, 2 Kings 9, Acts 23: 12-35, Psalm 102: 18-28

2 Kings 9: 35-37 (ESV)

“But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. When they came back and told him, he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘In the territory of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel, and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of the field in the territory of Jezreel, so that no one can say, This is Jezebel.’”

Verses 35 through 37 from 2 Kings 9 shows another prophecy of Elisha coming true with amazing accuracy. Queen Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab, who ruled the kingdom of Israel. Jezebel persuaded Ahab to start worshipping Baal and killed most of the prophets of God. Elisha prophesied that the Lord wanted to avenge that Jezebel for killing his servants and prophets, and that Jehu would strike down the house of Ahab and how Jezebel would die. Jehu did as Elisha predicted and called for the execution of Jezebel. Jezebel died when she was thrown out of the window by the eunuchs and she was trampled by horses. When Jehu later told his servants to bury Jezebel, they found very little of her.

It may take some time for people who do bad things to get their justice, but God remembers all that we do and will serve justice on those people who especially kill his servants and prophets. We need to remember this story when we wonder why bad people don’t get punished right away. God will bad people but in his own way, on his plan, and on his time.

Day 184 Bible Readings for July 4 – 2 Kings 7: 1-2 (ESV)

2 Kings 6: 24-33, 2 Kings 7, 2 Kings 8: 1-15, Acts 22: 23-30, Acts 23: 1-11, Psalm 102: 12-17

“But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord: thus says the Lord, Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.” Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “If the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”

Verses 1 and 2 from 2 Kings 7 is a prophecy from the prophet Elisha. I love the fulfillment of Elisha’s prophecy because it shows you cannot predict how God will fulfill his word or a prophecy. God scared away the Syrian army, and the four lepers who decided they would go to the Syrian army camp to spare their lived, found the camp empty. The lepers decided to share the good news with the king’s household. The Syrian army left their food and the king’s messenger who had gone to Elisha was trampled by the people and died, as Elish had prophesied.

 This story from Elisha shows that when we pray to God for something, we need to let go of any expectations we have on how God might fulfill our prayers. God will fulfill our prayers, but in God’s way and according to his plan and not necessarily the way in which we expect or want it to be fulfilled.

Day 183 Bible Readings for July 3 – 2 Kings 4: 42-44 (ESV)

2 Kings 4:38-44, 2 Kings 5, 2 Kings 6: 1-23, Acts 21: 27-40, Acts 22: 1-22, Psalm 102: 1-11

2 Kings 4: 42-44 (ESV)

“A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, “Give to the men, that they may eat.” But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” So he repeated, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.”

Verses 42 through 44 from 2 Kings 4 shows a miracle that Elisha performed that was a foreshadowing of Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5,000. Elisha asked his servant to give the food that was brought to him to 100 men. The servant did not think the food would feed that many men, so he complained to Elisha. Elisha didn’t budge and told his servant to feed the men. And to the servant’s surprise the men ate as much as they wanted, and at the end there was still food  left.

Elisha’s miracle isn’t as astonishing as Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5000, but Elisha did astonish his own servant who didn’t think the food would feed 100 men. It makes me wonder if the disciples of Jesus and those in the crowd who knew the Old Testament, thought of Elisha’s miracle of food multiplication as they ate from the never-ending supply of food from five fish and two loaves.

Day 182 Bible Readings for July 2 – 2 Kings 4: 32-37 (ESV)

2 Kings 3, 2 Kings 4: 1-37, Acts 21: 1-26, Psalm 101

2 Kings 4: 32-37 (ESV)

“When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the Lord. Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. Then he summoned Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, “Pick up your son.”  She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.”

Verses 32 through 37 show the second resurrection in the Old Testament. I love how Elisha prayed and resurrected the child of the Shumanite woman who was feeding him. This resurrection shows how much the prophet Elisha was with God because he could perform miracles like this one.

The Shumanite woman had prayed for a son and Elisha asked God to give the woman a son, and she bore a son the following year. When the child fell it, the woman again went to Elisha to see if he could cure the child because of her faith in him, but the child died and Elisha had to perform the miracle himself. The faith of the woman was rewarded and her child was healed by Elisha. We need to all pray for faith like this Shumanite woman.

Day 181 Bible Readings - Acts 20: 22-24 (ESV)

2 Kings 1-2, Acts 20, Psalm 100

Acts 20: 22-24 (ESV)

“And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

Verses 22 through 24 from Acts 20 made me tear up. The Holy Spirit let Paul know that he would be imprisoned, but he still decided to go because he wanted to finish his ministry to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. What Paul did not know was that even in imprisonment, he would be able to minister to the churches he started and that in the future Christians around the world would be reading his letters to his churches.

Paul had to have absolute trust in God that whatever happened to him, it was all a part of God’s plan and that his life would be serve God’s purpose. These verses made me appreciate Paul even more because 1) he had an ongoing relationship with the Holy Spirit, and 2) whatever fears Paul had he put them aside because he was so determined to finish the task that Jesus gave him.

Day 180 Bible Readings for June 30 – Acts 19: 14-15 (ESV)

 1 Kings 22, Acts 19: 14-41, Psalm 99

Acts 19: 14-15 (ESV)

“Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”

Verses 14 through 15 from Acts 19 shows us another supernatural story from the Bible. The sons of the Jewish high priests, who were exorcists, decided to copy Paul and invoked the name of Jesus while doing their work of removing evil spirits. But they weren’t true believers of Jesus, and the evil spirit knew it and called them on it. I’m sure they were shocked as I was shocked reading these verses. One of the Bible commentaries I read said that the evil spirits always know who their enemies, and these sons of Sceva were not known by them because they really did not believe in Jesus.

I was talking to a church friend, and she told me that she knew that were many people in our congregation who are regular church goers, but who aren’t saved and don’t really believe in Jesus. I find this shocking and odd. Why even go to church unless you believe in Jesus Christ? These people are in essence like the sons of Sceva, invoking the names of Jesus but not really believing in him. My church friend told me we need to always pray for the people around us in church to be saved, in case they aren’t true believers of Christ. Luckily for them, God is not like the evil spirit. God is patient with us and will wait until we want to be saved, and he will rejoice like the father with the prodigal son that his son has been saved.