Day 364 Bible Readings – Proverbs 31: 10-12

Nehemiah 11:22-36, Nehemiah 12, Revelation 21, Proverbs 31:10-20

Proverbs 31: 10-12

“An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.”

I love the description of a wife in verses 10 through 12 from Proverb 31. Lemuel tells us that an excellent wife is more precious than jewels, and that her husband will trust her because he will always gain by her actions. A husband can expect an excellent wife to do him good and not harm all the days or her life. I know when I was married, I was not always an “excellent wife” to my husband. We both loved God, but we were not serious about our own individual relationships with God. We could not rely on the word of God for how to guide our actions. I know our marriage fell apart because when things got rough, we had nothing but our love to hold us together and that was not enough. I think if we were stronger people of faith, we would have had God, his words, and the Bible to help us through the difficult task of being in a relationship. Having two people live and try to navigate life together when they’ve both been raised differently, are not of the same age, and are completely different in so many other ways is so difficult. I am now convinced that a married couple can only stay married if they follow and rely on Jesus Christ to help them stay together. From my own experience, it’s just too hard to stay married unless you have God helping you and your spouse to stay together and in love. I think if I was more into my faith when I was married I would have strived to be more of an “excellent wife”.

Day 363 Bible Readings – Proverbs 31: 4-5 (ESV)

Nehemiah 10, Nehemiah 11: 1-21, Revelation 20, Proverbs 31: 1-9

Proverbs 31: 4-5 (ESV)

“It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.”

Verses 4 and 5 from Proverbs 31 is such good advice especially for those who are in positions of leadership. If you are in a position where you need to be called upon to make important decisions or give advice, you always need your full faculties. I cannot imagine having to make an important decision, especially and life and death decision, while under the influence of even a little alcohol. I heard a pastor recently say that he does not drink at all, because he might need to be called to minister to someone in the middle of the night and he did not want to have his mind clouded with alcohol. Some pastors have said that they don’t drink alcohol because they think it is hypocritical to counsel someone on alcohol addiction if they drink alcohol themselves. What if you are a parent and your child needed you urgently, would you be able to respond well to your child if your mind was clouded with drink? What if you made a wrong decision for your child in an emergency because you were a little tipsy? It makes sense to follow the advice of Lemuel if you are in any position of leadership.

Day 362 Bible Readings for December 29 – Revelation 19: 11-12 (ESV)

Nehemiah 9, Revelation 19: 11-21, Proverbs 30: 24-33

Revelation 19: 11-12 (ESV)

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.”

I love verses 11 and 12 from Revelation 19. Many Bible commentators have said that the person on the white horse is Jesus Christ. The rest of the verses never say that the rider is Jesus Christ, but who else in heaven can be called “Faithful and True” except Jesus. Most of Revelation is about the disasters that will befall planet Earth because of the judgement of God, and I am afraid about these events that are supposed to happen. But reading these verses made me realize that part of Revelation is about the second coming of Jesus Christ, and what an honor it would be to witness Christ coming to earth again. These verses make me look forward to Revelation happening despite the disasters that will come during this period.

Day 361 Bible Readings – Nehemiah 8: 17 (ESV)

Nehemiah 7 & 8, Revelation 18: 18-24, Revelation 19: 1-10, Proverbs 30: 11-23

Nehemiah 8: 17 (ESV)

“And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing.”

In verse 17 from Nehemiah 8, the people who returned from captivity decided to reenact the celebration of booths or the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot. God commanded the people to live in booths for seven days as a reminder of how God provided booths for them when they were wandering in the desert after they left Egypt. The booths are temporary shelters with four sides called a Sukkah with an open roof made of palm branches.

When I read verse 17, I was reminded of how I first saw my first Sukkot in college. A group of students had made these temporary shelters and left them up for seven days in a field that was between the two main college dorms. They called it Sukkot or the Feast of Booths. At the end of the seven days, they threw a big party afterwards and we all celebrated. I wonder now if a revival was going on in campus at that time, like what was going on during the time written about in Nehemiah. Whatever was going on, it’s nice to know that college students celebrated God taking caring of his people when they were wandering in the wilderness. Perhaps they thought of college as a booth or temporary shelter from real life, and was celebrating how God was still taking care of them even in the wilderness of college life.

Day 360 Bible Readings – Revelation 18: 4-5 (ESV)

Nehemiah 5 & 6, Revelation 18: 1-17, Proverbs 30: 1-10

Revelation 18: 4-5 (ESV)

“Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.”

Verses 4 and 5 from Revelation 18 is the call to people of faith to separate from Babylon. Some Biblical scholars have said that Babylon is ruled by the anti-Christ and is a dwelling place of demons. But according to Biblical scholars Babylon is seductive as a woman, and many will be tempted to align with Babylon and its principles. Some Biblical scholars equate Babylon with a great commercial city, and we have seen in our modern times how the big cities seem to drive trends in our country for good or bad.

I think people who don’t live in big cities tend to see city people as more sophisticated than themselves, and when they see a trend emerge in a big city they want to adopt it. It doesn’t seem to matter if the trend makes sense for someone living in a big city and not for personal not living there, people glamorize the trend and want to emulate it. As people of faith, we need to review any trend that is happening in culture and see if it aligns with Biblical principles. If the trend goes against Biblical laws and principles, we need to reject it. We must always look to the Bible for how to live our life and not from cultural trends.

Day 359 Bible Readings for December 26 – Proverbs 29: 25 (ESV)

Nehemiah 3 & 4, Revelation 17, Proverbs 29: 19-27

Proverbs 29: 25 (ESV)

“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.”

Solomon tells us in verse 29 from Proverbs 29 that we should not be afraid of what other people will think of us and what they will say.  Many bad decisions have been made by people who are afraid of what others will think of them. We should instead trust in the Lord and we will be safe. Trusting in God will never lead us in the wrong direction or cause us to make bad decisions. Every time we have a decision to make, we need to pray and ask God for guidance. We cannot rely on what we think or fear what other people will say about us. Other people’s guidance are often based on their own fears, while God’s guidance is not based on fear. Our lives will also be safe if we trust in God.

Day 358 Bible Readings for December 25 – Nehemiah 1: 11 (ESV)

Nehemiah 1 & 2, Revelation 16, Proverbs 29: 10-18

Nehemiah 1: 11 (ESV)

“O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

In verse 11 from Nehemiah 1 we read the end of Nehemiah’s prayer to God, and I liked what he said. He asked God to not only listen to his prayer, but the prayers of others as well. Nehemiah also prayers for success in his prayers and the prayers of others as well, and to grant him mercy.

Nehemiah prayed not only for success but the success of others. Normally I think I pray just for myself and my success, but it makes sense to also ask God to grant the prayers of our friends and for their success as well. I also like how Nehemiah is very specific in his prayers, which tells God exactly what he wants. It’s a good way to pray and ensures that God will listen to your prayers.

Day 357 Bible Readings for December 24 – Ezra 10: 2-3 (ESV)

Ezra 10, Revelation 14: 14-20, Revelation 15, Proverbs 29: 1-9

Ezra 10: 2-3 (ESV)

“And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: “We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law.”

In verses 2 and 3 from Ezra 10, Shecaniah tells us that it is against God’s law to be yoked to someone who is not of the faith. If you are yoked with someone not of the faith, you must give them up including the children from the relationship. Fortunately, we are not bound by the old covenant that Ezekiel and Shecaniah lived under in their life. Since we are under the new covenant with Jesus Christ, if we are yoked with someone not of the faith, we do not have to leave them. God will find a way to work with the situation in our life. Perhaps the person not of the faith will turn to God because of our belief in Christ. We need to trust in God in this matter of being yoked with an unbeliever.

I think it must be hard especially in times like Christmas, when one is yoked with an unbeliever. The person not of the faith may not have the same enthusiasm for the season that you do. But if we come to God yoked to an unbeliever, we need to stay with the person since they might be with us as part of God’s plan. In these types of situations, we need to trust in God fully that whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, that God has a plan for our lives.

Day 356 Bible Readings – Proverbs 28: 26 (ESV)

Ezra 8: 15-36, Ezra 9, Revelation 14: 1-13, Proverbs 28: 18-28

Proverbs 28: 26 (ESV)

“Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.”

In verse 26 from Proverbs 28, Solomon tells us we cannot trust our own mind. When Solomon writes of wisdom, he is of course referring to the wisdom found in God’s words and following his laws. It is often tempting to trust in our own minds since it is what helps us get through the day to day living of our lives. But while the mind can help us with living, it only by reading and dwelling in God’s words and following his laws can we be delivered of all dangers.

I think if you ask any person of faith, they will tell you many stories of when they trusted their own mind instead of relying on God’s words or laws for advice. These stories like mine often did not end well. They will then offer you stories of when they trusted God’s words and laws instead of what their mind was telling them do. They followed God’s words even it seemed so contrary to what their mind and the world was telling them. Then they will tell you the miracles that happened in their life when the followed God’s words. If you find yourself sometimes doubting God’s words and his laws, then pray to God to show you which direction to go in your life. God is always faithful and will always give you his wisdom to follow in your life.

Day 355 Bible Readings for December 22 – Ezra 7: 27-28 (ESV)

Ezra 7: 11-28, Ezra 8: 1-14, Revelation 13, Proverbs 28: 7-17

Ezra 7: 27-28 (ESV)

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.”

In verses 27 and 28 from Ezra 7, Ezra praises God for what is a miracle to him. Ezra tells us that it can only be God who could have put thoughts of beautifying the house of the Lord in the heart of the king. I love how Ezra attributed the actions of the king to God. I know exactly how Ezra felt when he blessed the Lord. I’ve had experiences like Ezra in my own life. When an impossible situation was all of a sudden rectified in my favor, I always consider it a miracle and thank God for intervening in my life and answering my prayers. When miracles do come into my life, I have similar thoughts to Ezra as well. When miracles happen in my life, it makes me feel like God is guiding me and helping me to fulfill his plan for my life.

Day 354 Bible Readings for December 21 – Proverbs 27: 23-24 (ESV)

Ezra 6, Ezra 7: 1-10, Revelations 12, Proverbs 27: 23-27, Proverbs 28: 1-6

Proverbs 27: 23-24 (ESV)

“Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations?”

In verses 23-24 from Proverbs 27, Solomon tells us that if we do not know well what we have and give attention to it then it will not last. I’ve found this true in my own life. If I did not pay attention to my chores, then my living space would become a mess. If I did not pay attention to my finances, then my debt increased. The best thing I’ve done in my life is to track all of my expenses no matter how small. As soon as I started tracking my spend, I found out what I was spending my money on every day. If I needed to make cuts then it was easier, because I knew where every penny was going. Even when my finances became very abundant, I still kept tracking my expenses because I wanted to see if what I was buying was of quality. I found it if I bought shoes that were cheap but not of quality, they only lasted less than a year. Once I started buying more expensive shoes, I found it they lasted much longer than the cheap ones I was used to buying. Some people like to have different shoes every year, so if they break then no matter. I’ve found out over the years that I like the items I buy to last, but only because it takes a long time for me to buy anything. So I like Solomon’s advice because I’ve seen its wisdom in my own life.

Day 353 Bible Readings for December 20 – Proverbs 27: 19 (ESV)

Ezra 4 & 5, Revelation 11, Proverbs 27: 15-22

Proverbs 27: 19 (ESV)

“As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.”

In verse 19 from Proverbs 27, Solomon tells us that you can only know a person by knowing his heart. Just as water reflects a face, so too does a person’s heart. I think sometimes people often think and make decisions with their head, which can lead them to trouble. A person can control their behavior with their head but if it is in too much opposition to what is in their heart, then what the heart feels will eventually come out and often at the wrong time.

Some people can control their behavior with their head, but if the heart is too much denied then sometimes a person’s health will be affected. The heart is the true barometer of a person, so we must all try to act with what is in our heart.

Day 352 Bible Readings – Proverbs 27: 7 (ESV)

Ezra 3, Revelation 9: 13-21, Revelation 10, Proverbs 27: 5-14

Proverbs 27: 7 (ESV)

“One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.”

When I read verse 7 from Provers 27, I was so touched. Solomon tells us when you are full, something as sweet as a honeycomb is not desired. Bible commentators have said that this verse means that when your life is satisfying, you will find it easy to reject things that others would consider rewarding. I have been at this place in my life, but I always knew that something was missing. Even when my life was rich and abundant, it just wasn’t enough.

Solomon then tells us when your life is not abundant and you are hungry, you will find everything very sweet. I’ve been in this place as well. I remember when I used to take night classes, and I used to bring my dinner to eat on campus because I didn’t have enough money to eat in the cafeteria. Eating out even if the meal was under $10 was such a big deal.  

Having had an abundant life and a life of not having enough money to even eat out, I used to think that if I just had enough money I would be satisfied. But when I had a lot of money and was able to eat out and did not think anything of spending over $150 on a dinner, the abundant life was not satisfying. The only thing that I have found truly satisfying is having a relationship with God in my life. God is the only thing in my life that seems to satisfy the hunger in me.

Day 351 Bible Readings – Proverbs 27: 4 (ESV)

Ezra 1 & 2, Revelation 8, Revelation 9: 1-12, Proverbs 26: 23-28, Proverbs 27: 1-4

Proverbs 27: 4 (ESV)

“Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?”

Verse 4 from Proverbs 27 is a truth that resonates as truth, but Solomon reminds us in case people have forgotten it. Wrath is indeed cruel, and anger can be overwhelming when expressed, but they tend to be short lived. Jealousy on the other hand can be long lasting, and therefore may lead to more cruel and overwhelming actions for those who are envious. We can see the results of envy in Matthew 27: 18 “For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.” Matthew speculated that it was envy that led the Sanhedrin to plot to kill Jesus Christ. 

While anger is often caused by something someone has done, jealousy on the other hand seems to sometimes be unreasonable and caused by someone becoming upset by the good fortune of another person. Jealousy also seems to be more hidden as it is not something another person would openly confess to in public, unlike wrath and anger which is often expressed publicly and not hidden well.

Day 350 Bible Readings – Malachi 3: 10-12 (ESV)

Malachi 3 & 4, Revelation 7, Proverbs 26: 13-22

Malachi 3: 10-12 (ESV)

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.  Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.”

In verses 10 through 12 from Malachi 12, we read of God telling us that we can test him regarding the promise of tithing. Malachi tells us that God promises that he will pour down blessings on us until there is no need. God will also make sure our property is not destroyed, and everything we have will be fruitful. God says we will be so blessed that we will be recognized by others as being blessed by God.

Tithing is such an interesting topic for people of faith, especially if money and time are not abundant in one’s life. We can tithe our money and our time to God, but for some to give away both is a hardship. I know for myself that I never felt more abundant in my life than when I was tithing both money and time to God. Was it hard to tithe sometimes? Absolutely! Did God fulfill his promises to me when I was tithing? Yes, and in ways I wasn’t expecting which I cannot even put a price on at this time. All I know is that when I surrendered to tithe 10% to God, I had to redefine my definitions of wealth and abundance. I think if one fears tithing, you have to know that God will help you to do it. You are not left on your own to figure it out. God promised that he will be with us in everything, and that includes figuring out to tithe 10% to him. I know I couldn’t have done it without the Holy Spirit advising me on how to do it.

Day 349 Bible Readings for December 16 – Revelation 6: 12-13 (ESV)

Malachi 1 & 2, Revelation 6, Proverbs 26: 1-12

Revelation 6: 12-13 (ESV)

“When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.”

I love the description of what happens when the sixth seal is open from verses 12 and 13 in Revelation 6. The sixth seal talks about there being a great earthquake, and the sun becoming black. Then the full moon becomes like blood and stars of the sky fall to earth, and there is a great gale. The sixth seal talks about natural disasters and whenever there is a cluster of natural disasters, people start talking about the Book of Revelation and they look for evidence of the seals being broken in Revelation 6.

There have been many movies about what the breaking of the seals might look like if it ever happened. One movie depicted the disasters happening all at once, and that is sort of how I picture what the breaking of the sixth seal would look like if it ever happened. If a multitude of disasters were happening at the same time, there would no doubt that something momentous was happening in the world and people of faith would recognize it as part of the sixth seal breaking.

I don’t think the sixth seal has been broken but when it does, the people who follow God’s words will know what it may mean.

Day 348 Bible Readings for December 15 – Revelation 5: 5-6 (ESV)

Esther 9 & 10, Revelation 5: Proverbs 25: 21-28

Revelation 5: 5-6 (ESV)

“And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”

In verses 5 and 6 from Revelation, we see the elder responding to John when he weeps that no one is able to able to look or open up the scrolls. The elder tells John that the Lion of the tribe of Judah can open up the scroll and its seven seals. Many Bible commentators have said that this Lion of the tribe of Judah is Jesus Christ, since the next thing John sees is a slain lamb. I love that it is only Christ who can open the scrolls with seven seals. We don’t really what is written in the scroll with the seven seals, only that only Christ is the only person who can open the scroll and break the seven seals. Because Christ is the only person who can open the scroll, we can see this detail as further evidence that Jesus Christ was and is the son of God.

It must have been such an unusual and frightening sight for John to see a slain lamb with seven horns and seven eyes. Did John know immediately that the lamb represented Jesus Christ? John had known Jesus Christ when he had been alive, so seeing a slain lamb must have been a shock for him or at least bring back to him the traumatic memories of Christ dying on the cross. John’s traumatic memories were I hope made better when he heard Christ being sung to and worshipped by the angels and the living creatures around the throne.

Day 347 Bible Readings for December 14 – Proverbs 25: 16-17 (ESV)

Esther 6-8, Revelations 4, Proverbs 25: 11-20

Proverbs 25: 16-17 (ESV)

“If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it. Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you.”

Verses 16 and 17 from Proverbs 25 give more good advice on how to live life from Solomon. Solomon tells us that if you find honey or something sweet, you should only have enough for yourself. If you have your fill or if you overindulge, it will make you sick. You will also lose whatever you thought was good about the thing you thought you loved.

I also like the advice to not to spend too much time in your neighbor’s house. I believe this advice is about not abusing the hospitality of others including your neighbors. Solomon advises us to have discretion with our friends as every relationship needs space to thrive and last a long time.

Day 346 Bible Readings – Proverbs 25: 2-3 (ESV)

Esther 3-5, Revelation 3: 7-22, Proverbs 25: 1-10

Proverbs 25: 2-3 (ESV)

“It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable.”

In verses 2 and 3 from Proverbs 25, Solomon tells us that there are many mysteries in the world which can be solved but God has concealed even greater mysteries. Great men such as kings want to solve God’s mysteries, and they spend a lifetime doing it. But Solomon tells us what cannot searched is what is in people’s hearts including the heart of a king. Only God can know what is in the heart of a person.

I think what these verses mean is that we need to turn to God for discernment when we are trying to determine what is in the heart of other people. No matter how great a person is, even if they are a king, we all need God’s help to make decisions especially concerning other people. Only God can see what is in someone’s heart, and what their motivations are for their actions. So if we rely on God for help when judging other people or making decisions involving other people, we have a better chance of making a better decision than if we had done it on our own. Only God can judge, and if we need to judge, then we need to rely on God for advice on how to judge other people.

Day 345 Bible Readings - Proverbs 24: 33-34 (ESV)

Esther 1 & 2, Revelation 2: 18-29, Revelation 3: 1-6, Proverbs 24: 23-34

Proverbs 24: 33-34 (ESV)

“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.”

In verses 33 and 34 from Proverbs 24, the Wise men tell us what the effects are of being lazy. In the prior two verses, the Wise men see the property of a lazy person and notice that the property is not well kept. The vineyard is overgrown with thorns, the ground is covered with nettles, and the stone wall is broken. The Wise men tell us if you just sleep a little too much, maybe take too many naps, and you do not work as hard as you should, then poverty will rob you of your wealth.

I used to think that it was worse that if you were totally lazy and didn’t do anything, you would be poor. But according to the Wise men, even a little bit of laziness and carelessness will lead you to poverty as well. I don’t think that the Wise men are saying you can’t take breaks and have vacations, but you have to continue to work hard or your property will be not well maintained and your laziness will rob you of everything you’ve worked hard for in your life.

Day 344 Bible Readings – Proverbs 24: 19-20 (ESV)

Zechariah 12-14, Revelation 2: 1-17, Proverbs 24: 15-22

Proverbs 24: 19-20 (ESV)

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.”

Verses 19 and 20 from Proverbs 24 remind us not to pay attention to people who do evil or are wicked. I know for myself that I tend to pay attention to people who seem to be evil or wicked, because I want to be there to see them fail. I want to see for myself God’s justice on these types of people. But Solomon tells us that we can’t worry about evildoers or the wicked getting punished. Solomon tells us that God’s punishment will come for them, as the evildoer and the wicked have no future. We cannot spend our lives wanting these people to get punished. God has his own timing, and the ways of the God are truly inscrutable. We have to trust that God will keep his promises and punish these people. But even if we were to watch these types of people, I’m not sure we would even know when they are being punished because God can punish them in his own way and in a way that we do not understand. We can never truly see into another person’s life and heart, only God can do that. But as we trust in God to punish those who do not follow his laws, we can also trust that will take care of the people that do dwell and follow his laws. We need to worry more about our behavior and relationship with God, and not with anyone else’s relationship or behavior.

Day 343 Bible Readings – Zechariah 9:9 (ESV)

Zechariah 9-11, Revelation 1, Proverbs 24: 1-14

Zechariah 9:9 (ESV)

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

I love verse 9 from Zechariah 9 because it is another prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ when he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. According to Bible commentaries, only royalty rode on donkeys. Christ was a king and a messiah when he rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. I find it so interesting that there are many prophecies of the coming of Jesus Christ in the book of the Old Testament.

People in the time of Jesus knew the words of the Old Testament. It makes me wonder if they connected the prophecies of a messiah coming to them when they saw the things in life of Jesus that were reflected in these prophecies. In the two new “Dune” movies, they depicted how people connected the prophecies of their messiah to Paul Atreides by the things that Paul was doing in their lives. Did people in the time of Jesus connect their prophecies in the Old Testament of the coming of a messiah was wondrously as they did the Dune movies? I often ask myself if I had lived in the time of Jesus, would I have been able to connect the Old Testament prophecies to the life of Jesus. If I lived at that time, how would I have responded to the healing miracles of Jesus. Would I have become a believer and follower of Jesus? Or would I have been a sceptic? I like to think I would have become a follower, but I’ll never know.

Day 342 Bible Readings for December 9 – Zechariah 5: 1-4 (ESV)

Zechariah 5-8, Jude 1, Proverbs 23: 29-35

Zechariah 5: 1-4 (ESV)

“Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll! And he said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits. ”Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side. I will send it out, declares the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones.”

In verses 1 through 4 from Zechariah 5, the prophet Zechariah has a vision of flying scroll. I love this image of the flying scroll which sounds like it has the 10 commandments written on it. The scroll has the names of the people who have violated the commandments of Thou shall not steal and Thou shall not swear false witness against thy neighbor. The scroll will then fly around and enter the sinners’ houses and burn them down, including the timber and stones.

Zechariah’s vision reminds that God keeps tracks of who violates these commandments and will send punishment to these people and judge them according to their crimes. The punishment that God sends will be appropriate to the commandment broken. If you steal and bear false witness against your neighbor, you will lose everything you possess since your sin deprived others of their possessions. In modern parlance, some would call this scenario “karma.”

Day 341 Bible Readings for December 8 – 3 John 1: 2 (ESV)

Zechariah 1-4, 3 John 1, Proverbs 23: 19-28

3 John 1: 2 (ESV)

“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”

Verse 2 from 3 John 1 reminds us that God always wants the best for us. God wants us to have good health and wealth, which is reflected in our soul. Pastor David Guzik wrote the following in his bible commentary on this verse, “Of course, we should always remember that God wants our best and plans only good for us. Often present material prosperity and physical health are part of that good He has for us – and this prosperity and health are absolutely promised as the ultimate destiny of all believers.’

I love and absolutely believe that prosperity and health are the promised destiny for all those who believe in God. But when we don’t have good health and prosperity, it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love us. It simply means that God may be trying to teach us lessons on health, prosperity, and his plan for our life. God does want the best for us, always.

Day 340 Bible Readings for December 7 – Haggai 1: 5-6 (ESV)

Haggai 1 & 2, 2 John 1, Proverbs 23: 10-38

Haggai 1: 5-6 (ESV)

“Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.”

Verses 5 and 6 from Haggai 1 tells us what happens to us when we focus on the wrong priorities and not on the work God has chosen for us. Haggai the prophet tells us we can so much, but harvest little. We can eat, but never feel full or have enough. We can drink but we will never our fill. We can clothe ourselves, but never feel warm. Finally we can earn money but it will seem as if we can’t  hold on to it and if will feel like we are putting our money in a bag with holes.

God created us and has a plan for our lives.  If we follow God’s plan for our lives, then our life will seem satisfying and full of abundance. However, if lose our focus on God’s will for our lives, it will feel like we are running in place and never getting anywhere. I know I’ve done this in my life when I was not focused on God. Nothing ever seemed to satisfy me when my focus wasn’t on trying to discern God’s will for my life and following what I had heard. I had a great paying job, lots of money, lots of material things, and lots of responsibilities and prestige at work. But I never felt satisfied ever. I was always hungry for more, and it was so frustrating at times. I never ever had the feeling that I had enough of anything, even though I was surrounded by an abundance of many things. It wasn’t until I turned my focus back to God that I found more satisfaction with my life and that forgotten feeling of abundance again.

Day 339 Bible Readings – 1 John 5: 14-15 (ESV)

Daniel 12, 1 John 5: 1-21, Proverbs 22: 28-29, Proverbs: 23: 1-9

1 John 5: 14-15 (ESV)

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

In verses 14 and 15 from 1 John 5, John tells us that we can ask anything of God because of our belief in Jesus Christ. We just need to ask anything of God in prayer and ask according to his will. We also need to have confidence that God will hear us, and our prayers will be answered if they are part of God’s will. Many folks who have commented on these Bible verses say that we need to pray to God about everything in our life because God cares about everything in our life.

I think that what is interesting in these verses is we need to ask for things that are part of God’s will, so we need to discern what is God’s will. If we think about and try to discern what God’s will is for our life, then our prayers for what we want will be quite different. I always try to add to my prayer request to let me know if this is God’s will, and if not, for God and the Holy Spirit to help me discern his will for my life. But it is probably a better idea to try and discern God’s will before praying for something, so you have a better chance of your prayers being answered.

Day 338 Bible Readings – 1 John 4: 18-19 (ESV)

Daniel 11, 1 John 4: 7-21, Proverbs 22: 17-27

1 John 4: 18-19 (ESV)

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.”

In verses 18 and 19 from 1 John 4, John tells us about the transformative love of Jesus Christ. Christ died for us – his is a perfect love for humanity, for us. Because Jesus loves us with a perfect love, we will not have fear in our life. God loves us so much that we need not feel the fear of punishment of our sin, because Christ died for our sins.

I think it’s hard sometimes to not fear God. We want to please God so much and when we fail, we think God will punish us. But God isn’t like our human parents. God’s love for us is perfect. God never wants us to be afraid of him because he wants us be happy.

Day 337 Bible Readings – I John 4: 1 (ESV)

Daniel 9 & 10, 1 John 4: 1-6, Proverbs 22: 7-16

I John 4: 1 (ESV)

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

Verse 1 from 1 John 4 is good advice that we cannot believe or assume that every spiritual experience or demonstration of spiritual power is from God. This scenario is one of the few times we can test the Holy Spirit to ascertain whether the spirit is from God.

I love listening to prophetic voices. I find the phenomenon of prophecy so interesting, but I don’t think we can assume that all prophecies are from God. We need to observe and question whether the prophecies are in line with Biblical teachings. If the prophecy is not in line in what is being said in the Bible, we need to step back and pray for discernment. I think it also helps if we cultivate a relationship with the Holy Spirit daily, so we can ask the Holy Spirit what they think of the prophecy and the prophetic voice who is speaking it. I think if the prophecy feels just a little bit off, we need to step away and pray for discernment. God is the only one who can judge, so we need to pray and ask God to help us determine if the prophecy is even worth paying attention to and acted upon.

Day 336 Bible Readings – Proverbs 22: 6 (ESV)

Daniel 8, 1 John 3: 11-24, Proverbs 21: 27-31, Proverbs 22: 1-6

Proverbs 22: 6 (ESV)

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Verse 6 from Proverbs 22 reminds me to be grateful to my mom. She loved Christ and tried to instill in me a love of Christ from a very young age. I grew up going to church and watching her pray and trying to be a good person of faith. She didn’t always succeed, but she tried. That early teaching to love God came back to me as I grew older. I don’t think that feeling of loving God ever left me fully, but it took a back seat for many years of my life. And when the timing was right, those early memories of loving God came back and reminded me that God was always there for me in m life.

I thank my mom and all moms for never hiding their love of Christ from their children. Your love of God will influence your children for the rest of their lives.

Day 335 Bible Readings – Proverbs 21: 17 (ESV)

Daniel 7, 1 John 3: 1-10, Proverbs 21: 17-26

Proverbs 21: 17 (ESV)

“Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.”

Verse 17 from Proverbs 21 is another simple piece of advice that needs to be repeated often. Solomon tells us that if you love pleasure too much, you will be a poor man. Similarly, if you love oil and wine too much you will not have wealth. To be successful in life and have wealth requires self-discipline and self-denial. You cannot always be in the pursuit of pleasure. Many would consider wine and oil to be items of luxury. It’s not that you can’t have luxury in life, but you can’t love them so much that you spend all of your money on them.

Verse 17 can also be applied to food. If you find too much pleasure in food, you will gain weight and not be a healthy and thin person. If you spend all your time drinking too much wine and eating luxurious foods, you will gain weight and not be healthy.

Day 334 Bible Readings – 1 John 2: 15-17 (ESV)

Daniel 5: 17-31, Daniel 6: 1-28, 1 John 1-2, Proverbs 21: 1-16

1 John 2: 15-17 (ESV)

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

In verses 15 through 17 from 1 John 2, John writes to people of faith to not love the things of the world. John tells us that whatever is in the world is from the world and does not last. The only thing that does last is God and the love he has for us, and the promise that we will be with him at the end of our days.

John’s advice seems so simple, but it can be hard to remember in our daily life because we live in the world and are influenced by it on a constant basis. I think that the times we live in make it especially hard for people of faith to live in the world. There are many things that are shown in movies and television shows that are not in keeping with the God’s laws in the Bible. We also see these things in print, in commercials, on the radio, on billboards, etc. It seems at times the whole world is against God or as some would say “anti-God”.

In my life the only thing that brings me peace of mind and contentment is the love of God and the reading of his words and promises in the Bible. The world has changed so much since the Bible, but the Bible has not changed. It has withstood the changes that go on in the world. The same is true for the love of God. God has not changed and there are centuries of stories proving that God always keeps his promises to his people. The world changes but God never does.