Day 58 Bible Readings – Leviticus 1: 3 (ESV)

Leviticus 1 & 2, Mark 9: 33-50, Psalm 35: 19-28

Leviticus 1: 3 (ESV)

“If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord.”

In verses 3 and 4 from Leviticus 1, we read about the rules for the sacrificing of a burnt offering. In reading through Bible commentaries on these verses, many authors have suggested that God gave Moses specific rules for making a sacrifice for the atonement of sins as examples of what he expected of his people. The sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin had to come from something that was of great value to the person, such as a male animal. The animal had to also be without blemish and had to be offered freely to God.

While we do not need to offer the same type of sacrifices today that was required during the time of the Bible, we need to follow these principles set down in Leviticus for our own offerings to God. When we think about tithing to God, is the amount you tithe an amount that is of great to value to you? God doesn’t care how much we tithe, but he wants us to offer a tithe that is of great value to us. God gives us his best and he deserves to have our best. When we serve God as an offering of our time, are you doing it freely or are you doing it because you feel forced? When we offer love to God, are you offering it freely or do you expect something in return? God wants us to offer our love to him freely without conditions, the way he offers his love to us freely without conditions.

Day 57 Bible Readings – Mark 9: 28-29 (ESV)

Exodus 39 & 40, Mark 9: 1-32, Psalm 35: 11-18

Mark 9: 28-29 (ESV)

“And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

In verses 28 and 29 from Mark 9, Jesus tells his disciples that they could not cast the demon out of the child because the demon could only driven out by prayer. In a Bible commentary I read, the author stated that Jesus was not saying that prayer would make them worthy to cast out demons. Jesus was trying to tell his disciples that they needed to pray more because prayer brings us closer to the heart of God and increases our faith. If our faith is strong, then we can draw on the power of God to perform miracles. The author also stated that that the disciples couldn’t drive out the demon from the child because they were relying more on themselves than on God. I like this explanation that prayer brings us closer to God and strengthens our faith. It isn’t that God needs to hear our prayers because God knows us better than we know ourselves. But we need prayer to strengthen our faith and to become closer to God.

Day 56 Bible Readings for February 26 – Mark 8: 38 (ESV)

Exodus 37 & 38, Mark 8: 1-38, Psalm 35: 1-10

Mark 8: 38 (ESV)

“For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

In verse 8 from Mark 8, Jesus talks about how his disciples cannot be ashamed of him and his words when they are surrounded by adulterous and sinful people. If they are ashamed of him, then Christ will ashamed of them after his resurrection. I find this verse to be applicable to Christians living in today’s world. We cannot be ashamed of being Christians and loving Christ, even though to love Christ and be a Christian in today’s world is not seen as a good thing by the same people who uphold sins as good things. I find it so interesting that the words from the Bible are still applicable to us in our modern day, when our world is so different from world in the times of Jesus. What this similarity does tell me is that the nature of people are the same today as they were in the times of Christ, and the Bible can still be used as a guide for how to live our life as people who believe in Christ.

Day 55 Bible Readings – Exodus 35: 30-33 (ESV)

Exodus 35 & 36, Mark 7: 31-37, Psalm 34: 11-22

Exodus 35: 30-33 (ESV)

“Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft.”

In verses 30-33 from Exodus 35, we find out God has filled Uri the son of Ur with the spirit of God to help build the Tabernacle. God gave Uri skill, intelligence, and knowledge of craftsmanship to do his work. I love these verses because they tell us that if God has given us a task to do, we should not be afraid of taking it on. God would not have given us the task without give us the needed skills, intelligence, and knowledge to complete the task. God will always give us everything we need to fulfill his plan for our life and his plan for humanity. We have a good God who loves us and want us to always be happy in our lives.

Day 54 Bible Readings – Mark 7: 20-23 (ESV)

Exodus 33 & 34, Mark 7: 1-30, Psalm 34: 1-10

Mark 7: 20-23 (ESV)

“And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

In verses 20 through 23 from Mark 7, we read how Jesus responded to the Pharisees when they questioned him about why his disciples did not observe the ceremonial washing rituals before they ate food. Christ tells us that God is more concerned with what comes out of a person, then what comes into him through food. Christ tells us that food or unclean hands do not defile us. We are already defiled by our sinful nature. Christ then gives us a list of 13 evil things that live in our hearts. William Barclay wrote in his book The Gospel of Mark that “Every outward act of sin is preceded by an inward act of choice; therefore Jesus begins with the evil thought from which the evil action comes.” I like Barclay’s theory that every outward act of sin is only made because we made an inward act of choice. Every sin known to man can be connected to the list of 13 evil things that Christ said lives in our hearts. It is only with the help of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, can we hope to overcome these 13 evil things that Christ said lives within us and live a live of peace and righteousness.

Day 53 Bible Readings – Exodus 32: 1 (ESV)

Exodus 31 & 32, Mark 6: 30-56, Psalm 33: 12-22

Exodus 32: 1 (ESV)

“When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

In verse 1 from Exodus 32, we read that the people of Israel got tired of waiting for Moses because they hadn’t seen him for 40 days after he went up into the mountains to talk to God. In one Bible commentary I wrote, the author said that how we feel about God’s delays in our life is a measure of our spiritual maturity. I think the people of Israel felt abandoned by Moses and were afraid despite their miraculous passage through the red sea and all they saw God do during the 10 plagues against Egypt. They didn’t trust God or Moses enough to wait for his return, and they went back to their old ways of wanting another God to lead them. Not knowing when Moses was coming back or if he was even coming back led the people of Israel to doubt God and Moses. When we have doubts about God and his love and care for us, we often look for security and love elsewhere. Other things become our God or our Idol so we can feel that sense of security. But once we doubt God and turn to sin, we can cause even more delays to what we want. By doubting God, the people of Israel were punished and would be delayed 40 years before they entered the land promised to them. And the generation that wanted Aaron to make new idols for them did not live long enough to even enter the promised land. We see a clear example in Exodus the price we could pay for doubting God’s plan for our lives.

Day 52 Bible Readings – Mark 6: 12-13 (ESV)

Exodus 29-30, Mark 6: 1-29, Psalm 33: 1-11

Mark 6: 12-13 (ESV)

“So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.”

In verses 12 and 13 from Mark 6 we find out that the disciples of Jesus, who went out two by two to proclaim his teachings, were able to case out demons and heal many sick people. We have to imagine what it must have been like for the apostles of Jesus to do this work and find out that they could do miracles like Jesus. It must have been so mind-blowing to these twelve men who had never done anything like this in their lives. Here again The Chosen series has done an excellent job of depicting for us to see what might have happened when the disciples went out and the miracles they performed. You can see them doing everything Jesus told them to do on faith and their shock when they were able to heal and perform miracles. There is no dialogue in these scenes, and I think the actors did a great job to show the elation of the disciples when they were able to perform a miracle like Jesus.

Enjoy The Chosen series, Season 3, Episode 4 – Two by Two: 

Day 51 Bible Readings for February 21 – Mark 5: 41-43 (ESV)

Exodus 27 & 28, Mark 5: 21-43, Psalm 32

Mark 5: 41-43 (ESV)

“Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.”

In verses 41-43 from Mark 5, we read about the healing of the daughter of Jairus. It is an amazing miracle for Jesus to bring a little girl who had been dead long enough for mourners to come and start their traditional wailing. But Jesus healed her with only three of his disciples present and the parents of the little girl. The best depiction that I’ve seen of these verses from Mark 5 is from the series The Chosen Season 3, Episode 5. It’s one thing to read about this miracle, but it is something else to experience it as it might have actually happened in real life. You get to hear the mourners and their wailing, the fear of the girls’ parents, and their joy when they see their daughter brought to life.

Enjoy The Chosen, Season 5, Episode 3 - Raising Jairus' Daughter - 

Day 50 Bible Readings for February 20 – Mark 5: 18-20 (ESV)

Exodus 25 & 26, Mark 4: 30-41, Mark 5: 1-20, Psalm 31: 19-24

Mark 5: 18-20 (ESV)

“As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.”

Verses 18 through 20 from Mark 5 reminded me that when something miraculous happens to you, Christ wants you to proclaim it to the world as your new ministry. The man who had been possessed with demons who said his name was “Legion”, wanted to go with Jesus but Christ told the man to go home and tell his friends of how he had been healed. So the man who had been possessed with demons went back to Decapolis and told everyone how Jesus had healed him. These verses also remind me that sometimes the things we pray for and want might not be the right thing for our lives, and that God will sometimes turn us in a different direction. Decapolis was also a Gentile community, so it was part of God’s plan that the seeds of Christ’s miracles would be planted in this area which would later become an important center of Christ’s teachings after his resurrection. We have to trust that if God doesn’t answer our prayers and turns us in a different direction, that God has a plan for us and salvation of humanity.

Update on Feb 22: Caught a mild cold but too fuzzy headed to post

I picked up a mild cold which started on Thursday, but I was so fuzzy headed that the thought of reading the Bible felt too much. Feeling so much better today and I am 80% back to health, so I will get caught up on the daily Bible readings I missed. 

Day 49 Bible Readings – Mark 4: 21-23 (ESV)

Exodus 23 & 24, Mark 3: 31-35, Mark 4: 1-29, Psalm 31: 9-18

Mark 4: 21-23 (ESV)

“And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

In verses 21 through 23 from Mark 4, Jesus tells his disciples that the truth of God is like a light and that light is meant to shine and not be hidden away. Jesus talks about truth and light in common sense examples. You would not buy a light and put it under a basket, or under a bed. You would put the light on a stand so it can reveal what is in the darkness. Jesus then says that the truth of God cannot be hidden, it must be revealed. The truth of God is not a secret and must be revealed. I read a Bible commentary on these verses, and the writer commented that if you understand the word of God then it is your responsibility to spread the truth of God if God presents you with the opportunity. Jesus is telling us we cannot hide the truth of God if we have the ears to hear  and discern that truth. It’s like Jesus is saying to his disciples, you are obligated to spread the truth of God if you can discern it. I was struck by this interpretation because I never thought of Jesus obligating people who believe in him to spread his truth. Perhaps that is why the Holy Spirit inspired me to write on my blog daily what Bible verses stood out to me in my daily Bible readings, so in my small way I am doing as Jesus commanded and spreading his light to the world.  

Day 48 Bible Readings – Psalm 31: 7-8 (ESV)

Exodus 21 & 22, Mark 2: 18-28, Mark 3: 1-30, Psalm 31: 1-8

Psalm 31: 7-8 (ESV)

“I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place.”

Of all the Bible readings for today, verses 7 and 8 from Psalm 31 brought tears to my eyes. I often think that God knows me better than anyone knows me, better than I know even know myself. I know that God has seen the troubles in my life because he has always helped me get through them. I know that God has seen the distress of my soul because I know I can count on God to send me healing love when I am in any kind of distress. And I definitely know that God has always taken care of me and never delivered me into the hand of my enemies because no matter what happened in my life, I always seem to end up in a better place.

Day 47 Bible Readings – Mark 2: 16-17 (ESV)

Exodus 19 & 20, Mark 1: 29-45, Mark 2: 1-17, Psalm 30: 8-12

Mark 2: 16-17 (ESV)

“And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

In verses 16 and 17 from Mark 2, Jesus tells the scribes the Pharisees that he eats with tax collectors and sinners because he came to be with the sinners who are sick and not with those who have no need of a physician. I love this line from Jesus. I always think of Jesus as so amazing and when I read the stories of his disciples and other people of faith, I think of them as amazing people as well. These verses remind me that Jesus didn’t come for the amazing people. He came for the sinners. He came to redeem people from their sins, and he is the greatest doctor to heal us from our sins. But the words of Jesus also remind that he loves me exactly for who I am sins and warts and all. That I don’t have to be an amazing person but maybe with God’s help and if it’s part of his plan for my life, I will become an amazing person and follower of Jesus Christ.

Day 46 Bible Readings – Exodus 17: 11-13 (ESV)

Exodus 17 & 18, Mark 1: 1-28, Psalm 30: 1-7

Exodus 17: 11-13 (ESV)

“Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.”

Verses 11 through 13 from Exodus 17 shows us the value of having other people helping us with prayer. Moses was praying for Israel to prevail against the Amalekites by holding up his hand, but when he grew weary and lowered his hand the Amalekites started winning again. Aaron and Hur helped Moses to pray until Joshua and his men defeated the people of Amalek. If I am praying for something and it hasn’t happened yet, I often reach out to get other people to help pray with me and get their intercessory help with my prayers. Having other people pray with me or do intercessory prayer on my behalf has always helped me to get my prayers answered. Intercessory prayer isn’t always a guarantee that my prayers will be answered, but I think most of the time it does help. When I pray with other people, I am always awestruck by how other people pray. Their way of praying is so different than mine, and I am in awe of their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. I love praying with other people because just listening to other people helps to strengthen my own faith.

              

Day 45 Bible Readings – Matthew 28: 12-15 (ESV)

Exodus 15 & 16, Matthew 28, Psalm 29

Matthew 28: 12-15 (ESV)

“And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’  And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.”

Verses 12 through 15 from Matthew 28 shows how people have doubted the resurrection of Christ, even though there were witnesses to the many miracles that took place before, during, and after Christ died. Reading these verses makes me think this was probably the first written example of a disinformation campaign and the original conspiracy theory. The Hebrew priests were so afraid of the teachings of Christ that they came up with this coverup story of the resurrection of Christ and created a disinformation campaign so powerful that it still persists to this day. But no matter how powerful the coverup, it is testament to the power of Christ that his teachings flourished and is still going strong to this day.

Day 44 Bible Readings – Matthew 27: 45 (ESV)

Exodus 13 & 14, Matthew 27: 45-66, Psalm 28

Matthew 27: 45 (ESV)

“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.”

Verse 45 from Matthew is a description of what was happening I the sky while Jesus was on the cross and dying. I’ve always found this verse so interesting. At first I thought that maybe there had been an eclipse that had happened while Jesus was dying on the cross. But as I was reading through several Bible commentaries, I found out there was not a natural eclipse of the sun. Jeus was on the cross for about 6 hours from 9 am in the morning until 3 pm in the afternoon. The darkness happened from 12 noon till about 3 pm, which is much longer than other eclipses. Bible scholars have noted that the darkness happened during a full moon, and it is said that it would be impossible for there to be a natural eclipse of the sun. I love how this darkness could be considered a miracle of sorts, and I am sure it seemed that way to the people who were watching Jesus die on the cross. It must have seemed as if the world itself was in agony when the sky darkened. If the sky getting dark wasn’t a sure sign that Jesus was the son of God, there would be more to come. But I love how the sky darkening reflected the agony that the followers of Jesus must have felt as they watched him dying on the cross.

Day 43 Bible Readings – Exodus12: 13 (ESV)

Exodus 11 & 12, Matthew 27: 11-44, Psalm 27

Exodus12: 13 (ESV)

“The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.”

Verse 13 from Exodus 12 is what God said to Moses and Aaron about the blood of the lamb that he asked the people of Israel to put on their doorposts. God said if he saw the lamb’s blood on the doorpost, the plague of the death of the firstborn will pass over the house and it occupants. When I read this verse, I was reminded of the life of Christ who came to earth to be like these lambs that were killed. Christ was crucified for our sins so the plague of death would pass over anyone who believes in him. I love how God’s plan for the life of Christ was already being hinted at in the Book of Exodus. God was seeding among this people the idea of a sacrificial lamb who could save us from death. I cannot help but think of Christ every time I come across a story in the Bible of a sacrificial lamb. The life of Jesus and how he was treated in the days leading to his crucifixion was exactly like that of a lamb chosen for sacrifice. It makes me wonder how much God is constantly hinting in my life what his plan is for my life, and all I need to do is look for the signs and the recurring themes in my life.

Day 42 Bible Readings – Exodus 10: 21-23 (ESV)

Exodus 9 & 10, Matthew 26: 69-75, Matthew 27: 1-10, Psalm 26

Exodus 10: 21-23 (ESV)

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.”

In verses 21 through 23 from Exodus 10, God tells Moses to bring a plague of darkness over the land of Egypt. The ninth plague of darkness lasted 3 days, which is similar to the amount of time that Jesus lay dead in the tomb before his resurrection. According to several Bible commentaries, the Egyptians tried to light their candles and lamps but they wouldn’t work. Since the Egyptians believed in the sun God Ra, they saw God’s display of power as going against their God. It must have been such a strange thing to witness for the Egyptian people, since the people of Israel had light where they lived. Many Bible commentaries also talked about how this ninth plague of darkness seemed supernatural and could be felt by the Egyptians. It makes me wonder if there was a total eclipse of the Sun for three days, and the Egyptians unlike the people of Israel were not able to get any artificial light. It must have been such an awesome display of God’s power, and the Pharaoh was swayed to let the people of Israel but with conditions. So God would have to level against one more plague of the ultimate darkness – death.

Day 41 Bible Readings – Exodus 7: 3-5 (ESV)

Exodus 6: 14-30, Exodus 7 & 8, Matthew 26: 47-68, Psalm 25: 16-22

Exodus 7: 3-5 (ESV)

“But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.”

In verses 3 through 5 from Exodus 7, God tells Moses and Aaron that he will harden Pharaoh’s heart. He knew that the Pharaoh would not agree easily to letting the children of Israel go, so I’ve always wondered why he decided to harden Pharaoh’s heart. But after reading several Bible commentaries, I now know that God decided that he wanted to demonstrate his power not only to Pharaoh, but to all of the people of Egypt. I think God also wanted the people of Egypt to never forget his power, so they wouldn’t come later and attack the people of Israel. When the Pharaoh finally let the children of Israel leave, the Egyptian people were so happy to let the people go because of all the plagues that they gave them all the silver, gold, jewelry, and clothing that the Hebrews asked for when they left. God always has a plan, and while it sometimes doesn’t make sense to our human mind, God’s plans always work out for the best.

Day 40 Bible Readings – Matthew 26: 33-35 (ESV)

Exodus 4-5, Exodus 6: 1-13, Matthew 26: 30-46, Psalm 25: 8-15

Matthew 26: 33-35 (ESV)

“Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.”

In verses 33 through 35, we read about Peter telling Christ he would never fall away from. Jesus told Peter he would and deny him three times. Peter denied it and the disciples did the same. I love how Jesus knew what would happen to him and what his disciples would do, but he still loved them. I read one Bible commentary where the author said that Jesus was trying to reassure his disciples that he was in command of the whole situation. Jesus also knew his disciples better than they knew themselves, and even though he knew they would desert them he still loved them and knew that their future was to grow his church.

I sometimes wonder if I would try to change my future if I knew it, even though the future was going to help me grow to be a better person. I can see the disciples denying everything that Jesus told them they would do because they couldn’t conceive at the time that they would betray Jesus like that. I think they also wondered if their betrayal would make Jesus love them less. But if God knows everything that is going to happen in our life, we need to trust that everything we go through will work to fulfill God’s plan. We might not see it at the time, but God does and if we just trust in him then we would be more at peace with whatever happens in our life.

Day 39 Bible Readings for February 9 – Exodus 3: 11-12 (ESV)

Exodus 1-3, Matthew 26: 1-30, Psalm 25: 1-7

Exodus 3: 11-12 (ESV)

“But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

In verses 11 and 12 from Exodus 3, we read what Moses answered when God told him of his mission. I can see how this scene with Moses is repeated with almost everyone who God calls to be on mission for him. When I discerned what I think is God’s plan for my life, I had the same reaction. There was nothing in my life that that prepared me for what I think is God’s plan for my life. I had the same, still have the same lack of self-confidence in my own abilities to fulfill God’s mission.

So I love how God responded to Moses. God told Moses, “I will be with you”, which means Moses had nothing to fear. Even if Moses thought he didn’t have the abilities to fulfill God’s plan, God will be able to supernaturally help him. Moses had such faith and confidence in God, that he took God up on his offer and did as he asked. We should all have the faith of Moses to go where God commands us to and do what he wants us to fulfill his plan on earth.

Day 38 Bible Readings – Job 42: 1-3 (ESV)

Job 40-42, Matthew 25, Psalm 24

Job 42: 1-3 (ESV)

“Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

In verses 1 through 3 from Job 42 Job told God that he realized all things came from God, good and bad. Job confessed to God that he did not understand how powerful God is, when he doubted God for all the bad things that was happening to him. Job ended up having to tell God how repentant he was having doubted him. I think the story of Job reminds us that we need to not lose our faith in God when bad things happen to us. We cannot assume that God has lost control of our life and allowed these bad things to happen us. We cannot make assumptions about the reasons that bad things happen in our life. We instead need to have constant faith that no matter what happens in our life, God is in control. We cannot presume to know God’s mind, God’s plan for our life. But what we can know is that our God is all powerful and is in control of everything that is happening in our life. All of it, including the bad things. Everything has a purpose in our life, and we need to faith that God knows what is happening to us and it’s all part of God’s plan for our life.

Day 37 Bible Readings – Psalm 23: 1-4 (ESV)

Job 37-39, Matthew 24: 32-51, Psalm 23

Psalm 23: 1-4 (ESV)

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

What is it about Psalm 23 that brings tears to my eyes, especially verses 1-4. It could be all the times I’ve heard this Psalm recited at funeral church services, which brings up memories of the people who died. Hollywood has even woven Psalm 23 into many scenes where people are at their lowest, and we watch on screen how just saying Psalm 23 brings comfort to the fictional characters in the film. Or maybe it is all the times I’ve opened my Bible to find Psalm 23 so I could read it and bring comfort to my troubled mind.

There is something so soothing to my mind to think about God as a good shepherd, who looks to all of my needs and who will protect me through all evil. Even though I often think of myself as that one lost sheep that the shepherd has to leave the whole flock to find. That black sheep who keeps constantly wanting to go their own way and always wants to leave the safety of the shepherd and flock to chase that shiny thing out there. The black sheep who is  always thinking there are greener pastures out there than the fine green pasture the shepherd has found for me.

 I often think I ought to memorize Psalm 23 so its words can easily to my mind when I am troubled. But I love the physical act of opening my Bible to find Psalm 23. To read it with my eyes and mind first, and then to finally read it out loud reverently and with tears in my eyes and a catch in my throat through every word. That is power of Psalm 23 for me.

Day 36 Bible Readings – Matthew 24: 9-10 (ESV)

Job 34-36, Matthew 24: 1-31, Psalm 22: 22-31

Matthew 24: 9-10 (ESV)

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.”

Verses 9 through 11 from Matthew 24 shows Jesus warning his disciples what to expect after he dies and is resurrected and when he comes back for the second time. It makes me wonder if the disciples realized at that moment what was going to happen to them. If they didn’t then, they would eventually when they were hunted down by the Church leaders and the Romans. All of the disciples except John suffered horrible deaths. John was imprisoned on the island of Patmos and wrote Revelations, but then he was let go and died of old age. Many early followers of Christ were persecuted and eventually fell away and betrayed their fellow Christians to the authorities.

The persecution of believers in Jesus Christ still happens today. Many Christians have been jailed trying to spread the faith. In our modern Western world to be a believer in Jesus Christ is go against the current cultural milieu, although that attitude is slowly changing. Many people say the Bible is not relevant for us today, but the persecution of believers in Christ prove this falsehood wrong. Jesus predicted his followers will be hated, and that persecution still happens today.

Day 35 Bible Readings – Matthew 23: 8-10 (ESV)

Job 31-33, Matthew 23, Psalm 22: 12-21

Matthew 23: 8-10 (ESV)

“But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.”

In verses 8 through 10 from Matthew 23, Jesus told his disciples and crowds gathered around him that God is the most important person in our life. We can respect rabbis and other religious leaders for their knowledge and desire to teach about God, but God is our true teacher. We can also learn from each other for we all brothers and sisters. You can respect your biological father, but our true father who will take care of and protect is God who is in heaven. We can also respect instructors, but our true instructor is Christ. God needs to be first and foremost in our life. We need to consult God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit for everything going on in our lives. Christ is our true teacher, our true father, and our true instructor. I have found this advice to be true in my life. Every time I followed the God’s advice, every decision has always worked out for the better. Even if God’s advice was sometime contradictory to what religious leaders were advising, what family was wanting, and what instructors were warning about. God’s way has always been the way for me go for everything in my life.

Day 34 Bible Readings – Matthew 22: 11-14 (ESV)

Job 28-30, Matthew 22, Psalm 22: 1-11

Matthew 22: 11-14 (ESV)

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’  For many are called, but few are chosen.”

I’ve always found verses 11 through 14 from Matthew 22 hard to understand until I read several Bible commentaries on these verses. Jesus told this parable about the kingdom of heaven to the chief priests and elders who came to him as he was teaching. This parable is about a King who arranged a marriage for his son and invited several people as guests to the party. The guest in this section of the parable had been invited to the wedding, but he was not wearing wedding garments. The man had been invited, but he did not bother to change his clothes to wear garments that were expected to be worn at a wedding. The Bible commentarians wrote that the man was invited, but he did not honor the King’s son by changing into the appropriate garments. The guest showed no love for the king or the son by bothering to even change his clothes. So the King  had the guest bound and cast into darkness. The guest in the parable had found faith to believe in God, but he remained unchanged by this faith and by Jesus Christ. When we are unchanged by our faith and our relationship with Jesus Christ, we will suffer and not get into the kingdom of heaven. Christ finished the parable by saying “many are are called, but few are chosen” to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. We can have the experience of being saved and invited into a relationship with God and Jesus Christ, but if our behavior is not changed by our faith or our relationship with Christ then God will not choose us to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. I love this interpretation of these verses because they make it imperative that a person of faith must demonstrate their faith in their behavior, and if you cannot do that then you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Day 33 Bible Readings – Job 27: 1-6 (ESV)

Job 25-27, Matthew 21: 33-46, Psalm 21

Job 27: 1-6 (ESV)

“And Job again took up his discourse, and said: “As God lives, who has taken away my right, and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter, as long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils, my lips will not speak falsehood, and my tongue will not utter deceit. Far be it from me to say that you are right; till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.”

In verses 1 through 6 from Job 27 Job tells his friends that even though he felt that God made his soul bitter, he did not want to tell any lies about God. Job wanted to hold on to his integrity and his righteousness. In his heart even though Job felt that God had somehow abandoned him and had let bad things happen to him, Job held on to his faith that God was a just God. I admire Job’s faith in God. Even though he had his whole life upended, he refused to give up on his faith in God. I know in my darkest days I did not have faith of Job, and I did not go through a tenth of the tragedies that Job had experienced. This year in reading Job, I have gained a new appreciation for his faith. Job’s faith in God was truly unshakable, and I would be happy to have a tenth of his faith in God.

Day 32 Bible Readings – Matthew 20: 28-31 (ESV)

Job 22-24, Matthew 21: 18-32, Psalm 20

Matthew 20: 28-31 (ESV)

“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.”

In verses 28 through 31 from Matthew 20, Jesus explains to the chief priests and elder the parable of the Two Sons. In this parable, a man had two sons whom he asked to go work in the vineyard. The first said No but then changed his mind and went to work. The second son said the same, but did not go to work. Jesus asks the chief priests and elders which son did the will of the father, and they respond to Jesus and say the first son. Jesus then tells them that the first son are like the tax collectors and prostitutes who listened to John the Baptist and believed him and changed their lives. I’m sure the chief priests and elders thought they were like the first son. But Jesus told them No, because even though they say they are doing the work of God they have not changed their behavior. Jesus  explained to them that they cannot just say they are obeying God but not change their behavior. The sinners who listened to John the Baptist and changed their behavior are the ones who have really obeyed God. Jesus called out the chief priests and elders for being hypocrites, because they said to the people they were obeying God, and yet in private they were disobeying God.

Day 31 Bible Readings – Matthew 21: 12-13 (ESV)

Job 19-21, Matthew 21: 1-17, Psalm 19: 7-14

Matthew 21: 12-13 (ESV)

“And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

In verses 12 and 13 from Matthew 21, we read about the famous scene where Jesus drove out all of the money-changers in the Temple. Many people have interpreted these verses to mean that the church cannot ask people for money or something about Jesus not like money. But the people who write Bible commentaries have written that the money-changers were located in the outer courts of the Temple, which was the only place that the Gentiles could pray. It must have been hard for the Gentiles to pray since their whole space had been essentially turned into a market. I love how Jesus had compassion for Gentiles as well as Jews. Jesus wanted the Temple to be somewhere where all could pray, and not just Jews. The message of Jesus Christ spread very rapidly among the Gentiles first, so we in these verses how the God’s plan to include the Gentiles started with the compassionate act of Christ demanding that the prayer space for the Gentiles be as holy as the prayer space for the Jews.