Day 351 Bible Reading

I don’t’ have any favorite Bible passage from today’s readings. We read Ezra 1 and 2, Revelation 8, and more of Psalm 144. But when I read Revelation 8, I was reminded of how many doomsday prophecies there have been over the years, and how there are people of every generation trying to tie what is happening in the world to Revelation 8. I’ve seen it in movies and have read what the fulfillment of this book would look like if they had happened. The language in Revelation 8 is very dire and beautiful at the same time. Are we in end times? I’m not sure. Should we be concerned about end time prophecies? Absolutely! I think as long as we have daily conversations with God, he will help us discern what is happened in the world and what needs to be done.

 Day 350 Bible Reading

Psalm 144: 1-2

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.”

I love these two lines from Psalm 144. I feel sometimes that I am a solder for God, a warrior he can put to use in these uncertain times. God is training me for war, but he is also my rock, my fortress, my love, my shield, and my deliverer. I can see reading this psalm when facing a difficult situation in life where you have to fight.

No Bible reading reflection today. I read Malachi, Revelations 6, and Psalm 143 but nothing really stood out for me. 

I did however hear a sermon today where the pastor said that the believer’s responsibility is obedience to God and God’s responsibility is to the outcome. This is a hard one for me because I was taught to be responsible for the outcome of my actions. But if I want to truly rely on God then I have to surrender control over what actions I take, so I can be instrument for God and he can use me however he sees fit. I might not know the game plan of what he’s trying to do in the world, but I can let myself be used to fulfill his plan. I have such a hard time with the surrender part, but I think I am starting to see that maybe surrender will make my life easier because I know I can control my actions. What makes life so frustrating for me is I cannot control anything else. But if I surrender to God, perhaps I can let go of the frustrations in my life because it’s not my responsibility to control anything other than my own actions. 

Day 348 Bible Reading 

Revelation 5: 9 (ESV) 

“...Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” 

When I read this line from Revelation 5, it made me tear up. The subject of the line is the person who opened the scroll that was sealed with seven seals, who is “The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.” There are several references in the Old Testament to the lamb that is slain for offering to God, and I always think of Jesus Christ when I see the word “lamb”. The writer of Revelation never says it is Jesus Christ who has opened the scrolls, but for me the similarities are unmistakable. 

Christ was slain and by his blood, we have been saved from the sins of our ancestors and are now part of his new kingdom. As followers of Christ, we are also priests for God. We need to take a priestly role in all of our relationships. Are we leading people to God by our behavior or leading people away from God? 

 I was thinking I might not have the right interpretation of this line, so I searched to see what others have said about this line from Revelation. It was comforting to know that they also saw the Lamb as Christ. I know you can’t always follow your heart, but whenever I read a line in the Bible that in any way references Christ’s crucifixion it makes me cry.