Day 74 Bible Reading - Luke 1: 46-48 (ESV)

Getting caught up in Bible Reading posts. It's been another intense weekend for me, so I needed to take a break. 

Numbers 2-3, Luke 1: 39-56, Psalm 38: 12-22

Luke 1: 46-48 (ESV)

“And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.”

I like verses 46-48 from Luke 1, which is Mary’s song of praise to God. I like the metaphor of a person’s soul becoming a magnifying glass, and making God appear to be clear and in focus. I also think of a magnifying glass as a tool to help build a fire, so Mary’s soul will help awaken the fire in people when they read her words. I want my soul to be a magnifying glass to help people see God in a clear way, to help others pierce the veil so they can see the wonders of God.

Day 73 Bible Reading - Luke 1: 38 (ESV)

Numbers 1, Luke 1: 27-38, Psalm 38: 1-11

Luke 1: 38 (ESV)

“And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”

I love Mary’s total obedience to what the angel told her in verse 38 of Luke 1. She did not hesitate and had no doubts. She just said “Yes” because she was a servant of the Lord. I wish I had that kind of faith where I am an “automatic yes” to God, but I don’t. There’s always that seed of doubt in my mind. Sometimes it’s just a tiny whisper and other times it’s a loud roar when Holy Spirit tells me to do something, but it’s rarely a “Yes”. I wish I had Mary’s kind of faith in God’s promises and words. I think it will take a lifetime of living for me to get to a “Yes”. But it’s worth trying because it makes me wonder what kind of life I would have if I was an “automatic Yes” to God. 

Day 72 Bible Reading - Luke 1: 19-20 (ESV)

Leviticus 26: 14-26, Leviticus 27, Luke 1: 1-25, Psalm 37: 32-40

Luke 1: 19-20 (ESV)

“And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”

I like verses 19 and 20 from Luke 1. The angel Gabriel punished Zechariah for not believing his words. We don’t have angels punishing us for our non-beliefs, but I know sometimes I felt that I was being punished God for lack of beliefs. When I pray for something and Holy Spirit tells me it will come, I sometimes have doubts. When I have doubts, I don’t get the thing I want until the very last minute. At other times when I don’t have doubts, the thing I prayed for comes immediately. So is it a form of punishment from God when I have doubts and the thing I want doesn’t come until I have given up all hope?  I never thought of it in that way, but it might be a form of punishment from God for lack of belief in his promise. What do you think?

Day 71 Bible Reading

Leviticus 25 & 26: 1-13, Mark 16, Psalm 37: 21-31

Leviticus 26: 1 (ESV)

“You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God.”

Verse 1 from Leviticus 26 has been part of prayers to God these last few weeks. It feels like the Holy Spirit is convicting me of making idols of people I follow on social media. I love great thinkers and people who predict future trends. I daily read their Substack articles, listen to their podcasts, and read everything they post on X. They have become my new “idols”. But there is no greater thinker than God and no one can predict future trends because God has the final say on what will eventually trend in our lives. I still read their posts on X and read whatever they post on Substack, but I’ve decided to not listen to their podcasts since they take up more time. Do I miss the podcasts? Yes, because I would listen to them while doing other things. Will I go back to listening to them? Eventually, but not until I can listen to what my “idols” say while still remembering that God is ultimate authority in the world.