Day 76 Bible Reading - Luke 2: 9-12 (ESV)

Numbers 5-6, Luke 2: 1-20, Psalm 40: 1-6

Luke 2: 9-12 (ESV)

“And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

I’ve also loved these verses from Luke 2. It makes me wonder how the shepherds felt and what they thought when the Angel started speaking to them.  Were they scared and freaked out? They have been praying like all of Israel for a messiah for years, and now the angel told them that the messiah was born. And this messiah was born in the most humblest of circumstances because he was lying in a manger. I’m sure that is not how they were expecting the messiah to be born. I’m trying to imagine myself as a shepherd, who were in their day considered the poorest of people. They were nobodies. Would I have believed what the angel was saying? I give the shepherds so much credit. They didn’t doubt what the angel was said and they made their way over to see the new messiah. These poor shepherds had so much faith.

Day 75 Bible Reading

Numbers 4, Luke 1: 57-80, Psalm 39

Psalm 39: 4 (ESV)

“O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!”

Verse 4 from Psalm 39 is an interesting way to pray to God. David is asking God for wisdom to know how fleeting and short his life is in this world. If we had the wisdom to know how frail and short our life really is, we might pray for different things. It will force us to put a value on the things in our life because of the frailty of our lives. I think David is saying to us that if we only knew how short our life is, we would pray to have a better relationship with God. If our life is that short, the only thing in our life that is real and lasting is God and our relationship to him.

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.