Day 80 Bible Reading - Numbers 14: 30-31

Numbers 12 and 13, Luke 3: 23-38, Luke 4: 1-13, Psalm 42: 1-6

Numbers 14: 30-31 (ESV)

But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.”

Verses 30-31 from Numbers 14 shows the difference between people who have faith in God and people who don’t. Caleb saw the same things that the other men saw, but his faith in God was so strong that he thought to himself that God will provide a way for them to overcome it. I wonder how many of us look at a dream in the same way that the ten men did. Do we see all the danger and risk involved? Do we fear that our dream is too big and we aren’t strong enough to overcome the forces standing in the way of our dream? We need to have the same strength of faith as Caleb. God told Moses that the land was theirs, and yes it would be difficult but if we just have enough faith in God’s promises to us we will know that God will help us overcome any obstacles to our dreams. We need to pray every day to have the faith of Caleb and Joshua and believe as they did, that no matter what dangers and obstacles we see, God will fulfill his promises to us.

Day 79 Bible Reading

Numbers 10 and 11, Luke 3: 1-22, Psalm 41: 7-13

Luke 3: 21-22 (ESV)

“Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

I like verses 21-22 from Luke 3. I would have loved to have been in the crowd when this happened. Were all the people freaked out? Did everyone hear the voice? Or was it only the people around Christ and John at the time? Did a report go to the Sanhedrin about it? The baptism of Jesus by John shows up in all of the four gospels, so it definitely happened. We just don’t have the little details about the event. I would like to think that if I had been there and heard the voice and saw the dove, I would have remembered and been awed by the event and told people about it. I’m sure there were some people present who experienced the miracle and dismissed it as a hallucination. Others would have convinced themselves that they weren’t sure what they saw. Others would have been so freaked out, they would have blocked the event from their memories and said they saw and heard nothing. It’s easy I think to speculate on what you might do, but unless you were actually there you have no idea how you would have reacted to this event. Miracles are such a strange thing in our world.

Day 78 Bible Reading

Numbers 8 and 9, Luke 2: 41-52, Psalm 41: 1-6

Numbers 9: 23 (ESV)

“At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. They kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses.”

Verse 9 from Numbers 9 reminds that we need to be led by God in everything we do. I would love it if I had a cloud to lead me around in the desert of my life. That must have been an amazing sight to see and feel. The cloud would cover the Israelites by day, let them how long to camp in one place, and when to leave their camp. I love the imagery of the cloud leading God’s people in the desert. They had just come out of slavery and were not used to fending for themselves, and the God of Moses provided for them a cloud to take care of them. But I don’t have a cloud. I have to rely on trying to listen to God’s words in my life, to read my bible every day, and watch how my life enfolds so I can discern God’s will for my life. But I know if I follow the will of God in my life that he will guide me through the desert of my life and everything will be alright.

Day 77 Bible Reading - Luke 2: 27-32 (ESV)

Numbers 7, Luke 2: 21-40, Psalm 40: 9-17

Luke 2: 27-32 (ESV)

“And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

I love these verses from Luke 2, where Simeon recognized the divinity of Christ when he was presented at the temple. This scene is such a contrast to what happened to Jesus in the Temple during his ministry and during Passion week. Christ was recognized as the messiah from his birth in the manger and now in the Temple. It always make me wonder if a report was made to Sanhedrin about what Simeon said about Jesus, and if a file was set up from that moment for Jesus as a potential troublemaker. It’s so sad that when Jesus was first brought to the Temple he was recognized for who he was, but when he came during Passion week years later he was arrested for blasphemy.