Day 188 Bible Reading – Acts 26: 4-8 (ESV)

2 Kings 14: 23-29, 2 Kings 15, Acts 25: 23-27, Acts 26: 1-23, Psalm 104: 1-18

Acts 26: 4-8 (ESV)

“My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?”

Verses 4 through 8 from Acts 25 shows Paul’s argument on how his belief in Jesus Christ was not inconsistent with his Jewish faith. Paul was raised as a Pharisee, and the Pharisees unlike the Sadducees believed in the resurrection of the dead and the afterlife. Biblical scholars contend that in Paul’s heart and mind, Paul believed that he remained a faithful Pharisee who was convinced of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul’s story of his what happened on the road to Damascus proved to him that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead. Paul argued that he was following what the resurrected Jesus had said to him.

I’ve always loved the story of Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, but I never knew about how he was able to reconcile what happened to him and his Jewish faith. God had picked the perfect person in Paul to spread the gospel to the jews and the gentiles, because Paul had reconciled within himself how his faith in Jesus Christ was not in opposition to his Jewish faith. Because Paul knew his own mind so well, he was a great evangelizer and was able to lead so many people to Christ who were also struggling to come to the terms with the resurrection of Christ.

Reading Daily Bible Readings Over and Over

Sometimes I have to read the bible passages set forth in my daily bible readings over and over again to decide which verses have touched for the day. If constant reading doesn't work, then I read commentaries on the verses to see what other biblical scholars have said. Sometimes even then, I still get stuck and cannot find any verses that make me think more deeply about what the word of God is trying to me.

But I know if I persist, something will come through and I find biblical verses that have a deeper meaning for me. I just have to keep trying. 

Day 187 Bible Readings for July 7 - 2 Kings 13: 18-19 (ESV)

2 Kings 12-13, 2 Kings 14: 1-22, Acts 25: 1-22, Psalm 103, 13-22

2 Kings 13: 18-19 (ESV)

“And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped. Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.”

Verses 18 through 19 from 2 Kings 13 teaches us a lesson in how to act when God gives us a task to do. King Joash of Israel came to see the prophet Elisha, who told him that the arrows of the bow represent his victory over the Syrians. Joash seemed to not have faith or believe in the prophecy of Elisha, and he only used three arrows. If Joash had shot more arrows, Israel would have had more victories over the Syrians and ended the conflict with them. But Joash’s lack of faith of Elisha’s prophecy guaranteed that the conflict with the Syrians would continue.

The lesson here is that if God invites us to do something by faith, we must fulfill the request with as much enthusiasm as we can knowing that God will fulfill all of prayers. If we only half-heartedly fulfill God’s request to us, then we will miss out on the full blessings of God.

Day 186 Bible Readings – Psalm 103: 1 (ESV)

2 Kings 10 & 11, Acts 24, Psalm 103: 1-12

Psalm 103: 1 (ESV)

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!”

When I started reading Psalm 103 I immediately starting singing the song “10,000 reasons” by Matt Redman. When I researched the song, I found out that Redman said that inspiration of the song came from verse 1 for Psalm 103. Redman wrote the song for another singer, and it was covered by many artists. In 2013, the song won a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song, and other Grammy for Best Gospel/Contemporary Music performance when Matt Redman included the song on his album.

10,000 reasons is one of my favorite Christian songs. Here is Matt Redman’s version – Enjoy!