Day 215 Bible Readings for August 4 – Romans 16: 17-18 (ESV)

1 Chronicles 15, 1 Chronicles 16: 1-36, Romans 16, Psalm 116: 12-19

Romans 16: 17-18 (ESV)

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.”

Verses 17 and 18 from Romans 16 spoke to me today. Paul ends his letter to the Church of Rome warning them to watch out for people who create divisions and I believe to those who are believers in Jesus Christ. Paul says these people only serve themselves and not Christ. I am in the process of deepening my relationship with Christ, and one of the things that Holy Spirit has been convicting me about is not having enough friends who will support me in this journey. Most of friends are not followers of Christ, which is fine for me. We’ve been friends for a long time. But I do feel the need to be around more people who are on the same journey so when I can talk to people about my bible readings, my struggles with faith, and other things going on in my life. Talking with people who also have faith in Christ gives me the perspective on how other believers feel, lets me know what they do with their doubts, and often give me their favorite bible passages that they rely on and love. I love hearing about the different bible verses that people love and can recite from memory. I’m making my own list of favorite bible verses that I want to commit to memory because they are so deeply meaningful for me. Paul’s advice on choosing your friends is such a powerful message for any new and old believer in Christ.

Day 214 Bible Readings for August 3 – Psalm 116: 1-2 (ESV)

1 Chronicles 12: 23-40, 1 Chronicles 13 & 14, Romans 15: 14-33, Psalm 116: 1-11

Psalm 116: 1-2 (ESV)

“I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.”

I love verses 1 and 2 from Psalm 116. The psalmist talks about probably what every person of faith feels about their God. You love God because he heard your voice and your pleas for mercy. Because God answered you once, you will always call on him as you live. These verses make me wonder how long it took before a person was willing to always call on her God. For some it might have been the first time, for others it might have been a long and continual pattern of feeling like God had heard you before you decided you can upon God indefinitely. No matter how long or short it look, the person’s faith God was established permanently for the rest of their life.

Day 213 Bible Readings – Romans 15: 5-7 (ESV)

1 Chronicles 11, 1 Chronicles 12: 1-22, Romans 14: 19-23, Romans 15: 1-13, Psalm 115: 12-18

Romans 15: 5-7 (ESV)

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

Verses 5 through 7 from Romans 15 shows us Paul’s advice on how to live with people for those who have faith in Jesus Christ. Paul tells us that we need to live in harmony with each other, and to help us we have a God who will give us endurance and encouragement to live with people. Paul’s hope is if we get along with everyone, we will together glorify God. Paul tells us to look to the example of how Christ welcomed people who came up to him. Christ was kind to everyone who came up and wanted healing or who greeted him. If we look to how Christ behaved with new people, we have a perfect example of how to live with one another. Christ gave us a great example  of how to behave and live in the world. Jesus was always kind to everyone and treated everyone as an equal. He did not look down on those who were lowly or cast off from society. He even made the tax collector Matthew his disciple, even when tax collectors for the Romans were the most despised people in Jewish society. If we can emulate Christ in our behavior, we will give glory to God.

Day 212 Bible Readings for August 1 – Romans 14: 10-12 (ESV)

1 Chronicles 9 & 10, Romans 14: 1-18, Psalm 115: 1-11

Romans 14: 10-12 (ESV)

“Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess[b] to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

Verses 10 through 12 from Romans 14 gives us Paul’s advice on not judging others. Paul tells the church in Rome to not judge others because everyone will stand before God and be judged. As believers in Christ, it is not our job to judge other because that is God’s job. These verses have a special meaning for me because I feel like Holy Spirit has been convicting me these past weeks on how much I judge others. Holy Spirit has been showing me that everyone is a part of God’s plan and will be used by God to further his kingdom. I may never know the plan and how that person or group is part of God’s plan, but Holy Spirit has been instructing me that I need to have faith in God. I am always reminded of how God hardened Pharoah’s heart in the story of Exodus as part of his plan for his people to leave Egypt. By the end of the plagues, the Egyptians were telling the Hebrews to get out of their land. Their actions may not have come about had God not hardened the Pharoah’s heart. There are other stories in Bible how God took a person’s actions and used it for good as part of his plan for us.