Day 223 Bible Readings – Ecclesiastes 5: 15 (ESV)

Ecclesiastes 4-6, 1 Corinthians 7: 1-16, Psalm 119: 33-40

Ecclesiastes 5: 15 (ESV)

“As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.”

Verse 15 from Ecclesiastes 5 stood out to me in my readings. King Solomon was writing in this section about wealth. Verse 5 has been bandied about in so many ways, but I believe it basically means that we come into the world with nothing and when we die, we leave with nothing. Verse 5 makes you think about the striving one does for wealth in our lives. Not that there is nothing wrong with wealth because you need riches to live in this world. And having lots of money to buy things and live comfortably is most of the time better than not having money at all. But in my experience having no money or a ton of money doesn’t bring you peace or leave you free of worry. When I didn’t have any money, I was worried about not having enough of it. When I finally got to a point where I thought I was making enough money to live comfortably, I then became worried about having the right things like the right investment vehicles for my money. The worries and lack of peace never went with my increase in wealth. The only thing that has brought peace and has lessened the worry in my life is deepening my relationship with Christ by reading the Bible every day and listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in my life.

Day 222 Bible Readings – 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 (ESV)

Ecclesiastes 1-3, 1 Corinthians 6, Psalm 119: 25-32

1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 (ESV)

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Verses 19 and 20 from 1 Corinthians 6 shows Paul reminding us that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirt, and comes from God. Paul also reminds us that because our body is a temple for the Holy Spirit, this means our body belongs to God and not to us. Since our body belongs to God and is a temple for the Holy Spirit to dwell in, we need to treat our body with respect and take care of it. I think a helpful analogy would be to treat your body how you would treat your Bible. You take of your Bible and make sure it does not get damaged. We need to treat our bodies in the same or better. Thinking that the Holy Spirit dwells within us make us pause and think about we’re doing and ask ourselves, does what I’m about to damage my temple in any way. A friend from a long time ago once told me that I need pause before any action I take and ask myself, if Jesus were in the room would I still be doing the action? I didn’t always follow that advice, but now it makes so much sense to me. Would you be proud of any action you take if God was watching you? If you can’t answer an immediate Yes, then you probably need to think before you take that action.

Day 221 Bible Readings – 1 Chronicles 28: 9 (ESV)

1 Chronicles 28-29, 1 Corinthian 5, Psalm 119: 17-24

1 Chronicles 28: 9 (ESV)

“And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.”

Verse 9 from 1 Chronicles 28 is King David’s advice to his son Solomon whom God said would build his temple. David told his son to serve God and serve with his whole heart and a willing mind. David reminded Solomon that God searches everyone’s heart and understands everyone’s plans and thought. David tells Solomon that if he seeks God, he will find him. And if he forsakes God, he will abandon him. David’s advice is a reminder to all of us that there is no hiding from God. He knows our hearts and understands our plans and our every thought. We need to serve God will our whole heart and a willing mind. He knows if we are just going to church on Sunday, and not having anything to do with God the rest of the days of the week. He knows if we are skirting God’s laws with rationalizations as to why we are justified in our actions. God looks at us like a parent with a child, watching us to see if we are following his rules and his recommendations for how we live our life. And even though we will sin and sin often, God will be merciful to us as long as we never forsake him. God knows us inside and out, and he will always love us.

Day 220 Bible Readings – Psalm 19: 15-16 (ESV)

1 Chronicles 26: 20-32, 1 Chronicles 27, 1 Corinthians 4, Psalm 119: 9-16

Psalm 119: 15-16 (ESV)

“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.”

Verses 15 and 16 from Psalm 119 illustrate part of my reasons for reading the Bible in a year every year. Reading the Bible daily helps me to meditate on God’s words and reinforces in my mind the ways of God and Christ. Every day I take verses from daily Bible readings and write about them and what they mean to me and perhaps how they apply in my life. I also want to get to the point where if I hear people quoting or referencing Bible verses, I will be familiar with them and hopefully have an opinion of the verses. This is a stretch goal and something I haven’t attempted yet, but I want to be able to memorize passages from the Bible. I really envy people who can do this or can immediately quote Bible verses. I want this skill in my arsenal so when I feel blue or down, I recite to myself a Bible passage or verse to get my mind back to God and his promises and faithfulness. I also find inspiration from people in the Bible and their struggle with faith in God. I learn lessons from them on what to do and what not to do. I rejoice in their victories and feel sorrow in their doubts and hard lessons. Reading the Bible daily most importantly keeps me focused on God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.