Day 229 Bible Readings – 1 Corinthians 12: 4-7 (ESV)

2 Chronicles 7-9, 1 Corinthians 12: 1-26, Psalm 119: 81-88

1 Corinthians 12: 4-7 (ESV)

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, bu.t it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

Verses 4 through 7 from 1 Corinthians 12 are probably one of Paul’s most talked about verses. Paul tells the Church of Corinth that everyone has gifts from the Holy Spirit, but we don’t all have the same gifts. Everyone has different gifts, and they all come from God, and are manifestations of the Holy Spirit. God has a plan for each of us and has given us gifts so we can carry out his plans. I know for myself that I find myself often envious of people who can sing or play an instrument well. I can sing, but I’m not a great singer. I learned to play a few instruments as a child, but not enough where I could entertain people with my playing. From what I can tell and what people have told me all my life is I’m smart and my writing is good. I never considered my smarts as a gift from God, because I’ve always been smart even as a child. It seemed to just be the way I was born, although it didn’t seem to manifest until the third grade. I was told when I was in 4^th grade that I had the reading level of an 18-year-old. In elementary school, poems or stories that I wrote were submitted by my teachers to our local paper. But these talents weren’t celebrated by my friends, so I didn’t consider them gifts. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized my smarts and writing skills were gifts from God, only because I became very aware that other people couldn’t do what was very easy and natural for me.

I think if you are a person of faith, you owe it God to find out what your gifts are and celebrate them. God has use for all of us. We are like puzzle pieces in God’s plan, and I think it’s our duty as people of faith to celebrate our gifts so we can find out how we can best serve God.

Day 228 Bible Readings – Psalm 119: 75-76 (ESV)

2 Chronicles 5 & 6, 1 Corinthians 11, Psalm : 119: 73-80

 Psalm 119: 75-76 (ESV)

“I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.”

Verses 75 and 76 from Psalm 119 talks about how a person of great faith thinks about God. When you have great faith in God and you go through a season of suffering, you can still proclaim that God is right. And that even when you are suffering you know that God is still faithful to you, and will comfort you with his steadfast love in the seasons of suffering. And you know only that because God made promises to us his children.

I think that praising God and believing that he is always right in a season of suffering is the hardest thing to do. Even when we aren’t suffering but we hear of bad things happening to other people, it is so human to wonder “Where was God? Why did he allow this happen?” But if we work daily on our relationship with God by reading his words and meditating on his words, we can quiet these questions and rely on our understanding of God’s love for us. We will know that each bad and good thing happening in the world is part of God for further his plan for humanity.

Day 227 Bible Readings – 1 Corinthians 10: 23 (ESV)

2 Chronicles: 2-4, 1 Corinthians 9: 19-27, 1 Corinthians 10, Psalm 119: 65-72

1 Corinthians 10: 23 (ESV)

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.”

Verse 23 from 1 Corinthians 10 is Paul’s advice to the Church of Corinth to do everything for God. Paul tells them God allows all things, but not everything is helpful or will build up a person who has faith in God. There are some people of faith who want to find out how much they can get away with and still be a person of faith in God. Paul tells them to seek only things that are beneficial to a person with faith in God. Paul also reminds each person of faith must always consider what is good for all people of faith, instead of only thinking what is good for me alone. Paul tells them we need to consider if our actions or decisions harm others in the faith.

Paul’s advice applies to all people of faith, especially in our world today. Unlike the people in Paul’s time, we have so many choices for how to spend our time and money. As a person of faith, we must always consider if the thing we seek is helpful, will build us up, is beneficial, and will not harm others in faith. If we keep these questions in mind for every decision we make, we can be confident that our life will always be focused on God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Day 226 Bible Readings – 2 Chronicles 1: 11-12 (ESV)

2 Chronicles 1, 1 Corinthian 9: 1-18, Psalm 119: 57-64

2 Chronicles 1: 11-12 (ESV)

“God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.”

Verses 11 and 12 from 2 Chronicles 1 shows us God’s answer to Solomon when he asked God for “Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” Solomon had asked for wisdom from God to govern, and God searched his heart for his true motives. When God found out that Solomon was sincere in only asking for wisdom to rule, God rewarded him by instead giving me “riches, possessions, and honor”. These verses show the generosity of God to those who are asking advice from him, but it also shows that God has a plan for each of us that is unknown to us until we ask for help. We never know what God’s plan has for us until we ask him for help to lead our lives. I think these verses also show that God’s plan for us is so much more than we can even imagine for ourselves. As followers of Christ, we need to ask God for wisdom to lead our lives. His answers may surprise us and lead us to a life of unimaginable abundance.