Day 265 Bible Readings – Ephesians 1: 3-6 (ESV)

Isaiah 52-54, Ephesians 1, Psalm 140: 1-5

Ephesians 1: 3-6 (ESV)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”

I love verses 3 through 6 from Paul’s letter to the Church as Ephesus. I love the idea that a person of faith was predestined by God to be adopted to him as his child through our faith in Jesus Christ. These verses speak to me when I am in a “blue mood” or in a season of troubles, when I sometimes question why I was even born because I am in such misery. These verses help me to remember that God chose me before he created the world. That God had me in mind as a part of his plan and that he had my whole life mapped out, so that one day I would be adopted to him through faith in Jesus Christ. That God is with him in my “blue mood” or my season of troubles, waiting for me to come to him so he can comfort me. That he loves me so unconditionally that no matter what I think about him, he will always be there waiting for me patiently to come home to him.

I hope if you find and read these words, that they help to bring you comfort if you are experiencing “one of those days” when you throw up your hands and wonder why you were born. That these words help you to remember that God predestined you to be part of his plan, and that your life is not worthless but totally worthwhile because God chose you before he created the world to be with him as his beloved child.

Day 264 Bible Readings – Galatians 6: 9-10 (ESV)

Isaiah 49-51, Galatians 6, Psalm 139: 17-24

Galatians 6: 9-10 (ESV)

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Verses 9 through 10 from Galatians 6 spoke to me today. I know that it is so easy to grow weary of always doing and being good, and never feel like we are rewarded. Then we see those who aren’t doing good or cheating and they seem to be rewarded, and we get discouraged. Paul tells not to grow weary, because the promise of God tells us we will be rewarded if we do not give up. One thing I’ve found when I become discouraged by life, is to do volunteer work for a cause you like or for your church. When I am doing something good for those less fortunate than myself or doing something good for the environment, I feel good. The work takes me outside of myself and lets me forget my troubles because I am devoting my mind and efforts to a worthy cause.

But above all else, do not give up on God. Waiting is a test of one’s faith, a test of how much we truly believe in God’s promises. But if we look to the stories in the Bible, we know that God always fulfills on his promise in his time. But that is the key; it’s God’s timeline not ours. But God will not fail us. He didn’t fail the people in the Bible, and he won’t fail us either.

Day 263 Bible Readings – Psalm 139: 13-14 (ESV)

Isaiah 47-28, Galatians 5: 7-26, Psalm 139: 11-16

Psalm 139: 13-14 (ESV)

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

I love verses 13 and 14 from Psalm 139. God took care to make us while we were in our mother’s womb and gave us this amazing human body. The human body is an incredible thing with its own ability to heal. We have these wonderful brains and minds that can think and analyze, unlike the animals. I especially love the phrase, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

In a season of troubles, I know we sometimes forget that God gave us this incredible body that is strong and can do many things. God made our bodies and while it might not be the body we always want; God made us for a specific purpose to fulfill his plan. We need to look at our imperfections and think about how they can draw us closer to God. God gave them to us for a reason, and that reason I believe is so they can be used to draw us closer to him, to deepen our relationship with God. Whatever we think about our body, we need to believe that God made us for a purpose which will be revealed to us when we deepen our relationship with him.

Day 262 Bible Readings – Psalm 139: 1-4 (ESV)

Isaiah 45-46, Galatians 4: 21-31, Galatians 5: 1-6, Psalm 139: 1-10

Psalm 139: 1-4 (ESV)

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.”

I like verses 1 through 4 from Psalm 139 because they tell us how familiar God is with us. He knows everything about us. He knows what we are thinking, what we will do, and what we will say before we say it. Yet even as God knows all of these things, he gives us free will to do whatever we want in in our life. God loves us so unconditionally that we can be free to disobey him, displease him, and go our own way. But like a good father, God will never abandon us. He will always await our return from our selfish ways and wanderings and welcome us back with open arms.

I think of my own journey with God. I was born into a religious home, and my parents did their best to instill a love of God within me. My mother would be glad to know that she was at least successful in giving me a love of God. But like any child, I had to find my own towards God. I was pointed in the right direction by my parents, but I still had to as an adult create my own relationship with God. And it’s been a roundabout journey with God sometimes being very prominent and sometimes being very absent in my life. But I know I can say honestly, God was always there in the background. I never quite left him or as I like to think of it, God never let me go no matter how much I tried to get away from him. And gosh darn it, did I every try! But now Holy Spirit is trying to once again deepen my relationship with God, and I am grateful that God never gave up on me. I am the prodigal child who has returned, and my father-God is celebrating my homecoming.