Day 266 Bible Readings – Ephesians 2: 8-10 (ESV)

Isaiah 55-56, Isaiah 57: 1-13, Ephesians 2, Psalm 140: 6-13

Ephesians 2: 8-10 (ESV)

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

In verses 8 through 19 from Ephesians 2, Paul writes to the Church at Ephesus that we must remember that because of our faith we are saved. We are not saved by anything we do or by our good works. Grace is a gift from God that is given to us because of faith in Jesus Christ. God created us so we can be adopted to him through our faith in Christ, to do good works to fulfill his plan for earth.

When I read these verses, I know that nothing I do will grant me God’s grace. I cannot by the sheer force of my human will get into heaven. I cannot get into heaven by tithing to the church, by doing many good deeds I do, or by following God’s law. It doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t tithe, do good deeds, or follow God’s laws. I am only saved by God’s grace. There is also a sense of relief because I do not need to be perfect to be saved. I don’t have to freak out because I sometimes fail to do the things I know I am supposed to do or have non-Godly thoughts. As long I keep trying and repent when I do not measure up and never lose my faith in Christ, God’s grace will be given to me.

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.