Day 355 Bible Readings for December 22 – Ezra 7: 27-28 (ESV)

Ezra 7: 11-28, Ezra 8: 1-14, Revelation 13, Proverbs 28: 7-17

Ezra 7: 27-28 (ESV)

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.”

In verses 27 and 28 from Ezra 7, Ezra praises God for what is a miracle to him. Ezra tells us that it can only be God who could have put thoughts of beautifying the house of the Lord in the heart of the king. I love how Ezra attributed the actions of the king to God. I know exactly how Ezra felt when he blessed the Lord. I’ve had experiences like Ezra in my own life. When an impossible situation was all of a sudden rectified in my favor, I always consider it a miracle and thank God for intervening in my life and answering my prayers. When miracles do come into my life, I have similar thoughts to Ezra as well. When miracles happen in my life, it makes me feel like God is guiding me and helping me to fulfill his plan for my life.

Day 354 Bible Readings for December 21 – Proverbs 27: 23-24 (ESV)

Ezra 6, Ezra 7: 1-10, Revelations 12, Proverbs 27: 23-27, Proverbs 28: 1-6

Proverbs 27: 23-24 (ESV)

“Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations?”

In verses 23-24 from Proverbs 27, Solomon tells us that if we do not know well what we have and give attention to it then it will not last. I’ve found this true in my own life. If I did not pay attention to my chores, then my living space would become a mess. If I did not pay attention to my finances, then my debt increased. The best thing I’ve done in my life is to track all of my expenses no matter how small. As soon as I started tracking my spend, I found out what I was spending my money on every day. If I needed to make cuts then it was easier, because I knew where every penny was going. Even when my finances became very abundant, I still kept tracking my expenses because I wanted to see if what I was buying was of quality. I found it if I bought shoes that were cheap but not of quality, they only lasted less than a year. Once I started buying more expensive shoes, I found it they lasted much longer than the cheap ones I was used to buying. Some people like to have different shoes every year, so if they break then no matter. I’ve found out over the years that I like the items I buy to last, but only because it takes a long time for me to buy anything. So I like Solomon’s advice because I’ve seen its wisdom in my own life.

Day 353 Bible Readings for December 20 – Proverbs 27: 19 (ESV)

Ezra 4 & 5, Revelation 11, Proverbs 27: 15-22

Proverbs 27: 19 (ESV)

“As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.”

In verse 19 from Proverbs 27, Solomon tells us that you can only know a person by knowing his heart. Just as water reflects a face, so too does a person’s heart. I think sometimes people often think and make decisions with their head, which can lead them to trouble. A person can control their behavior with their head but if it is in too much opposition to what is in their heart, then what the heart feels will eventually come out and often at the wrong time.

Some people can control their behavior with their head, but if the heart is too much denied then sometimes a person’s health will be affected. The heart is the true barometer of a person, so we must all try to act with what is in our heart.

Day 352 Bible Readings – Proverbs 27: 7 (ESV)

Ezra 3, Revelation 9: 13-21, Revelation 10, Proverbs 27: 5-14

Proverbs 27: 7 (ESV)

“One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.”

When I read verse 7 from Provers 27, I was so touched. Solomon tells us when you are full, something as sweet as a honeycomb is not desired. Bible commentators have said that this verse means that when your life is satisfying, you will find it easy to reject things that others would consider rewarding. I have been at this place in my life, but I always knew that something was missing. Even when my life was rich and abundant, it just wasn’t enough.

Solomon then tells us when your life is not abundant and you are hungry, you will find everything very sweet. I’ve been in this place as well. I remember when I used to take night classes, and I used to bring my dinner to eat on campus because I didn’t have enough money to eat in the cafeteria. Eating out even if the meal was under $10 was such a big deal.  

Having had an abundant life and a life of not having enough money to even eat out, I used to think that if I just had enough money I would be satisfied. But when I had a lot of money and was able to eat out and did not think anything of spending over $150 on a dinner, the abundant life was not satisfying. The only thing that I have found truly satisfying is having a relationship with God in my life. God is the only thing in my life that seems to satisfy the hunger in me.