Day 271 Bible Readings – Nahum 1:7 (ESV)

Nahum 1-3, Ephesians 6, Psalm 149

Nahum 1:7 (ESV)

“The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.

In the book of Nahum, the Old Testament prophet Nahum delivered Father-God’s message of judgment against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. After first describing Father-God in various ways in Nahum 1, Nahum concludes the description in verse 7, telling us that Father-God is good. Father-God is a stronghold for us when we are in trouble, and he knows those who have a relationship with him and who trust him.

Nahum's verse lets us know that if we have a relationship with Father-God, we will find protection because he is our stronghold, which in ancient times meant a fortified place offering refuge from danger. As believers, we need to turn to Father-God first in times of trouble rather than relying only on ourselves or on other people. We also need to develop a relationship with Father-God through our faith in Jesus Christ, so we can trust in him to always have our best interests at heart, even in times or seasons of trouble. We can seek refuge in Father-God because we know he will offer us refuge from danger and from our enemies.  

If you found encouragement in my reflections on these Bible verses, and through your faith in Jesus Christ, you want a Father-God who is your stronghold in times of trouble, then I invite you to pray the following prayer aloud:

Heavenly Father, I want to give you my Life. Forgive me of all of my sins. Wash me in your blood. I believe in my heart You raised Jesus from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Right now, I receive forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! Do yourself a favor and find and join a Holy Spirit-filled, full Gospel, Bible-based church where you can hear the words of Father-God preached and experience signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 270 Bible Readings – Ephesians 5: 15-16 (ESV)

Isaiah 65: 17-25, Isaiah 66, Ephesians 5, Psalm 148: 7-14

Ephesians 5: 15-16 (ESV)

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

In verses 5 and 6 from Ephesians 5, Paul writes to the church of Ephesus that believers need to be intentional in their life and live a life that reflects Father-God’s will. We need to read the Bible so we can learn how to make wise choices, because the Bible is replete with how to live wisely. We can learn to live according to Father-God’s principles as laid out in the Bible. Paul tells us we need to also make the best use of our time and become stewards of it. Time is a gift from Father-God, and we need to manage it wisely. We need to make the most of every opportunity that is given to us to do Father-God's will, because the world is full of challenges that are moral and spiritual. We need to make sure our time is spent in daily activities that align with our faith and values.

I like Paul’s concept that since time is a gift from Father-God, we need to be good stewards of it and make sure we are using it to do Father-God’s will on earth. I also like that Paul tells us to be wise, because the concept of wisdom is mentioned so much in the Bible. Lastly, Paul reminds us that the world we live in is characterized by sin and full of things that are in opposition to the principles in the Bible. I am grateful that I have the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit to live an intentional life that is dedicated to doing the will of Father-God for my life.

If you found encouragement in my reflections on these Bible verses, and through your faith in Jesus Christ, you want to live an intentional life focused on doing the will of Father-God for your life, then I invite you to pray the following prayer aloud:

Heavenly Father, I want to give you my Life. Forgive me of all of my sins. Wash me in your blood. I believe in my heart You raised Jesus from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Right now, I receive forgiveness by the blood of Jesus. I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! Do yourself a favor and find and join a Holy Spirit-filled, full Gospel, Bible-based church where you can hear the words of Father-God preached and experience signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 269 Bible Readings for September 27 – Ephesians 4: 31-32 (ESV)

Isaiah 63-64, Isaiah 65: 1-16, Ephesians 4: 17-32, Psalm 148: 1-6

Ephesians 4 31-32 (ESV)

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

In verses 31 and 32, Paul writes to the church at Ephesus that when you are born again and become a new person, your behavior changes. The “new person” who is born again controls their emotions, especially the negative ones, and their subsequent behaviors. We need to let go of bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor or disruptive angry expressions, slander, and malice. And when we do experience these negative emotions, we can ask the Holy Spirit for help in dealing with them. Paul also writes that we treat each other the way Father-God has treated us. We need to be kind to one another and tender-hearted. And most importantly, we need to forgive each other the way Father-God has forgiven us for all our sins. Forgiveness doesn’t mean we forget or justify someone’s behavior, but that we extend to each other the kind of grace and pardon that Father-God showed to us.

I love this explanation of what will happen to a believer when we become born again and become a “new person” in Christ. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can let go of negative emotions and their often-destructive behavior. We can treat people the way Father-God treated us and forgive them with the same grace that Father-God showed towards us.

If you found encouragement in my reflections on these Bible verses, and through your faith in Jesus Christ, you want to let go of your negative emotions and become a new person, then I invite you to pray the following prayer aloud:

Heavenly Father, I want to give you my Life. Forgive me of all of my sins. Wash me in your blood. I believe in my heart You raised Jesus from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Right now, I receive forgiveness by the blood of Jesus. I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! Do yourself a favor and find and join a Holy Spirit-filled, full Gospel, Bible-based church where you can hear the words of Father-God preached and experience signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 268 Bible Readings – Isaiah 61: 1-4 (ESV)

Isaiah 60-62, Ephesians 4: 1-16, Psalm 147: 12-20

Isaiah 61: 1-4 (ESV)

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”

In verses 1 through 4 from Isaiah 61, the prophet Isaiah gives us another prophecy of the mission of Jesus Christ. When I read these verses, I thought of what the disciples of John the Baptist asked Jesus in Luke 7: 20, “And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Jesus told them in Luke 7: 22, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.”

Jesus’ answer to the disciples of John the Baptist mirrored what Isaiah prophesied that the coming Messiah would bring to the world. It would not be until the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that we would see the fulfillment of the rest of these verses. Christ died for our sins so we could be transformed by our faith in him, and have beauty instead of ashes, joy instead of mourning, and praise and worship instead of despair. That through our faith in Jesus Christ, we will have strength and righteousness, and our lives will glorify Father-God.

If you found encouragement in my reflections on these Bible verses, and you want to have the promises that Isaiah prophesied about in the Old Testament that were fulfilled through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ—then I invite you to pray the following prayer aloud:

Heavenly Father, I want to give you my Life. Forgive me of all of my sins. Wash me in your blood. I believe in my heart You raised Jesus from the dead. I confess with my mouth Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Right now, I receive forgiveness by the blood of Jesus. I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! Do yourself a favor and find and join a Holy Spirit filled, full Gospel, Bible-based church where you can hear the words of Father-God preached and experience signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.