Day 285 Bible Readings – 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-22 (ESV)

Jeremiah 25: 15-38, Jeremiah 26, 1 Thessalonians 5, Proverbs 4: 20-27

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-22 (ESV)

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”

In verses 21 through 22 from 1 Thessalonians 4 Paul gives the Church of Thessalonica in the closing of this letter to them, a final set of instructions for how to live if you are a person of faith. Paul first day to always be happy, because whatever comes your way comes from God. Paul then says people of faith need to pray without ceasing and give thanks for everything that happens in our life. Whatever is happening in our life is the will of Christ for us to bring us closer to God. Paul then says do not doubt the Holy Spirit, nor are we to despise prophecies. We need to test everything and pray to God for its meaning and hold on to what is good. And finally, to stay away from all evil.

The hardest part of Paul’s instructions for how to live as a person of faith is to always be happy and to rejoice in everything. I think it takes a tremendous amount of faith to regard everything that happens in our life as a part of God’s plan, especially in a season of trouble. But Paul’s advice to test everything is the answer to this kind of doubt.

Day 284 Bible Readings – 1 Thessalonians 4: 9-12 (ESV)

Jeremiah 23: 9-40, Jeremiah 24, Jeremiah 25: 1-14, 1 Thessalonians 4, Proverbs 4: 10-19

1 Thessalonians 4: 9-12 (ESV)

“Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.”

In verses 9 through 12 from 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul recommends to the Church at Thessolonica that they should want to lead a quiet life. If they lived a quiet life, they would have more time to be with God and read his words. Paul also recommended that people of faith need to take care of their own affairs and not meddle in the life of others, so they can lead a more peaceful life. Paul also advised that people that they needed to work instead of being lazy. People of faith cannot expect that life will be easy for them or that things will come to them easily or that God’s blessings are an excuse for laziness in life. People of faith must live a life so they can be example to those who do not have faith, and to be dependent on no one except for God.

Paul’s recommendations may seem daunting at first, but I see them as practical suggestions for how to live a life devoted to God and his word. If a person of faith lives according to the dictates of the culture around them which may not be focused on God, then they themselves will lose focus on God. I also like how Paul said that just because you believe in God doesn’t mean your life will be easy. Life is hard, but faith in God does make for an easier and more peaceful life. I also like how Paul says that our lives can be example to those without faith in Christ. Our life and the way we live it can point people to have more faith in God. Our actions in our life speak louder than words, and we can be shining examples to world of how wonderful life can be if you believe in God.

Day 283 Bible Readings – Proverbs 4: 7-8 (ESV)

Jeremiah 21-22, Jeremiah 23: 1-8, 1 Thessalonians 2: 17-19, 1 Thessalonians 3, Proverbs 4: 1-9

Proverbs 4: 7-8 (ESV)

“The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.”

Verses 7 and 8 from Proverbs 4 is good advice about wisdom. If you obtain wisdom you also need to get insight, but wisdom without insight is useless. If you don’t use wisdom and apply it to your life, then the information itself is useless. If you have both wisdom and insight, then you need to value this information. Wisdom and insight will bring you higher in status, and honor you if you embrace the teachings of both wisdom and insight.

But even if you have wisdom and insight, you need to pray to God and check to make sure that you are making the right decisions based on God’s plan for your life. As a person of faith, wisdom and insight without God’s blessings are not a good thing. You need all three; wisdom, insight, and faith in God; to succeed in life.

No internet service on my camping trip

I went camping with friends in northern Arizona, and there was no internet in the campground. I was hoping if I hiked the surrounding hills  to the top I would get an internet connection, but I was was wrong. 

So I couldn't post Bible Reading posts from October 11 through October 13. I plan to get caught up today, so expect more posts today!