Day 333 Bible Readings – 2 Peter 3: 8-9 (ESV)

Daniel 4: 19-37, Daniel 5: 1-16, 2 Peter 3, Proverbs 20: 25-30

2 Peter 3: 8-9 (ESV)

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

In verses 8 and 9 from 2 Peter 3, Peter writes about the difference between us and God regarding time. As humans we do not have the same view of time that God does. We do not live forever and have a very short time here on earth. We cannot wait forever for God’s justice because we want to see God’s justice done during our very short time here on earth.

We have to remember always that God has a pan, and God’s actions have to harmonize with the plan. Waiting for prayers to be answered is one of the hardest parts of my faith journey. Doubt fills my mind if God even cares for me. I start to question everything I’ve done in my life and beat myself up for not being better. I have to constantly remind myself that God loves me, and everything I have in my life is a gift from God. Some days I am just grateful to God that I have another day to live and breathe. Peter is right when he wrote that God is patient with all of us, and will not come back until all are saved. Until then we have to keep focused on God and his words, because dwelling in God’s words give us patience and reminds us of God’s love and how he always fulfills his promises.

Day 332 Bible Readings for November 29 - Proverbs 20: 15, 22 (ESV)

Daniel 3: 13-30, Daniel 4: 1-18, 2 Peter 2, Proverbs 20: 15-24

Proverbs 20: 15, 22 (ESV)

“There is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel…Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.”

Verses 15 and 22 from Proverbs 20 stood out for me in Day 332 Bible readings. I love jewelry and I have spent a lot of money on it, but I think Solomon is right. Knowledge is like a jewel and more precious. I have been fortunate in life in that I was able to spend money both on knowledge and on jewelry, but money spent on knowledge was definitely worth more than money spent on jewelry.

Solomon repeats what is mentioned so many times in the Bible. Only God can judge people. It might take awhile to see God’s judgement on people, but it does come eventually but not necessarily in the way we want. God has his own timing and his own way of judging people, and from personal experience it will always satisfy you.

Day 331 Bible Readings for November 28 – 1 Peter 2: 17-18 (ESV)

Daniel 2: 24-49, Daniel 3: 1-12, 2 Peter 1, Proverbs 20: 1-14

2 Peter 1: 17-18 (ESV)

“For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.”

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

When I read 2 Peter 1 verses 17 and 18, I thought about what an amazing thing Peter could be grateful for every year if he celebrated Thanksgiving. Peter heard God’s voice booming out from the heavens that Jesus Christ was God’s beloved son. This scene of God’s voice booming from the sky has been depicted in so many movies, and even parodied in a couple of Monty Python movies. I love the image of it and the sheer wonder of physically hearing God’s voice booming out from the sky. The gospels and now Peter’s letter does not give us the finer details of how God’s voice sounded when they heard it. They leave it our imagination.

I’ve always wondered what the disciples thought and how frightening it must have been for them to hear the voice of God booming from the sky. They also never describe the look on Jesus’ face when he heard the voice. Did he have a proud smile on his face as if thinking “that is my beloved father God”? I like to think that the disciples must have been so grateful to have such an undeniable physical confirmation that Jesus Christ was indeed the son of God. They would have given thanks every Thanksgiving that they were able to hear the voice of God. What miracle of God in your life are you grateful this Thanksgiving season?

Day 330 Bible Readings – 1 Peter 5: 6-7 (ESV)

Daniel 1, Daniel 2: 1-23, 1 Peter 5, Proverbs 19: 23-29

1 Peter 5: 6-7 (ESV)

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

In verses 6 and 7 Peter tells us that we need to have a humble attitude towards God and accept whatever place he has for us in his plan, even if he has us in a humble place. God knows when it will be right time to exalt us. We need to cast all our cares and worries to him, because God loves and cares for us.

I know that following God’s plan is humbling, because it has often gone against what I want to do with my life. I like to think that I know what is best for my life, but I’ve learned over the years that God knows way better than me what is best for my life. That learning hasn’t been easy for me but I’ve trusted God since I was a child and I’ve relied on my memories of God answering my prayers in ways I could never have imagined, to get through my doubts about God’s plan for my life. And God has never failed me. Frustrated me yes with his timing, but God has always come through for me.