One Year Bible Blog

May 10th One Year Bible Readings

1 Samuel 8:1-9:27 ~ John 6:22-42 ~ Psalm 106:32-48 ~ Proverbs 14:34-35
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture on BibleOnRadio.com or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~

Old Testament - We have some great dramatic reading today in First Samuel!  Tyndale's One Year Bible Companion today has some good food for thought to the question of Why did Israel want a king? - "1. Samuel's sons were not fit to lead Israel 2. The 12 tribes of Israel continually had problems working together because each tribe had its own leader and territory.  It was hoped that a king would unite the tribes into one nation and one army. 3. The people wanted to be like the neighboring nations.  This is exactly what God didn't want.  Having a king would make it easy for them to forget that God was their read leader."  In First Samuel Chapter 8 we hear Samuel passing on God's warning to how the king will treat the people...

Can you imagine hearing these words of Samuel if you were Saul in First Samuel 9:20 today: "And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel's hopes."  All you are doing is looking for your dad's lost donkeys and all of the sudden you hear this from the seer!  Whew...   You know though - I will say this.  Being in relationship with God is always an adventure.  I think oftentimes we will start out on a journey to do one thing and God ends up taking us some place completely different.  Saul is about to embark on an adventure.  You and I have the opportunity to embark on an adventure with God each and every day.  I know that there are many times that God sends me into places & situations I would have never thought imaginable.  That's the adventure of faith.  It truly is not boring!  I honestly think that life apart from God is truly boring.  The secular life is boring.  The materialistic life is boring.  If you are feeling bored these days, will you break free and wholeheartedly pursue an adventurous relationship with the Lord?

An image is below for 1 Samuel 9:11 today - "As they were climbing a hill toward the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water. So Saul and his servant asked, "Is the seer here today?"

Bible.org's commentary on 1 Samuel's readings today titled "Give us a King!" is at this link and commentary titled "The making of Israel's first king" is at this link.

New Testament - Wow... verses 28 & 29 in John chapter 6 are so beautiful and simple that I think it is easy to miss the strong meaning behind this conversation between the crowd & Jesus - "They replied, "What does God want us to do?" Jesus told them, "This is what God wants you to do: Believe in the one he has sent.""  Check out that very last sentence.  This is what God wants you to do.  Believe.  That's it.  It's that simple.  Believe.  Not give away all your money to the poor.  Not do thousands of good deeds.  Not become a perfect person over night.  Just believe.  Believe.  Yeah, okay, maybe God will ask you to give away some money and do good and become better person after you believe...  :)  But the key is first and foremost to Believe.  Do you Believe in Jesus, the one whom God sent?

And verse 35 is so powerful as well - "Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry again. Those who believe in me will never thirst."  Jesus saying he is the bread of life is similar to him saying he is the Door or the Vine.  Bread is a beautiful metaphor that Jesus supplies divine nourishment to us spiritually.  For me, this verse also reminds me of The Lord's Supper in our churches today.

Bible.org's commentary on our John chapter 6 readings today titled "The Bread of Life" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 106 verse 39 stood out to me today, speaking about the Israelites: "They defiled themselves by their evil deeds, and their love of idols was adultery in the LORD's sight."  I think this Psalm verse stands the test of time with our modern world today.  Do you believe that we still defile ourselves with our evil deeds today?  Do you believe that our love of idols is adultery in God's sight?  How can we stop defiling ourselves with evil deeds and stop loving idols in our modern world today?  Who can save us from ourselves?

Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 14 verse 34 today teaches us today: "Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people."  This is a great reminder that godliness is not just an individual issue, but a community and even national issue.

Worship God: John 6:29 today reminded me of the Wes King song "I Believe:"

Do you believe?  Click here for Belief!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."  Romans 12:12 NIV

Love Your Neighbor:  Teen Challenge

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  Do you agree with this Proverb that godliness makes a nation great?  In our recent readings in Judges, was Israel a godly nation?   Or was there sin in the nation bringing disgrace?  How about today?  Do you live in a godly nation?  Or is there sin bringing disgrace to the people?  Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

May 9th One Year Bible Readings

1 Samuel 5:1-7:17 ~ John 6:1-21 ~ Psalm 106:13-31 ~ Proverbs 14:32-33
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture on BibleOnRadio.com or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~

Old Testament - Interesting chapters in First Samuel today!  The idol Dagon was no match for the Ark of the Covenant!  You'll notice in verse 4 that Dagon ends up in a worship position before the Ark: "And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD."  Dagon was the "god" of the Philistines, and was thought to have been some sort of man / fish combo.  The idol of Dagon may have looked something like this:

Below is a pretty good map of that will show you where three of the Five Cities of the Philistines (Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath) that we read about in today's readings are located in the Philistine territory:

It's fascinating to see the Philistine's send back to Israel a "guilt offering" of golden tumors and rats with the Ark.  Not quite what was prescribed for guilt offerings in Leviticus... but, I guess you can give them an E for effort.  :)  We read in chapter 6 verse 11 - "Then the Ark of the LORD and the chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors were placed on the cart."

 

Then we arrive at the people of Beth-shemesh who look in the ark and perish - and then the ark is sent off again to another town.  We then arrive at some wonderful words from Samuel in chapter 7 verses 3 & 4: "Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, "If you are really serious about wanting to return to the LORD, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only the LORD; then he will rescue you from the Philistines." So the Israelites destroyed their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the LORD."  And later in verse 10 we read - "Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived for battle. But the LORD spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them."

Bible.org's commentary on our 1 Samuel readings today titled "The hands of Dagon and the Hand of God" is at this link.

New Testament - It is very interesting to note that Jesus' miracle of feeding the 5,000 is the only miracle, along with the resurrection, that is described in all 4 gospels!  In John chapter 6 verse 14 we read - "When the people saw this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, "Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!""  The Prophet the crowds are referring to comes from Deuteronomy chapter 18 verses 15 & 18 - "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.... I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him."

Bible.org's commentary on our John chapter 6 readings today titled "The Messiah: Mightier than Moses" is at this link.

Psalms - Today in Psalm 106:19-21 we read: “At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal. They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass. They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt.” This of course sounds very familiar to Romans chapter 1 verses 22 and 23: "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles."  Was this wise that the Israelites exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull?  Why did they do this?  What should have been their Glory? What is your Glory today?  Do you, at times, exchange your true Glory for something else?  Is this wise?  Are you forgetting the God who saved you? The God who has done great things for you?  Please don’t ever exchange the true Glory for a false idol!

Verse 13 in this Psalm also stands out: "Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done! They wouldn't wait for his counsel!"  Is this true of us?  Do we forget or take for granted all of the blessings God has poured out into our lives?  In doing so, do we decide to take matters into our own hands - not waiting on God's counsel for our direction?  Will we remember?  Will we wait?  Patiently...?

Proverbs - I really like Proverbs 14 verse 33 today - "Wisdom is enshrined in an understanding heart."  I pray we all develop understanding hearts that are full of godly wisdom!

Worship God: Today's Proverb reminded me of Charlie Hall's song "Give Us Clean Hands" (and give us clean hearts):

Do you want clean hands?  Click here to be made clean!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."  Romans 12:12 NIV

Love Your Neighbor:  Teen Challenge

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  What do you think this Proverb means when it says "understanding heart"?  What is an "understanding heart"?  How is it different from other hearts?  Maybe hardened hearts or foolish hearts?  Have you ever prayed to God for an understanding heart?  Would this be a good prayer?  Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

May 8th One Year Bible Readings

1 Samuel 2:22-4:22 ~ John 5:24-47 ~ Psalm 106:1-12 ~ Proverbs 14:30-31
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com~
~ Listen to today's Scripture on BibleOnRadio.com or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~

Old Testament - First Samuel chapter 2 verse 25 stood out to me today when Eli says to his sons - "If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede?"  This is an interesting thing to consider.  When we sin, are we sinning against other people and/or against God?  I think generally speaking the answer is both.  I have heard a pastor teach that "nobody sins in a vacuum."   Not a literal vacuum of course :), but a "vacuum" meaning that your sin only affects you and you alone.  This pastor went on to say that when we sin - even when we are alone - we end up affecting everyone else around us in our lives in some way.  We may not consciously see how this happens, but our sin affects how we will treat others in the near future.  So, it seems to me that when we sin we pretty much always sin against others, because we're in one sense letting down the community of people around us and we will behave differently to our community around us because of our sin.  Now, in terms of sinning against God, I always think of Psalm 51 where David writes to God - "against you and you alone have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight."  I think this is true as well - any sin we commit is a sin against God.  It is interesting that David uses the term "you alone" about his sin.  But, obviously, David's sin of adultery with Bathsheba affected the community around him in a big way.  So, all this to say - I believe that when we sin we are sinning against God and the community of people in our lives at the same time.  Eli asks in this verse above, "who can intercede for our sins against God?"  Well, at that time, that was a very good question.  However, in our time Jesus can and does intercede for our sins against God - if we'll ask him.  We simply need to confess our sins to Jesus and ask for forgiveness and repent - in faith that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  We are so very fortunate that we have someone - Jesus - who can intercede for our sins...  This is why Jesus is called Savior.  Jesus Saves us from our sins.  Has Jesus saved you from your sins?

An awesome image is below for 1 Samuel 3:10 - "And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Yes, your servant is listening."

Bible.org's commentary on today's 1 Samuel readings titled "Samuel and the sons of Belial" is at this link.  Commentary titled "The Rise of Samuel and the fall of Eli and Sons" is at this link. 

New Testament - I am intrigued by Jesus' words in John chapter 5 verse 30 today, particularly in light of the book of Judges that we recently read, which was a dark time in Israel's history - "But I do nothing without consulting the Father. I judge as I am told. And my judgment is absolutely just, because it is according to the will of God who sent me; it is not merely my own."  I love that Jesus says his judgment is absolutely just.  And I believe this is true - 1. that Jesus will judge us and that 2. his judgment is just.  I think this is both something to be celebrated - there is no one else I would want to judge me... - and I think this can be sobering - if his judgment is absolutely just, then it is obvious that we cannot "sneak" anything by Jesus.  Everything we have ever done or will do will be judged by Jesus.  I think ultimately it is very healthy to recognize this.  Maybe initially this realization will keep us from sinning because of some fear of judgment - but ideally this realization matures into a love for Jesus that encourages us not to sin because we would not want to disappoint Jesus whom we love with all that we are.  Do you believe that Jesus is your judge?  Do you believe that Jesus will judge you absolutely justly?

Bible.org's commentary on John chapter 5's readings today titled "Like Father, Like Son" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 106 is a repentive Psalm, likely written by a Levitical priest after returning to Jerusalem after its destruction.  Verse 2 stood out to me today - "Who can list the glorious miracles of the LORD? Who can ever praise him half enough?"  Can you list all of the glorious miracles of God?  Can anyone?  Are you praising God today?  Every day?

Verse 3 is powerful- "Happy are those who deal justly with others and always do what is right." I think this is such an important thing to know - we will be happy when we deal justly with others and when we do what is right.  This is happiness.  Not money or fame or power or luxuries.  Dealing justly with others and doing what is right is happiness.  So, Biblically, are you happy?

Proverbs - Today in Proverbs chapter 14 verse 31 we read – “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” Those of you that have been journeying through the One Year Bible with me this year know that I like to point out verses like these. I believe it is crystal clear in the Bible that God cares about the poor and instructs us to care for the poor. I’m sure we all have differing views on what this might look like logistically, and that’s fine. But, I think it’s really an issue of the heart.

Worship God: Today's Psalm reminded me of Chris Tomlin's "How Great is Our God!"

Do you know how great is our God?  Click here for Greatness!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."  Romans 12:12 NIV

Love Your Neighbor:  Teen Challenge

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  Based on today's Proverb, do you care for the poor? Really – “care,” in your heart, for the poor?  What are some ways in your life that you are caring for the poor on a consistent basis?  Do you believe that God cares for the poor?  Do you believe that God instructs us to care for the poor?  Why?  Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

May 7th One Year Bible Readings

1 Samuel 1:1-2:21 ~ John 5:1-23 ~ Psalm 105:37-45 ~ Proverbs 14:28-29
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture on BibleOnRadio.com or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~

Old Testament - Today we begin the book of First Samuel! This is an amazing book of the Bible. I cannot wait to read about Hannah, Samuel, Saul & David!  Below is an image of Samuel anointing Saul, which we will read about later this week:

First Samuel
Author: Unknown
Date: Probably tenth century B.C.
Content: The books of First and Second Samuel comprise one book in the Hebrew Bible because they form one continuous history covering the lives of Samuel, Saul, and David. They were separated into two books for convenience for reading. First Samuel deals with the Philistine wars and Saul’s ultimate failure to deal with the enemy. The book opens with Israel’s being oppressed by the Philistines (a war-like neighboring nation) and the emergence of the two early leaders, Samuel and Saul. Samuel was the religious leader and Saul ultimately became the king. Saul’s early victories are described, followed by his moral decline and tragic end. Balancing the decline of Saul is the rise of the youthful David who will assume leadership after the death of Saul.
Theme: The basic idea that pervades this book is that God does not make his people immune to the changes of human life, but give them grace to see things through to a satisfactory conclusion. The rise and fall of kings, times of peace and war – throughout it all God stays the same and controls human events in such a way that those who trust him will find comfort and the courage to endure. (Above commentary is from “The One Year Bible Companion” p. 5)

More commentary on First Samuel from Bible.org is at this link.
Here's a great quote from this link: “One might conclude from reading the Book of Judges that the problem was the absence of a king in Israel: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). In First Samuel, Israel will get her king. Saul, Israel’s first king, will be the kind of king the people want, and prove to be the king Israel deserves. David, Israel’s second king, will replace Saul. He is God’s kind of king, a man after God’s heart. First Samuel tells the story of fascinating people like Hannah and Samuel, like Saul and David. There is never a dull moment in this masterfully well written history. The book closes with the death of Saul, and thus the end of David’s flight from the hand of Saul, who seeks to kill him as an enemy.”

Below is a great image for First Samuel chapter 1 verses 24 through 28 today where we read: "When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and half a bushel of flour and some wine. After sacrificing the bull, they took the child to Eli. "Sir, do you remember me?" Hannah asked. "I am the woman who stood here several years ago praying to the LORD. I asked the LORD to give me this child, and he has given me my request. Now I am giving him to the LORD, and he will belong to the LORD his whole life." And they worshiped the LORD there."

Today in First Samuel chapter 2 we read the incredible Prayer of Hannah! In verse 2 we read: “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” This prayer of praise from Hannah really stands out to me these days. Oftentimes I think I “forget” that there is no one holy like the Lord – and I start to seek from other sources what I should only be seeking from God. I have come to realize more than ever lately that if I am feeling a strong emotion or need, I need to really reflect on that emotion or need and ask myself if God can satisfy or quench or dispel that emotion or need. The answer is always an unfailing and beautiful YES. There is no other person, place or being that will always be there for us – that will always be our Rock – that is perfectly consistent – besides God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God is holy and his holiness can take care of any emotion or need that comes up in our lives. We need to turn it over to him and trust in Him. How about you? Do you sometimes “forget” that God is holy? Do you sometimes seek from other sources what you should only be seeking from God? Do you believe that God can satisfy or quench or dispel any emotion or need that comes up in your life? Is God your Rock? Do you believe there is no one holy like the Lord?  Below is a great painting of Hannah and her prayer!

Bible.org's commentary on our readings today in First Samuel titled "The Son and the Psalm of Hannah" is at this link.

New Testament - I'm not sure if you noticed this unique thing about Jesus' healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda today - the man did not seem to have faith in Jesus or know who Jesus was!  You'll recall with many of the healings we read about in the Gospels people yell out to Jesus for healing, or reach for Jesus' garment, and show some sort of faith or recognition of who Jesus truly is.  Well, here in John chapter 5 verse 6 Jesus asks this man at the pool: "Do you want to get well?"  And then in the following verses the man still doesn't realize who Jesus is and doesn't ask Jesus for healing, but instead frets about not getting into the waters of the pool where he thinks the waters will heal him.  Well, come verse 8 Jesus says, "Get up!  Pick up your mat and walk."  I find this whole scene awesome and a great example of God's grace!  Perhaps sometimes in our lives when we miss seeing what Jesus is doing, He will still often heal us or care for us!  Even sometimes (though I don't think always...) when we seem to looking for the other "waters" that we think will heal us.  Even sometimes when we don't ask Jesus for healing, he'll still do it for us.

Bible.org's commentary on our readings in John chapter 5 today titled "Jesus Heals the man at the Pool of Bethesda" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 105 wraps up the Exodus Cliff Notes version today, with a great closing verse 45 - "All this happened so they would follow his principles and obey his laws.  Praise the LORD!"   Indeed, praise the Lord!

Proverbs - Proverbs 14:29 teaches us today: "People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness."  Do you agree with this Proverb?  Have you ever struggled with anger?  Do you agree that controlling your anger demonstrates understanding, and that letting your anger control you shows great foolishness?  Will you seek only understanding in this area of your life, and let all foolishness go?  Please, please, don't be this guy...

Worship God:  Today's readings in John about Jesus's healing reminded me of the Third Day song "Show Me Your Glory:"

Do you want God to show you glory?  Click here for Glory!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."  Romans 12:12 NIV

Love Your Neighbor:  Wycliffe Bible Translators

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  Based on my reflections above about the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda, has Jesus ever done something amazing for you without you asking for it?  Perhaps even when you were looking for somebody or something else to fix or heal something for you, is there a time when God's grace showed up on the scene instead and made the situation right?  Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

Trading Places Blog Tour | Les and Leslie Parrott

The One Year Bible Blog is participating in Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott's blog tour for their new book Trading Places: The Best Move You'll Ever Make in Your Marriage.  A blog tour is a unique opportunity for blog owners and readers to learn more of the inside story of a book through thought-provoking questions from the bloggers and answers from the Parrotts.  Below is my Q & A with Les & Leslie:

Question #1:  Greetings Les & Leslie from a blog that has 6,400 people in 55 countries reading through the Bible together in a year.  I’ve appreciated your ministry, books, and the video you two put together for your most recent book Trading Places.  I am curious what you might say to people who struggle to find time to read books like yours, which are obviously good books.  I personally encourage people to read the Bible daily as their priority, but also see great value in Christian living books like yours.  How would you recommend people prioritize their reading lives?

We love this question.   We know exactly what you mean.  In fact, “time” has been the number one issue in our own marriage – causing us to eventually do two years of research on the topic that eventually became out book, Your Time Starved Marriage.   We couldn’t find a single book on the topic so we felt compelled to write one. 

In Your Time Starved Marriage we show you how to reclaim moments you’ve been missing together as a couple.  We reveal things like “the most important minute of your marriage.”  And we also show you how most couples have varying “time styles.”  Some of us are “Planners.” Some are “Accomodators.”   Or “Dreamers. And so on.  You can take the free online assessment to discover your own time style at www.RealRelationships.com. How does this help?  It reveals how each of you process time.  It raises your level of awareness.  And awareness is half the cure.  Awareness of each other’s “time style” brings more sensitivity and grace.  It brings more empathy!

So, what do we say to people who struggle to find time to read books like our latest, Trading Places.  We say, you might want to start with Your Time Starved Marriage.  And you might want to take it slow.  Don’t make it your goal to finish the book by a certain date.  Make it your goal to gain new insight that you can put into practice. 

You may also discover that once your read your daily passage of scripture that you take another few minutes to read a book you value.  After all, you’re already settled and in a place where you can focus.  But if that doesn’t work for you, you may want to listen to a book like Trading Places in its audio format.  Our CD version of the book is read by us.  And we did so for busy commuters who just can’t find the time to read it. 

Question #2: Also, your book is fantastic for married couples, but I’m thinking singles would get a lot out of it too as they look toward potentially being married someday.  Do you find some singles read your books?  How would Trading Places be beneficial for singles to read?

Absolutely. While Trading Places was designed for couples – with accompanying his/her workbooks – empathy is for everyone!  Especially for singles who are wanting to be as ready for marriage as possible. 

It always pleases us when we are doing a marriage seminar somewhere around the country to discover that we have single people in the audience.  It’s never too early to learn the important skills of marriage – skills like trading places.  And, by the way, we welcome singles to take the free online assessment that accompanies trading places at www.RealRelationships.com.