One Year Bible Blog

January 31st readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Exodus 12:14-13:16 ~ Matthew 20:29-21:22
Psalm 25:16-22 ~ Proverbs 6:12-15

Old Testament - Today in Exodus chapter 12 we read about God instituting the Festival of Unleavened Bread along with Passover.  These both are still observed today by practicing Jews.  Verse 14 states the importance of these festivals to the Israelites - "You must remember this day forever. Each year you will celebrate it as a special festival to the LORD." 

Chapter 12 verses 37 & 38 are amazing - "That night the people of Israel left Rameses and started for Succoth. There were about 600,000 men, plus all the women and children. And they were all traveling on foot. Many people who were not Israelites went with them, along with the many flocks and herds."  600,000 men equals probably at least 1.2 million people all together - and maybe close to 2 million.  This is a massive Exodus!  Verse 38 is very interesting in that some Egyptians were joining the Israelites in this Exodus!  Think these Egyptians believed in God?

In Exodus chapter 13 we read about God's instructions for the dedication of the firstborn.  Note that based on this law that Jesus, the firstborn of Mary & Jospeh, was dedicated to God in the Temple in Jerusalem as we read in Luke chapter 2 verses 21 through 24 - "On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”"   I think it's also interesting to note that Mary & Joseph did not present a lamb, but a pair of doves or two young pigeons.  This portion of the law came from Leviticus chapter 12 verse 8 - "If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.' ""  Although... as I read this Leviticus verse it looks like dove/pigeons substitution was more for purification of the mother - but it must have somehow translated over to the firstborn dedication to God as well...  I'm getting in way over my head here on lambs & doves & pigeons as offerings & sacrifices.... :) 

Tons more commentary on these chapters in Exodus on the Passover and the Plague of the Firstborn is at this link at bible.org.

New Testament - Today in Matthew chapter 21 verse 22 we read these words from Jesus - "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.""  This is a powerful verse if you really stop and think about it...  Do you believe Jesus' teaching here?  Do you believe that if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer?  I do believe this... but then there is always in the back of my mind - "but what about so-and-so who was ill and was praying in belief that they would be healed.  But then they weren't..."   I don't have any easy answer on this one.  I have to believe there are probably some good resources out there for this tough question?  If you know of any resources / books on this subject of prayer - or, more specifically, unanswered prayers - please post up in the Comments section below?  Thanks.

Psalms - Psalm 25 verse 22 really jumped out at me today - "O God, ransom Israel from all its troubles."  As I read this, the Christmas carol, "O Come O Come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel" came to my mind...  King David wrote this Psalm 25 - think he was praying for the Messiah, Jesus, to ransom Israel in this Psalm?

Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 6 verse 14 today is a powerful reminder of the utmost importance for us to guard the condition of our hearts constantly...

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

January 30th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Exodus 10:1-12:13 ~ Matthew 20:1-28
Psalm 25:1-15 ~ Proverbs 6:6-11

Old Testament - In Exodus chapter 10 we read about the Plague of Locusts! 

   

My first time trying out images on the blog for effect!  :)  Next comes the plague of darkness!

In Exodus chapter 11 we read in verses 4 & 5 - "So Moses announced to Pharaoh, "This is what the LORD says: About midnight I will pass through Egypt. All the firstborn sons will die in every family in Egypt, from the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the oldest son of his lowliest slave. Even the firstborn of the animals will die."  And an appropriate image for this announcement - Moses' last time speaking with Pharaoh - might be this -

Okay, enough fun with images.... :)

In Exodus chapter 12 today we read about God giving Moses and Aaron instructions on the First Passover.  Verse 2 jumped out at me - "From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you."  Here we see that God is actually instituting a new religious calendar for the Hebrews with the month that Passover is in being the first month.   This month is in the March-April spring timeframe and is called Abib or Nisan in Hebrew.  The feasts that were and are celebrated in this 1st month are - Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits.

The significance of Passover was that God was introducing the concept of a sacrifice or a substitute for a life.  The lamb was sacrificed as a substitute for the Hebrews first born sons.  The blood of the lamb was placed on the doorposts as a sign that the household had sacrificed an innocent life - the lamb.  By the blood of the unblemished/perfect lamb, the household was protected from death.  This is a foreshadowing of Jesus.  Jesus is the sacrificial lamb for us.  He was a substitute for us and our sins.  He was an innocent unblemished/perfect lamb - sinless.  By Jesus' blood, we are protected from eternal death.  See the parallels between Passover and Jesus?

Exodus chapter 12 verse 11 is of note - "Wear your traveling clothes as you eat this meal, as though prepared for a long journey. Wear your sandals, and carry your walking sticks in your hands. Eat the food quickly, for this is the LORD's Passover."  By wearing their traveling clothes, the Hebrews were faithfully acknowledging God's word that they would very soon be freed from slavery and bondage in Egypt.  The Exodus would soon begin...  and the traveling clothes signified that the Hebrews were ready for the journey!  How about us today?  Do you think that God may still call us on some journeys to take today?  Do you think that God might be calling you on a journey here in 2005?  If so, will you be ready for the call?  Will you wear your "traveling clothes", so that when the "Exodus" comes, you are ready for it?

New Testament - Matthew chapter 20's story of the vineyard workers is one that I have at times had challenges with.  I, like the workers who labored all day, would think - "that's not fair!"   Well.... but then I came to realize that I believe this story is a story of Grace.  God's grace.  And you know what - God's grace is not "fair."  And thank God for this being so!  God's grace is so powerful and all-encompassing and life-giving and healing and saving.  And God's grace is offered to me.  And to you.  And to our neighbors.  And to everyone.  God's grace is offered to people that have sinned against God.  Me.  You.  Our Neighbors.  Everyone.  God's grace is offered to people who become Christians early in their lives and live wonderfully giving lives.  And God's grace is offered to people who become Christians on their deathbed after living destructive lives.  God's grace is given freely.  Like these workers in this story, we all accept God's grace at different points in the "day."  How about you?  What part of the "day" are you in?  Have you accepted God's gift of grace?  Will you?

Jesus' teaching in Matthew 20 verse 16 has always been convicting to me - "And so it is, that many who are first now will be last then; and those who are last now will be first then." I see the wisdom in this verse... but yet, I still think that I try to be "first" in many ways in my life.  I don't like being "last".  I like being honored.  I like being the star.  I don't like being the servant.  I don't like to be the guy supporting the star.  And yet, Jesus is calling us to be last.  To serve others.  To let others go first.  How about you?  Are you trying to be "first" in your life?  Or do you see the eternal wisdom in being "last"?

As this chapter proceeds we read about Jesus prophesying his own death and resurrection.  And then, we see Jesus prophesy about the end of James & John's life when their mother and they ask to sit at Jesus' right & left in heaven.  Check out verses 22 & 23 - ""You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow I am about to drink?" "Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!" "You will indeed drink from it," he told them."  You will indeed drink from it...  James ended his life being martyred for his faith in Jesus.  And John ended his life in exile on the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation.  And I wonder again about us today...  sometimes we hear about the "health, wealth and prosperity gospel", and think that's what we've signed up for as Christians.  But... do you think that it might be possible that at some point in your life that you might be called to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow that Jesus drank from?  If you are called to drink from that bitter cup, will you indeed drink from it?

The last 10 words of Verse 28 remind me of the Passover Lamb / Jesus parallels discussed above in this post - "For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."  Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for many.  Do you believe that he came to give his life as a ransom for you?

Psalms - Psalm 25 has some amazing verses today!  I think I could write some reflections and questions on each of the verses today...  Maybe a good thing for each of us to do is to re-read this Psalm today and really reflect on what the verses are saying to our hearts.  Will you do this? 

I do like verse 5 a lot and I believe it will speak to each of you going through the One Year Bible this year - "Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you."  Do you believe that reading God's Word each day is allowing you to be led by God's truth?  Are you being taught each day?  Then - that last sentence in verse 5 is amazing.  I cannot honestly say that all day long I put my hope in God.  I pray that I do... but I think sometimes I drift away from putting my hope in God and I put my hope in myself - or maybe even sometimes I lose hope!  I get discouraged about a situation.  I get stressed.  I worry.  If we put our hope all day long in God, do you think we would get discouraged, stressed, or worried?  I don't think we would...

Proverbs - Okay, Proverbs chapter 6 verses 9 through 11 make me smile.  I do absolutely see the wisdom in these verses... but reading the word lazybones makes me smile.  Is this a New Living Translation thing??  I honestly wondered for a split second if I was getting The Message translation on this Proverb somehow today!  :)   By the way - random tangent here - I picked up a full copy of The Message for $20 at Sam's Club tonight.  OT & NT.  I'm psyched!  I love the paraphrase of The Message by Eugene Peterson.  And - random tangent #2 - have you noticed how many cool religious books & Bibles Sam's Club has these days?  I mean, they don't have a ton of books in their monster warehouse.  But, they have tons of Bibles - including Zondervan's NIV Study Bible, which is just phenomenal.  And they had some really cool Oswald Chamber "My Utmost for His Highest" journal books.  And of course tons of Purpose Driven Life books.  HOWEVER - they did NOT have a One Year Bible format of the Bible!  How upsetting!  :)  I will talk to them...   Okay, back to this Proverb...  The other reason this Proverb made me smile is because I do a lot of catch up of sleep on weekends - which I know is not wise... I'm trying to change my ways here...  but, before reading the Bible tonight, I thought to myself, "wow, I almost got 10 hours of sleep last night!  And I'm gonna get 10 hours of sleep hopefully tonight!  Woo-hoo!"  And then I read this... "But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? I want you to learn this lesson: A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-- and poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber."   Ahh man.... I am feeling really guilty about going for 10 hours tonight.... but again... I see the wisdom in this Proverb - on weekdays!  :)  (probably the Proverbs were not written just for weekdays... :)

UPDATE - Okay, I went to bed last night after posting this up, still thinking about this Proverb...  and I set my alarm to get 10 hours of sleep... but - I woke up, wide-awake, just after getting 8 hours of sleep!  And I'm feeling very refreshed and like I've had plenty of sleep....  this Proverb just whooped me into shape I think!  :)

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

January 29th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Exodus 8:1-9:35 ~ Matthew 19:13-30
Psalm 24:1-10 ~ Proverbs 6:1-5

Old Testament - Today in Exodus chapters 8 & 9 we read about the plagues!   I gotta say, for some reason the plague of frogs really resonated with me in today's reading.  I'm not sure why - but for some reason I could really envision frogs being everywhere...  and how disgusting this would truly be.  :)

An interesting thing I read in the Tyndale commentary today is that the plagues in some ways were direct attacks on the Egyptian "gods".  For example, the Egyptians had a god named Hopi, who was god of the Nile river.  Hopi couldn't stop the river from turning to blood...  They had a cow-goddes named Hathor, who couldn't stop the livestock from dying...  They had a sun-god named Amon-Re who couldn't stop darkness from coming over the land...  (in tomorrow's readings).  God's plagues were going after these false gods - and showing to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and the Hebrews too I think, who the one true living God is, was, and forever shall be.

Chapter 8 verses 18 & 19 jumped out - "Pharaoh's magicians tried to do the same thing with their secret arts, but this time they failed. And the gnats covered all the people and animals. "This is the finger of God!" the magicians exclaimed to Pharaoh." The magicians tricks were beginning to fail!  They realized that God was creating the plagues with their exclamation, "This is the finder of God!"  God's name & fame was becoming known...  Have you seen or experienced the finger of God in your life?

Chapter 9 verse 16 is powerful... "But I have let you live for this reason--that you might see my power and that my fame might spread throughout the earth."  In the New Testament, Paul quotes this verse in Romans 9:17, which we'll view in context here from Romans 9:14-18 - ^"What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.  For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden."   Wow... great stuff in this Roman's verse... it does not depend on our desire or effort, but in God's mercy.  Do you believe in God's mercy?  Will you relinquish any of your desire or effort over to God's mercy?

Exodus chapter 9 verse 20 is also powerful, as we read about some Egyptians beginning to believe in God - "Some of Pharaoh's officials believed what the LORD said. They immediately brought their livestock and servants in from the fields."   How about us today?  Do we believe what the Lord says?  Like these Egyptians in this instance, do we then also immediately do what the Lord says?

In verse 27 Pharaoh finally confesses his sin... "Then Pharaoh urgently sent for Moses and Aaron. "I finally admit my fault," he confessed. "The LORD is right, and my people and I are wrong."   Though he doesn't stay repentant for long...  How about us - do we confess our sins to God - and then not stay repentant for long?  Can we instead confess our sins to God and make a complete U-turn - go completely in the other direction and not look back?

New Testament - Today in Matthew 19 we read some challenging verses about the Rich Young Man.  I have read some commentaries say that we don't need to take Jesus' words literally that each of us must sell all of our goods and give to the poor.  However, these words in context to this rich young man were indeed to be taken literally by him - and he knew it.  He wouldn't do it.  Jesus called him to do this, I think, because the young man's "stuff" was an impediment to his relationship with God.  Perhaps the young man literally valued his stuff more than God.  So - while the commentaries say that we don't have to take Jesus' teaching to this young man literally, I do think we should keep in mind that Jesus may ask of us something along these lines.  To follow Jesus, he may ask us to pack up and become a missionary.  Or maybe he'll ask us to leave a high powered, high paying job, to go serve the poor in our town.  Or he may ask us to not spend our money on luxury items, but to invest in micro credit programs in third world countries.  So - while this may seem like Jesus was asking a lot of this rich young man, keep in mind that Jesus asks a lot of each of us.  And really, Jesus simply asks us to follow him.  Will you follow Jesus?  No matter the cost?  No matter what you have to "give up"?  Will you follow him?

Psalms - Psalm 24 is a beautiful Psalm!  Check out this brief snippet of commentary from bible.org - "The Israelites have returned from a battle with the Canaanites. They are proceeding up to the sanctuary on the holy mount to give praise to Yahweh for the great and mighty victory in battle, carrying with them the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of Yahweh’s presence with them. As they approach the gate, they are met by the Levites who function as gatekeepers. It is their part to ask who may enter the sanctuary of the Lord; and it is the priests’ part to answer with the stipulations from the Law. Whoever meets these qualifications may enter and fellowship with Yahweh....The psalm then concludes with the worshipers calling to the gates to make way for Yahweh to come in to His sanctuary, for why should the King of Glory stoop to go under a doorway? "  This quote is from and there is much more commentary on Psalm 24 at bible.org at this link.

Proverbs chapter 6 verses 1 through 5 were intriguing to me.  I guess my first thought was that getting our own selves in debt is bad enough - but then to be a guarantor for our friends debt?  Well, these verses certainly warn against this.  While we are on the topic of debt, does anyone have debt-relief resources, websites or books you could share with everyone in the Comments section below?  if so, please post up!  Thanks.  I've heard Financial Peace University is good and I hear there are some other good Christian financial management / debt relief books & seminars out there.  I'm personally not that familiar with them - well, I did run sound once at my church for a 4 hour session on one of these seminars once, and it was quite good....  it's amazing how wise it is to be out of debt and to save $.  I remember one of our Commenters - I think it was BJ - talked about tithing 10% of income and saving 10% of income with each check that comes in.  I like that!  I've actually tried to start doing the savings piece now since BJ's post...  I hope I can keep it up!  :)

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

Blogdom of God & Evangelical Blog Awards

Hi everyone - just a quick thanks to Adrian Warnock for adding the One Year Bible Blog to the Blogdom of God!  Blogdom of God is a great ministry that Adrian oversees.   You can learn tons more about it at this link below - surf down and to the right to see the full list of the Blogdom of God blogs.  Hopefully having the One Year Bible Blog included in the Blogdom of God will encourage even more folks to read the Bible each day!

http://www.adrian.warnock.info/2005/01/welcome-to-blogdom-of-god.htm

And, while we're talking blogs, just fyi on a great idea for nominating blogs for awards at this link -

http://www.evangelicalunderground.com/blog-awards

Both of these links above will give you a bunch of opportunities to explore and find other Christian bloggers out there.  Enjoy!

Mike

January 28th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Exodus 5:22-7:25 ~ Matthew 18:21-19:12
Psalm 23:1-6 ~ Proverbs 5:22-23

Old Testament - Exodus Chapter 5 verse 22 starts off our reading today with what seems to be an awfully bold question / complaint from Moses to God - "So Moses went back to the LORD and protested, "Why have you mistreated your own people like this, Lord? Why did you send me? Since I gave Pharaoh your message, he has been even more brutal to your people. You have not even begun to rescue them!"" That first question initially made me wince - obviously God was not mistreating his own people - Pharaoh and the foremen were.  I don't fault Moses for this question, since he saw the Israelites suffering so much - and God didn't seem to fault Moses either as we see in the beginning of chapter 6 he tells Moses what he is going to do to Pharaoh - and he doesn't address Moses question / complaint.  I think Moses was probably really instead trying to ask God what he gets at in the last sentence - why haven't you started your rescue of your people?  Then, the second question in verse 22 above takes us back to Moses' words to God at the burning bush near Midian when God first called Moses to this task - "why me??"  This second question kind of made me smile...  I guess because I've probably asked this question of God a lot of times in my life in various forms - why are you asking me to do this?  Why not pick someone else?  Don't I have enough going on?  How am I going to pull this off?  Etc. Etc.... Etc....   any of these questions sound familiar to you?  :)  And yet, even in the midst of this protesting, God is still going to use Moses in a big way for his kingdom purposes.  I pray he will still use me in the midst of my protesting.  Do you want God to still use you in the midst of your protesting?

At the end of Exodus chapter 6 today we come across a short genealogy - only 3 of Jacob/Israel's son's are listed - as the third son, Levi, brings us to Aaron and Moses.  I like coming across this genealogy in today's readings.  It's kind of a brief interlude in the "action" of the narrative.  It's kind of like God saying to us - pay attention!  These 2 guys, Aaron and Moses were real!  Here's their real geneology.  This is a real factual history.  And maybe this genealogy helps remind us of the reality of this book of Exodus before we soon get into the plagues...

In Exodus chapter 7 we read about Aaron's staff becoming a snake and the plague of blood.  It is interesting that Pharaoh's wise men & magicians did the same thing as these miracles with their "secret arts."  However, it's obvious that what the magicians did was not as powerful as what God did - because God's snake wins!  :)  And, it is indeed ironic that the magicians turning water to blood would really only make matters worse for the Egyptians.  I read commentaries that suggested the magicians were either coming up with illusions or potentially tapping into dark / demonic forces to make their tricks come to fruition.

Check out tons more great info on the nature of the plagues, the magicians tricks, the pattern of the plagues and the point of the plagues at this link at bible.org.  This is worth the read before we dive into all the plagues over the next few days!

New Testament - Today in Matthew chapter 18 we read about Jesus' strong teaching on the need for us to forgive others in our life.  And not just to forgive someone once... but many many many times.  Why?  Because God has been so gracious to us - he has forgiven us for our many many many sins through our faith in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.  If God has forgiven us many times over - who are we to not forgive others many times over as well?  Are we better than God?  :)  We all know the answer to this one.  No.  But, we are all called to forgive as gracefully as God has forgiven us.  We are to forgive, just as we have been forgiven.  Is there someone in your that life you need to forgive?  Will you? 

In Matthew 19 we read a discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees on divorce.  The context of this discussion basically revolved around 2 disputed Jewish schools' - Shammai and Hillel - viewpoints in Jesus' day on Deuteronomy 24 verses 1-4 - "If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the LORD . Do not bring sin upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance."  From Zondervan's commentary - The Shammai school held that "something indecent" from verse 1 above meant "marital unfaithfulness" - the only allowable cause for divorce.  Hillel emphasized to the preceding clause, "who becomes displeasing to him" in verse 1 above - they would allow for a man to divorce his wife for anything she did that he disliked.  Jesus in the midst of these 2 viewpoints seems to take to the side of Shammai - but, only after first pointing back to God's original ideal for marriage.  So...  there you have the context.  What does that mean for us today?  :)  I honestly will say that I don't know.  I do know that many folks participating in this blog are divorced.  And many are married.  And many are single.  So...  I guess I'd encourage you to read more or study more about the topic of divorce if you feel God is calling you to this.  I do believe in God's grace in each of our lives and I believe in Jesus...  I don't have enough theological wisdom to add much more to this topic today...  :)  Bible.org does have a pretty long overview of Marriage, Abortion and Divorce at this link - I haven't read it all, so I can't say that I agree with everything at this link... but, if you're interested in diving more into this topic you may want to read.   Also, as always, if anyone wants to share your wisdom / thoughts / books / websites / other resources on this topic, please feel free to post up in the Comments below.   Everyone, please be graceful! :)

Psalms - Psalm 23!  What a Psalm!!  The first Psalm for sure that I ever really read and was comforted by without a doubt.  As it's getting close to bed time for me, I'm going to link you over to 4 bible.org links about Psalm 23 at this link, and at this link, and at this link, and at this link.

Proverbs chapter 5 verses 22 & 23 are just amazing wisdom for each of us of why we should FLEE from sin... don't entertain it at all.....  "An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his incredible folly."  Please know that if for some reason you are caught in the ropes of sin, please know that Jesus can truly set you free.  Please pray for this freedom in Christ.  Only in Christ are we truly set free....  please seek this freedom with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength.  Please check out this website for your freedom - http://needhim.org/

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

January 27th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Exodus 4:1-5:21 ~ Matthew 18:1-20
Psalm 22:19-31 ~ Proverbs 5:15-21

Old Testament - Today in Exodus chapter 4 we read about God discussing with Moses how Moses will lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses has a classic line to God in verse 10 – “"O Lord, I'm just not a good speaker. I never have been, and I'm not now, even after you have spoken to me. I'm clumsy with words."  I think what is classic about this line is that probably many of us have some sort of line similar to this one that we say to God when God is calling us to do something big for his kingdom. Or maybe even if it’s something medium-sized or small… we probably have some pretty good excuses. “Why me God?” “I’m too young.” I’m too old.” “I’m too busy.” “I’m not that smart.” “I’m not that talented”. And I’m sure our list could go on… BUT – check out what God says to Moses in verses 11 & 12 – ""Who makes mouths?" the LORD asked him. "Who makes people so they can speak or not speak, hear or not hear, see or not see? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go, and do as I have told you. I will help you speak well, and I will tell you what to say.""  Wow. Is there an area of your life where God is calling you to move forward? Maybe calling you to some kingdom work? And are you making excuses? Will you leave those excuses behind? Do you realize that God will help you do whatever you need to do? Do you realize that God will teach you what to do as you go?  Do you realize that God literally made you for what he is calling you to do?  God created you for this calling.  Even if you feel like you do not know exactly how to succeed at the task before you – will you move forward, knowing that God will show up and help you accomplish the task?

Verses 24 through 26 probably raised some questions with you today... :)  "On the journey, when Moses and his family had stopped for the night, the LORD confronted Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah, his wife, took a flint knife and circumcised her son....After that, the LORD left him alone."  The obvious question being, why was God about to kill Moses?  Didn't he just call him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt?  Well, yes he did.  Commentaries I read suggest that the primary issue here was an issue of obedience.  Moses had not circumcised his son, which was a requirement of God's covenant with Israel from Genesis chapter 17 - you'll recall Abraham and his household all getting circumcised in that 1 day...  So, Moses - or actually Zipporah his wife did the task - had to circumcise his son before God would let Moses go forward to deliver God's people out of Egypt.  Don't you like it when the Bible throws in some quick curveballs like this??  :)   

I like Exodus chapter 5 verse 1, which builds upon some of our readings in chapter 4 - "After this presentation to Israel's leaders, Moses and Aaron went to see Pharaoh." What I like about this is that there was Moses & Aaron going to see Pharaoh - the 2 of them.  This reminds me of Jesus sending out the disciples in pairs.  Sometimes in life it seems like we can accomplish more, or stay on task better, if we are partnered with someone else.  It's sometimes tough to do things on your own.  I think sometimes we want to make ourselves out to be Lone Rangers - thinking that we can shoulder the weight of the world on our own.  But... we can't.  First and foremost we need to be in relationship with God.  Secondly, in relationship with our family.  Thirdly, relationship with our community - as we saw Moses and Aaron spoke with the Hebrew leaders at the end of chapter 4.  And then... we are ready to take on Pharaoh!  Then, we are ready to take on the world!  Yeah, sure, on rare occasions God will call us to pull off kingdom tasks on our own - but... 9 times out of 10, I think you are going to need brothers and sisters in Christ to help you make it.  Currently, are you in a community, a church, with brothers and sisters in Christ?  Do you know who your Aaron is?

Bible.org's commentary on Exodus chapter 4 is at this link - scroll down a bit.

New Testament - Jesus' teaching in Matthew chapter 18 verses 3 & 4 are something for each of us to consider - ""I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."  I find it interesting the order of the words - first, turn from your sin.  THEN - after turning from your sins - become as little children.  It seems that we cannot become humble as children without first turning from our sins.  This makes sense if you think about it.  If you are still living in sin, how can you become humble like a child?  You must first repent of the sin before moving toward humility.  I think this teaching is a tough one in our modern age.  It doesn't sound quite right... become humble like a child?  why??  But, there is so much wisdom in it.   Do you want to become humble like a child?  Will you ask God to show you how to do this in your life?

Verses 19 & 20 are awesome - "I also tell you this: If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them."" Again, these verses remind me of the importance of being in community with other believers regularly.  The importance of church.  And not just showing up to church on Sundays, but really investing in your church.  Serving.  Tithing. Being part of a small group.  Doing life together with others.  Being the body of Christ.   I will admit that there have been periods of my life where I really felt like I did not need the church.  That I did not need to be in community.  These have turned out to be lonely or hurried or stressful seasons when I look back on them....  I realize now more than ever that I need the church.  I love my church.  I love everyone in my church - faults and all - and I believe they love me in return, faults and all.   How about you?  Do you have a church that you love?  Do you have a community of believers that you love and that loves you?  If not, will you pray to God to lead you to such a community?  Do you believe that Christian community is important for you?

Psalms - Okay, since I'm going off on my church soapbox today :), I'll continue the theme here.  What's one good reason to go to church at all?  Check out Psalm 22 verse 22 - "Then I will declare the wonder of your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among all your people."  Praising God with other brothers and sisters through worship, tithing, learning, serving and being in community in church is a great reason to go to church!  To declare the wonder of God's name!  To praise God among all his people.  Wow... yes...  this is church!  Okay, I'll get off my soapbox here...  :)

Proverbs 5 verses 16 & 17 are powerful Sex Education verses- "Why spill the water of your springs in public, having sex with just anyone? You should reserve it for yourselves. Don't share it with strangers."  I like this a lot.  Is this something we can teach youth today?  Is this something we can teach ourselves?  Don't have sex with just anyone - it is degrading to you.  Don't share something so holy as sex with just anyone.  Save this holy bond for your spouse.  I once heard a powerful sermon by John Ortberg at Willow Creek Community Church outside of Chicago. And John was preaching on "Don't Quench the Spirit".   And it was a powerful sermon on how we are so blessed with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives as followers of Jesus.  And yet, we can quench, temporarily, the power of the Spirit in our life when we sin.  It is basically like turning our back on God when we sin.  And then we need to turn our faces forward again toward God in repentance.  And while we are sinning and turning our back on God, we have effectively quenched the Spirit.  And as I heard this sermon, I realized that for me personally, sexual sin is one sure-fire quick way to quench the spirit.  We are degrading ourselves through sexual sin and we are, I believe, quenching the spirit.  (quick personal note - I don't personally equate quenching the spirit w/ losing salvation - nor was John Ortberg saying this - but I know this can be viewed differently by others)  I don't know if this line of thinking will help you at all if you are struggling with sexual sin.  But, it helps me.  It helps me to realize that the quick little temporary kicks we could get off sexual sin are so not worth it.  What is worth quenching the Spirit in our life??  Is sexual sin?  Nope...  you know it's not.  Living fully in communion with God and with the Holy Spirit is one of the most amazing things we can possibly experience this side of heaven.  Will you please, please, don't Quench the Spirit?  Actually, since we are on this serious point here of sexual sin - does anyone have any resources, books, websites, that you can recommend to folks that are struggling with sexual temptation or sin?  If you can post up in the Comments section, I'd appreciate it!  Thanks.

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

January 26th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Exodus 2:11-3:22 ~ Matthew 17:10-27
Psalm 22:1-18 ~ Proverbs 5:7-14

Old Testament - Today we finish up Exodus chapter 2 as Moses escapes to Midian - a town on the eastern side of the Red Sea that was very dry and desolate.  Moses ends up living in Midian for 40 years.  Bible.org's Commentary on Exodus chapter 2 and how Moses was Preserved and Prepared is at this link.

In Chapter 3 today God speaks to Moses through the burning bush!  What I love about this is in verse 4 - "When the LORD saw that he had caught Moses' attention..."  It seems like Moses probably could have seen this burning bush - and kept going.  He could have somehow walked on by - maybe because he had to get the flocks back home or he was late for dinner or who knows what.  He could have missed the adventure and the calling of his life.  But he doesn't.  He stops.  He investigates.  He has a conversation with God.  God caught his attention.  And I wonder in our lives today, is God trying to catch our attention?  Is God trying to tell us something important?  And are we just passing God by - or will we stop and investigate and have a conversation with God? 

Exodus 3:14 is a biggee in today's readings as Moses asks God who he should tell the Hebrews who sent him - "God replied, "I AM WHO I AM. Just tell them, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"  I AM WHO I AM  translates into Yahweh in Hebrew.  I read a cool little commentary that said when God speaks of himself, he says "I AM".  When we speak of God we should say "He is."  I like that.  He is.  I actually heard a sermon at my church just tonight about the unchanging nature of God.  He is omniscient.  Omni-present.  Eternal.  He is wisdom.  He cannot learn anything, because he knows everything.  He is.

Another powerful thing to note is that Jesus uses this same phrase of I AM and nearly gets stoned to death for sharing this truth in the Gospel of John chapter 8 verses 58 & 59 - "“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds."  Do you believe that Jesus is?

So - when God says I AM! - what is our response?  He is!  :)  I like that.   He is.

A great commentary on the Burning Bush in Exodus chapter 3 is at bible.org at this link.

New Testament - Today in Matthew chapter 17 verse 20 jumps out at me - ""You didn't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.""  As I think about this verse, I wonder about my own faith.  How much faith do I really have?  Do I have enough faith Jesus?  And in all of God's promises?  Or - am I hedging my bets?  Do I also place a lot of faith in my own power?  My own skills?  My own "smarts"?   Do I truly have complete faith in Jesus and Jesus alone?  If so, and if it was Jesus' will, do I believe that I could move mountains?  Could you? 

I don't think that this idea of not having enough faith means that I need to "try harder" in any way.  I think it means I simply need to depend more - rest more - relax more - give more - to Jesus.  Trust in Jesus.  Trust that his grace is enough...  As a great Chris Tomlin song goes - "All of you is more than Enough, for all of me."  Is Jesus more than enough for you?

Verses 25 & 26 are awesome as Peter is about to ask Jesus about the Temple Tax - "But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, "What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the foreigners they have conquered?" "They tax the foreigners," Peter replied. "Well, then," Jesus said, "the citizens are free!""  Here we see that Jesus is recognizing himself as the King - and his disciples are the citizens who should not have to pay the tax.  But - as to not offend those who did not realize that Jesus was the King, he tells Peter where to find a coin, in the fish's mouth, to pay the tax. 

Psalms - Psalm 22 is an amazing Psalm.  Re-read this Psalm again and see if you see parallels to Jesus' crucifixion?  There are a lot in this Psalm.   I'll list a few - Psalm 22:1a was quoted by Jesus on the cross - "My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?"  As we see in Matthew 27:46 - ^"About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”^[

Verse 8 - ""Is this the one who relies on the LORD? Then let the LORD save him! If the LORD loves him so much,let the LORD rescue him!"" we see in similar fashion in Matthew 27:42-43 - "“He saved others,” they said, “but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”

Verses 16 & 17 make me want to cry... "They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count every bone in my body." The piercing of the hands and feet of Jesus are apparent with how the crucifixion took place.  And these Psalm 22 verses are similar to John 19:33-37 - "But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”^"

And verse 18 - "They divide my clothes among themselves and throw dice for my garments." compare to John 19:23-24 - "When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. “Let's not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let's decide by lot who will get it.”"

Proverbs chapter 5 verses 12-14 are some sad verses to imagine saying...  ""How I hated discipline! If only I had not demanded my own way! Oh, why didn't I listen to my teachers? Why didn't I pay attention to those who gave me instruction? I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.""

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

January 25th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Genesis 50:1 - Exodus 2:10 ~ Matthew 16:13-17:9
Psalm 21:1-13 ~ Proverbs 5:1-6

Old Testament - Today we finish up Genesis and begin Exodus!   In Genesis chapter 50 verses 19 & 20 jumped out at me as Joseph spoke to his brothers - ""Don't be afraid of me. Am I God, to judge and punish you? As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil. He brought me to the high position I have today so I could save the lives of many people."  Again, I am impressed with Joseph's character here.  His brothers seemed to think that Joseph hadn't really forgiven them, and that he was waiting to get back at them after their father had passed away.  But, I think we see here that Joseph had truly forgiven his brothers!  It was water under the bridge.  And not only had Joseph forgiven them, but he saw the power of how God turned something bad into something incredibly good.  I wonder about this in our lives today - do we truly forgive other people like Joseph forgave his brothers?  Or, do we maybe hold some piece of unforgiveness within us?  Maybe we keep bringing up the wrong that somebody did to us?  Maybe we do this to make them feel a bit guilty from time to time?  Should we instead fully forgive and fully move forward?

One interesting side note in this chapter 50 was the embalming of Jacob & Joseph.  I read that this was an Egyptian custom - not a Hebrew custom.  And that Jacob & Joseph were likely being respectful of the Egyptian customs of the day.  The Egyptians believed in an afterlife - and believed that the embalming allowed the deceased to utilize their body in the afterlife. 

Bible.org commentary on Genesis chapter 50 is at this link.

Exodus!  Okay, I really should not confess this publicly... but I have known for the past few days that the book of Exodus has been coming up in our readings.  And I've been really excited about it...  and I love music generally speaking.... and so...  I have been singing the Bob Marley song "Exodus!" in my mind to myself over the past few days quite joyously.  I know, I know, this is a strange behavior.  I'll work on it!   "Whoa-oooo Exodus! Movement of the People!"  :)

An introduction to the book of Exodus is at this link, and an argument of the book of Exodus is at this link.

In Exodus chapter 1 verse 12 was awesome - "But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more quickly the Israelites multiplied!"  It's amazing how when God wants people to flourish, they flourish!  Even in the midst of oppression.  This verse kind of reminds me of the flourishing of churches over the centuries and even today where the body of Christ is still often oppressed.  It flourishes!  Praise God for flourishing his people then - and now!

Bible.org's commentary on Exodus chapter 1 is at this link.

In Exodus chapter 2 we are first introduced to Moses!  The author of this book of Exodus - along w/ the overall first 5 books of the Old Testament - also known as the Pentateuch or the Torah or the Law.

New Testament -  In Matthew chapter 16 we read about Peter’s confession of Christ.  In verse 15 we hear Jesus ask ““But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” And then in verse 16 Peter replies – “Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This is a question that is asked of each of us today as well. Who do you say that Jesus is? Is your answer the same answer as Peter’s?

I love verse 18 - "Now I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it."  Praise God for Jesus instituting his church!  And all of the powers of hell will not conquer Jesus' church!   Do you praise Jesus regularly for the church you attend?  Do you pray for the ministry of your church regularly?  Do you pray for your pastors?  Do you pray for others in your church?  Do you pray for those that will soon be coming to attend your church?  I have to say... I absolutely love my church.  Those that know me well know that I love a lot of different churches!  :)  I've had a hard time staying put at one church - much less one denomination.  I just love seeing Jesus glorified and worshiped and being taught at so many different churches that I visit.  I honestly cannot imagine what my life would be like without the church.  I met Jesus in the current church I attend about 4 and a half years ago.  And Jesus changed my life forever.  Thank God for the church!  (I know, I know, some churches have some issues to say the least - but I honestly do believe that we are called to be in community with others in a church - and that you really can find a great church if you search a bit.  Trust me, they are out there!  If you are not currently attending church - maybe because of bad experiences you had at another church in the past, will you pray about this with Jesus?  Will you try to attend a different church again soon?  I know it will bless you immensely when you find or are called to the right church for you...)

Verses 24 - 26 are so powerful today - ""If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?"  Wow... there is so much going on in these verses... I pray they speak to you powerfully as well?  Do you want to follow Jesus?  Will you put aside your selfish ambition?  Will you shoulder your cross?  Do you know what your cross is?  Are you trying to "keep your life" in any area of your life?  Or, will you give up all of your life - every area - to Jesus so that you will find true life?  Is there indeed anything that this world has to offer that is worth more than your soul? 

Psalms - Psalm 21 today follows up Psalm 20 from yesterday - yesterday's being a prayer for victory for the king as he goes out to battle - and today's being a psalm of praise for victories granted to the king. 

Proverbs chapter 5 verse 6 jumps out at me - "For she does not care about the path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn't even realize where it leads."  For some reason this year, as we've been going through the One Year Bible, the idea of "paths" keeps jumping out at me over and over again.  Every time we read about paths now in the Bible, it jumps out at me.  And here it does again.  The idea of paths in the Bible seems to clearly indicate that there are good paths - straight paths - paths through the narrow gate - paths of life - that we can choose to take.  Or...  there are crooked trails.  Or we take our eyes off the path.  Or we stumble on the path.   How about for you?  What type of path do you think you are on these days?  Is it a straight path?  Are you keeping your eyes straight ahead on the path and focused on the prize?  Will you pray to Jesus regularly to keep you on the straight path?  Will you allow God's Word, the Bible, be a lamp unto your feet on the path that you walk?

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

January 24th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Genesis 48:1-49:33 ~ Matthew 15:29-16:12
Psalm 20:1-9 ~ Proverbs 4:20-27

Old Testament - Today in Genesis Chapter 48 we read about Jacob blessing Manasseh and Ephraim.  One thing I thought about when reading this chapter and the next chapter was how cool it was that blessings had so much importance and significance back in these days.  And I wonder - do we have blessings today that are as significant?  Do fathers bless kids or grandkids these days?  Maybe so...  I guess I just haven't noticed it in my family...  :)  I do think there are still some "blessings" today that hold some incredible significance today.  Wedding vows come to mind and the blessings that come from the pastor/priest/minister during this time.  Church ceremonies or sacraments come to mind - Communion, Baptism, Funerals, etc.  And then certainly above all else, there is the amazing and eternal blessing we receive from Jesus himself - the free blessing and free gift of salvation.  What else is there today that I'm missing?  Have you been "blessed" by others like we read about in today's 2 chapters?  Have you "blessed" others?  Please share in the Comments section below if you are willing.  Thanks!

Commentary on Genesis chapter 48 is at bible.org at this link.

In Genesis chapter 49 we read about Jacob blessing his sons - and these are some very accurate blessings he gives!  As we will see as we continue through the Bible this year.  Perhaps Predictions or Prophecies might be the better term for Jacob's blessings in this chapter.   Verse 10 is awesome - "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will obey."  This verse can apply to 2 descendants of Judah - King David and then ultimately and eternally Jesus Christ.  In verse 22 we read this about Joseph - ""Joseph is a fruitful tree,"  And this is certainly true, as his descendants will include Joshua, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samuel the prophet.

Tons more details on Jacob's blessing / prophecies of his son's in this chapter 49 are online at this link at bible.org.

New Testament - In Matthew chapter 16 verses 11 & 12 stood out to me today - "So again I say, `Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' " Then at last they understood that he wasn't speaking about yeast or bread but about the false teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  And I wonder today - are there false teachings that we should beware of today?   I believe there are...  and there have been times in my life where I have bought into false teaching's.  How can we know if a teacher is false?  That is a great question.  I would say that each of you are doing an amazing thing to help discern whether a teacher is false by reading the entire Bible.  I believe the Bible to be the ultimate truthful teaching that we can read - and thus, if you come across teachers that differ radically or go against the teachings of the Bible, you probably need to be wary.  Don't get me wrong - every pastor / minister / priest is going to have some different takes or views or interpretations of the Bible.  By slight degrees...   If there are major differences, then you should be worried.  In addition to knowing the Bible relatively well, the key to discerning false teachers will be the Holy Spirit.  If you are getting bad "gut feelings" (hopefully coming from the Holy Spirit) over and over again about a teacher, there might be an issue.  Pray to God about this and ask for his guidance.  I can't believe I actually went down this path of false teachers here in this post...  :)   It's a sensitive issue!  I'd say don't freak out about this and start wondering if your pastor is a false teacher....  :)  But, be aware.  I do believe there are still false teachers out and about today.

Psalms - Psalm 20 is a prayer for a king as he goes out into battle.  Maybe another way to read this Psalm, personally, is as a prayer for yourself as you go out into battle against a sin or a struggle in your life.  And this verse 5 then is for you as you go into this battle - "May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory, flying banners to honor our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers."

Proverbs chapter 4 verse 23 holds so much truth... "Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do."  Check out yesterday's posting below for tons more reflections on why it is so critical for us to guard our hearts....

We would do well to obey the teaching of verse 24- "Avoid all perverse talk; stay far from corrupt speech." I have found it sometimes far too easy to be pulled into perverse talk - even if I didn't start it.  I think we really need to be aware of situations where talk amongst our peers or friends is going in the wrong direction and to realize that we need to get ourselves out of these situations as quickly as possible.  Sure, try to do it gracefully.  Try to change the subject if you can.  But if not, just excuse yourself and get out of Dodge...  Avoid it.  Stay far away from it...

Verses 25 & 26 are powerful as well and bring up a question I'd love feedback on - "Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe."  One thing that jumped out at me in these verses is the ideas of setting goals.  Are you a goal setter?  I honestly am not really.  I mean, I kind of set short-term goals - work projects, ministry projects, etc.  But I don't really sit down and write down any big lifetime type goals.  Part of my thinking on this is that I want to be as flexible as possible - if Jesus calls me to do something, I don't want to be hung up on some other goal...  :)   But, I'm not sure if this is the best thinking.  This Proverb verse kind of makes me wonder if setting goals helps us keep looking straight ahead?  If goals help us mark out a straight path for our feet?  And to stay on it?   So, let me know in the Comments section below if you are a goal-setter?  And to the extent you can share how you set goals?  How often?  In writing?  How often do you check back in on your goals?  Do they make a difference in your life?  In your spiritual life?  I am really curious on this one...  I am thinking I might need to be setting some goals here!  :)  Thanks. 

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

January 23rd readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Genesis 46:1-47:31 ~ Matthew 15:1-28
Psalm 19:1-14 ~ Proverbs 4:14-19

Old Testament - Today in Genesis Chapter 46 we read about Jacob and his family's journey to Egypt.  I really like that God speaks to Jacob in a vision at Beersheba - the same place where both Abraham and Isaac has worshiped God earlier in Genesis.  As Jacob was about to leave Canaan, God reaffirms his covenant promises.  Very reassuring for Jacob I am sure!  I wonder - sometimes in our lives - as we are about to embark on something big:  Maybe a new ministry.  Maybe a mission trip.  Maybe a new job.  Maybe a new marriage.  Maybe a new child.  Does God speak to us?  Does God reaffirm his love to us?  Does God tell us that he will be with us on this new thing - as he did to Jacob in this chapter?  I can't say that I've verbally heard God speak to me during times of big change in my life.  But, I have most definitely sensed amazing peace many times during big changes in my life.  I do try to pray more than ever during times of change.  I try to stay as absolutely close to God as I possibly can.  Maybe I'm kind of like a scared child trying to huddle up to my heavenly Father during times of change.  Which I am cool with.  :)  And - it seems almost without fail, God does "speak" to me with a peace that surpasses all understanding.  If the peace is not there... then I do begin to worry if what I am doing is really God's will for my life.  If the peace is there - I know without a shadow of a doubt that what I am embarking upon is God's will for my life.  I will say this - that even if I cannot discern or sense the peace during a time of change, I still do not doubt that God will be with me.  That he will not leave me.  That he will be there.  Do you believe that God is with you always?  That he will go with you wherever you go?

Verses 33 & 34 jumped out at me in today's readings, as Joseph gives his brothers this instruction - "So when Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your occupation, tell him, `We have been livestock breeders from our youth, as our ancestors have been for many generations.' When you tell him this, he will let you live here in the land of Goshen, for shepherds are despised in the land of Egypt.""  I like Joseph's wisdom here.  I guess you could look at this as Joseph being manipulative of Pharaoh.  But I don't really see this.  I see that Joseph is telling his brothers what to say - which is true - and that this will allow the nation of Israel to begin to grow and flourish in the land of Goshen.  Removed from the cities of Egypt.  It seems like Joseph is definitely catering to Pharaoh's generosity - "let your family come to Egypt!" - and Pharaoh / Egyptians prejudices - "shepherds are despised in the land of Egypt."   For a win / win.  It's the Stephen Covey win / win principle here!  :)

Okay, I gotta say that I absolutely love Bob Deffinbaugh's humor over at bible.org!  Check out his commentary on Genesis chapter 46, with the awesome title of "Life Begins at 130."   I love it!  :)

In Genesis chapter 47 I find it very interesting that Jacob blesses Pharaoh - twice.  I haven't studied why this happens.  My thought is that Jacob is indeed very appreciative of this current Pharaoh - for literally saving the Israelites by allowing God to move mightily through Joseph.  We will see soon that there are future Pharaoh's who are not so kind to the Israelites.  So, perhaps Jacob realized that this Pharaoh was deserving of two blessings.  Let me know your thoughts on these blessings in the Comments below?

We then read about Joseph's leadership and business skills in the famine - as things get really bad with the famine and people are on the brink of starving.  Overall, I initially thought that Joseph was making wise decisions that ultimately ended up saving lives - and in verse 25 the people said the same thing.  However, I have one good friend who was in a Bible study with me who felt that Joseph was being way too harsh.  I can see both sides... :)   Did Joseph have other options / ways to do this?   We got into quite a heated discussion on this point in our Bible study on this topic about a year ago.  In fact, the two main folks that were arguing the two sides of this issue are both participating in the One Year Bible this year - Hi Heather & Dan!  :)   What do you think?  During this time of extreme famine, was Joseph being too harsh or being wise or maybe even being compassionate?

Bible.org's commentary on Genesis chapter 47 is at this link.

New Testament - In Matthew chapter 15 today we read about Jesus confronting the Pharisees on their "age-old traditions".  I read in Zondervan's & Tyndale's commentaries that after the Babylonian exile (we'll read about this late this year in the One Year Bible!), Jewish rabbis began to make meticulous rules and regulations governing the daily life of people.  And that these rules were added to God's law and essentially elevated to the same sacred status by the Pharisees.  In 200 A.D. these traditions of the elders were put into writing in the Mishnah.  I think what Jesus gets at here in this chapter is that the Pharisees were allowing the "rules & regs" to overshadow the spirit of God's law.  They were not honoring their parents because of the practice of Corban - giving $ to the temple.  Which is a good thing... but at the expense of a great thing of caring for your parents?   I know we all could probably go round and round on what is the greatest good - how should we spend our time and our money and our lives.  I like that Jesus basically takes us to the heart.  What is the heart of the matter?  No matter what the matter is - taking care of your parents, giving to your church, following God's laws, receiving God's grace - what is the heart of the matter?   One thing that I have been so blessed to learn over the past few years is that the condition of our hearts matters.  Immensely.  The motives of why we do something - anything - matters.  Immensely.  We are called in Proverbs to "guard our hearts, for it is the wellspring of life."   If we do not care for the state of our hearts, we can become very regimented or insensitive in our thinking and doing.  We might even get to the point in verse 8 of this chapter where Jesus quotes from Isaiah - "`These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away."  How is the state of your heart?  Is it close to God?

Jesus continues to speak about the importance of what is in our hearts in verses 18-20 today - "But evil words come from an evil heart and defile the person who says them. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all other sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you."  I think this takes us back again to the Sermon on the Mount - where Jesus teaches us in one example that yes, it is wrong to commit adultery.  But, if you commit adultery in your heart, it is just as wrong.  Because if you commit adultery in the heart, you have essentially defiled your own heart.  And from the heart could come the actual act of committing adultery - which would then shatter several lives.  But it all starts in the heart....   So - the good news?  Jesus can heal our hearts!  Jesus is in the business of heart-healing!  Maybe in your life, you might need to refocus a little bit less on some external actions and start focusing on the state of your heart?   Maybe by focusing on what's going no inside your heart, the external actions will ultimately change?   Maybe allow Jesus to heal your heart - and then your external life will be healed as well?  I'm not sure you can go about this the other way - trying to work from the outside back in...  I think you may need to start on the inside first and work your way out.  But don't do this alone - let Jesus walk this healing path with you.

Psalms - Psalm 19 is one of my favorite Psalms!  Every single verse in this Psalm speaks to me in such powerful ways.  Rather than me go through this Psalm verse by verse...  :)   I'm just going to encourage you to read this Psalm again.  And meditate upon it.  Think about the meaning of each verse.  What is each verse saying to YOU?  Right now in your life - how is each verse speaking to you?  And I'll simply close here with what I think is an amazing prayer in verse 14 that closes out this Psalm - "May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."  Again - notice the "heart"?  :)   Wow....   I think I actually will say more about this Psalm in my weekly One Year Bible email later today.  So, stay tuned...

Proverbs 4 verse 18 reminds me of Psalm 19.... :)  - "The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day."  See the parallel?  Is your life shining ever brighter as you go forward in life?  Are you shining ever brighter for those around you?  Are you loving and blessing those around you more and more each day?  Are you moving forward toward the full light of day?

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike