One Year Bible Blog

June 26th One Year Bible Readings

2 Kings 9:14-10:31 ~ Acts 17:1-34 ~ Psalm 144:1-15 ~ Proverbs 17:27-28
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ // Mobile Site Link
~ Listen to today's Scripture on One Year Bible Online Audio, ESVBible.org: OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~

Old Testament - Well... Jehu kills a lot of people in today's readings.  I realize that the violence in the Old Testament can often bring up a lot of questions.  Rather than me diving into why there is violence in the Bible - I'll defer to a couple of theologians at this link and at this link - and I'll give you 3 images below from a very young theologian.  :)  Unfortunately, our human history is full of violence - from Cain and Abel until this very day.  The Bible does record human history.  There will come a day where there is a new heaven and a new earth, free from violence.  That day has not come yet - but will with Jesus' Second Coming.

Most Biblical commentaries agree that Jehu was carrying out justice for the sins of the Kings of Israel and the worship of Baal.  Jezebel's death was predicted by the prophet Elijah because of her sins.  A brutal death that it was.  I think one thing for us to keep in mind is that sin does bring death.   As Paul teaches in Romans 6:23 - "The wages of sin is death."  Jesus saves us from this deserved death when we come to him in faith and surrender our lives to him.  But, let us not forget the severity and risk of sin and the risk of not being in relationship with Jesus.  Without Jesus saving us, the wages of sin truly is eternal death.

2 Kings 10 verses 25-27 seem to demonstrate Jehu's initial apparent zeal for God - "Then Jehu's men went into the fortress of the temple of Baal. They dragged out the sacred pillar used in the worship of Baal and destroyed it. They broke down the sacred pillar of Baal and wrecked the temple of Baal, converting it into a public toilet. That is what it is used for to this day."  But we soon learn in verse 31 - "But Jehu did not obey the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He refused to turn from the sins of idolatry that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit."  It is thus thought that Jehu's action of destroying the idols of Baal was more political than spiritual - as Baal worship was associated with the dynasty of Ahab, whereas the golden calves had a longer history in the northern kingdom of Israel and were valued by most people.  And keeping the golden calves would keep people from Israel traveling to the southern kingdom of Judah to worship God in Jerusalem.  Below is an image of a series of images from the life of Jehu:

Bible.org's commentary on today's Second Kings readings titled "Jehu Cleans House (Ahab's House)" is at this link and "Three 'Birds' With One Stone" is at this link.

New Testament - Great reading about Paul's travels and preaching in Acts 17 today!

I absolutely love the quote in verse 6 where the Jewish leaders of Thessalonica say: ""Paul and Silas have turned the rest of the world upside down, and now they are here disturbing our city," they shouted."  Have you ever heard that the Kingdom of God is an "upside down" kingdom?  That the values of the Kingdom of God are upside down compared to worldly values?  Paul and Silas turned the world upside down.  How are you turning the world upside down in your life today?

Today in Acts 17 verses 22 & 23 we read - “Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.” Paul then went on to introduce to the Greeks our personal Creator, in contrast with their views of pantheistic Stoicism. Are there people in your life today that are perhaps like the Greeks Paul was speaking to? People who are religious but do not yet know our personal Creator? Are there people in your life who are seeking the Unknown God? Will you begin conversations with these people that God has placed in your life and let them know about the living God that you know and love? Will you let them know, as Paul let the Greeks know in verse 28 – “For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'”? The altar in the image below is located on Palatine Hill, Rome, where once stood the palaces of the Caesars. It dates from about 100 B.C. and has the inscription, ´To the unknown God.'  This could have been a similar altar to the one that Paul was referring to in today's readings in Athens:

Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "The Evangelization of Thessalonica and Berea" is at this link and "The Apostle in Athens, Preaching to Philosophers" is at this link.  Below is a painting from the year 1515 by the Italian artist Raphael titled "St. Paul preaching in Athens":

Psalms - Psalm 144 verses 3 & 4 are well known!  "O LORD, what are mortals that you should notice us, mere humans that you should care for us? For we are like a breath of air; our days are like a passing shadow."  If our days are like a passing shadow, how then should we be spending our days?  What types of things should we be investing our time & money into?  What should we be investing our very hearts and minds into?  Are you wisely spending your passing days in godly ways?

Proverbs - Proverbs 17:27 is so true - "A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered."  And with this I will quietly close out today's posting with few words.  :)

YouTube: Today's readings in Acts about Paul's preaching in Athens reminded me of the Switchfoot song "Meant to Live:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmmW6HSlhMA

Are you meant to live for so much more? Click here and truly live!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'" Acts 17:28 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that in Jesus you live and move and have your being. Pray that you are a child of God, through your saving faith in Jesus.

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  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

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.

p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!

June 25th One Year Bible Readings

2 Kings 8:1-9:13 ~ Acts 16:16-40 ~ Psalm 143:1-12 ~ Proverbs 17:26
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ // Mobile Site Link
~ Listen to today's Scripture on One Year Bible Online Audio, ESVBible.org: OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~

Old Testament - Second Kings 8 begins with a wonderful example of God's "perfect timing."  It was no coincidence that the king was talking with Gehazi about the time Elisha brought a boy back to life when the woman from Shunem walked in with her son!  God knew that the Shumanite woman was faithful and obedient to Him, so He orchestrated the timing so that she would get her house and land back - after God perfectly timed her to be out of the country for 7 years to avoid the famine! Have you ever had the experience of God's "perfect timing" in your life?  My hunch is that you have - even if you haven't realized it.  I have had some experiences where I have consciously realized that God's perfect timing was at work - and sometimes I've quickly said the prayer under my breath of "thank you God!"  But, I also now can look back on my life and now see so many instances of God's perfect timing.  Hindsight is 20/20.  When is the last time you experienced God's perfect timing?  Think it could have been today - even if you don't realize it right now?

Elisha's interaction with Hazael demonstrates Elisha was certainly a prophet of God's!  Elisha was not condoning what Hazael is going to violently do, but he was just stating the facts of what was going to happen.  Verses 11 & 12 are sad to read - "Elisha stared at Hazael with a fixed gaze until Hazael became uneasy. Then the man of God started weeping. "What's the matter, my lord?" Hazael asked him. Elisha replied, "I know the terrible things you will do to the people of Israel. You will burn their fortified cities, kill their young men, dash their children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women!"   Verse 13 is also sad because you will notice that Hazael doesn't get upset by the violent predictions in Elisha's proclamation, but only wonders how someone like him would pull of something like this... "Then Hazael replied, "How could a nobody like me ever accomplish such a great feat?""  Below is and image of Elisha and Hazael having this conversation:

I love Elisha's final instructions to the young prophet concerning his anointing of Jehu as King of Israel in 2 Kings 9 verse 3 - "Then open the door and run for your life!""  Not your typical instructions from a prophet, you wouldn't think - but if a prophet gives you instructions like these, you better follow them!  :)

Bible.org's commentary on today's Second Kings readings titled "Looking Out for a Lovely Lady" is at this link, "What it Takes to Make a Prophet Weep" is at this link, and "Three Birds With One Stone" is at this link.

New Testament - Today in Acts 16 we will read about the earthquake that comes while Paul and Silas are imprisoned!

As a trembling jailer comes to Paul and Silas we will read this in verses 30 through 34 – “"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.” This is a wonderful look at how many of us become and grow as Christians! We first hear the Good News of how Jesus came to this earth fully human and fully God – how he lived a sinless life and died on the cross for our sins – and how he rose from the dead and will come again. Then, through God’s grace, we believe! We simply believe. From there we learn more about God from others and through studying his Word, the Bible – we can call this discipleship. Then comes a decision to be baptized – to publicly profess our faith in Jesus as our Savior. Then comes living a joyful life of community with others. Now – yes – this is a very abbreviated example of how one becomes and grows as a Christian. :) And our various denominations will probably put the order of how all this happens in various ways. But, can you see similarities in your own faith journey with the jailer’s conversion, baptism, and growth as a Christian? Do you remember first hearing the Good News of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection? Do you remember the day you first Believed? Do you remember learning more about the Word, the Bible? (hopefully you’ll remember this year’s One Year Bible journey! :) Do you remember being baptized (or maybe you’ll have photos or stories from your younger years)? Do you now joyfully live life in community with other Christians through your local church? If you haven’t yet experienced all of these things, will you pray to God asking him for the experiences He has planned for you? And, when others in your life come to you like the jailer, asking “What must I do to be saved?” are you prepared to give them the joyful answer?

Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "Paul in Philippi: From the Purveyor of Purple to the Purveyor of Pain" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 143 verse 8 stood out to me today - "Let me hear of your unfailing love to me in the morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I have come to you in prayer."  I read somewhere before - I think it was Bruce Wilkinson's book "Secrets of the Vine" - that many great men and women of our Christian faith connect with God in the morning through prayer, reading the Bible, and other quiet time activities.  Bruce even suggested that this is the preferential way to go - to start your day by spending time with God in the morning, rather than at night.  Because he said this would then transform the rest of your day - in terms of being more conscientious of our relationship with God.  This does make sense to me - and in fact, I have started reading the One Year Bible now in the mornings, and it is a beautiful way to start the day! I like what this Psalmist says - "Let me hear of your unfailing love to me in the morning."  And it reminds me that somehow, someway, it almost seems easier to me to connect with God in the morning.  Actually - one other thing I used to do in the morning is read a page or two from Oswald Chambers "My Utmost For His Highest."  And I am thankful that I did this in the morning for a season.  How about you?  Do you have some way that you connect with God in the morning?  Are you able in some way to hear of God's unfailing love for you in the morning?

Proverbs - Proverbs 17:26 today is an interesting teaching: "It is wrong to fine the godly for being good or to punish nobles for being honest!"  Why do you suppose this teaching is in the Bible?  I'm thinking it is because unfortunately all too often the godly are fined or blamed or punished or ridiculed or this list could go on and on...  Good becomes bad.  And bad becomes good.  Sound like any cultural times that you might know of?  :)  Let us pray these days that the godly are not punished for being good or being honest.  Let us pray the godly are not punished for simply telling the Truth!  And let each of us also always remember that when we undergo any sufferings for Jesus, there is Ultimate comfort & encouragement that does come our way...

YouTube: Psalm 143:8 in today's readings reminds me of the song "Thank You" by 33 Miles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq4zkubtX5A

Have you said Thank You to God? Click here and thank Him!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on three verses of Scripture today: "The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household." Acts 16:29-31 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you are telling other people in your life to "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." Pray that you life your life in such a Spirit-filled and loving way that people come to you periodically to ask, "What must I do to be saved?"

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  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

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.

p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!

June 24th One Year Bible Readings

2 Kings 6:1-7:20 ~ Acts 15:36-16:15 ~ Psalm 142:1-7 ~ Proverbs 17:24-25
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture on One Year Bible Online Audio, ESVBible.org: OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~

Old Testament - 2 Kings 6 today opens up with a very interesting little story about the floating ax head! :)  Apparently in those days the iron in an ax head was very costly - far too costly for prophets to have been able to afford.  Hence, they had to borrow it.  If the prophet who lost the ax head had not been able to recover it, he would have then had to have become an indentured servant for a period of time to the person he borrowed it from to pay back the cost.  So, Elisha's recovery of the ax head I think demonstrates a simple moral of this opening story in today's readings: God cares for the welfare of those who love God.  Whaddya think on this moral of the floating ax head story?  Have you had experiences in your life where God has done some small things - or maybe even big things - that don't seem super spiritual at first glance, but simply saved you a lot of heartache/costs/time?  I know I have...  Praise God that He floats ax heads and even "floats" you and me too!  God is indeed our great Life Preserver...

Today in 2 Kings 6 verse 27 we will read this verse that King Joram says to an Israelite during a time of a severe famine – “"If the LORD does not help you, where can I get help for you?” I think the thing to note in this verse is that the King realized he could not end the famine on his own, but that only God could end the famine. (I think the King may have actually been trying to blame God for the famine - and certainly Elisha he blames later in the chapter). I wonder about this in our lives today – do we try to help others and even try to help ourselves using our own power and without relying on God at all? And maybe sometimes even blame God for problems we see, like this King?  Do we think we can end a “famine” or whatever problems we see at work, in our community, in our family, or in our world all on our own?  Or should we be asking for God’s help in these areas of our lives?  I’ve been thinking about this more and more lately – about how little I truly pray for others. I see areas of my life, my family, my community, my work, my church, my favorite charities, our world, that need some help. Need some changing. Need some love. And sometimes I think that I can institute these changes all on my own! Which is foolish. Instead, I should be praying for God’s providence and work in these areas of my life where I see a “famine.” Yes, I do think that God will oftentimes answer our prayers by encouraging us to “do something” to work on a change. But, we’d be wise to prayerfully approach all areas of our life and to pay attention to where God is asking us to “do something” – and to pay attention to where God is flat-out doing the work! Are there any “famine” areas in your life? In your personal relationship with God or others? In your work, church, community? Are there “famine” areas you see in our world? Will you today begin praying to God about these “famines” in the knowledge that famines can truly only end if God is involved in the work? Will you allow God to get involved in the famine areas of your life? Will you pray more consistently than ever before for the famine areas you see in your life?

In 2 Kings 7 today we read about God scaring off the Aramean army! Below is an image from a 15th century Dutch Bible for 2 Kings 7 verse 8 - "When the lepers arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating, drinking wine, and carrying out silver and gold and clothing and hiding it."

And below is an image from the same 15 century Dutch Bible for verse 17: "The king appointed his officer to control the traffic at the gate, but he was knocked down and trampled to death as the people rushed out. So everything happened exactly as the man of God had predicted when the king came to his house."

Bible.org's commentary on today's Second Kings readings titled "Saved from the Syrians: The War that Never Happened" is at this link and "Feast or Famine" is at this link.

New Testament - In Acts 15 today we read about Paul not wanting to bring along John Mark on the next missionary journey.  Good news is that Paul and Mark were eventually reunited in missionary efforts.  Some speculate that it was because Barnabas went with Mark at this juncture, Barnabas' patient encouragement helped Mark's eventual effective ministry.  In fact, John Mark is the very same Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark!  How's that for encouragement changing the world?? Is there anyone in your life today who you think could be a great worker for God's kingdom with some encouragement?  Will you be like Barnabas was for John Mark and work with and encourage that person?  Below is an image of Barnabas the encourager:

Today in Acts 16 we read about Paul's 2nd missionary journey, which took place around AD 49-52.  - (map courtesy of ccel.org/bible/phillips/JBPhillips.htm)

Great readings about the conversion of Lydia of Philippi today!  She was a business woman and a Gentile (like Cornelius) who loved God.  And the Lord opened her heart and she believed!  Praise God for his continual ministry of opening people's hearts to the Gospel.  Has your heart been opened like Lydia's was opened?

Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "When Division Becomes Multiplication" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 142 is a prayer of David's when he was fleeing Saul and was hiding in a cave.  David is praying for deliverance to God from his enemies.  I thought verse 3 was powerful - "For I am overwhelmed, and you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me."  Have you ever felt this way?  Overwhelmed?  And traps every which way you look?  And you have no idea which way to go?  At a time like this, will you cry out to God as David did in this Psalm?  Will you "pour out your complaints before him and tell him all your troubles"? (v. 2)  Do you believe that God knows which way you should turn?  Will you allow God to ""be your place of refuge"?  In times like these, will you allow God to be "all you really want in life"?  (v. 5)  Some say that David wrote Psalm 142 while in a cave in Adullam. 

Proverbs - Today in Proverbs chapter 17 verse 24 we will read – “A discerning person keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.” This is a powerful little Proverb. I have been thinking about this quite a bit in recent weeks. I have found that sometimes the world can be so tempting – or maybe distracting is another way to say it. I have found that I have lately had a lot of opportunities to go out and do “fun stuff.” Perhaps you could say I’ve been offered opportunities to “wander to the ends of the earth.” And it’s been tempting. But, I have realized that if I schedule myself 24 x 7, I don’t spend much time thinking about God at all. Reading the Bible? Maybe I can skip it for today. . . And praying for others?? Forget about it. I’m just afraid that we can spend our lives being so distracted that we will lose sight of wisdom. We absolutely need to keep wisdom in view each and every day. That is why I love the One Year Bible format in so many ways – it provides each of us with at least 15 minutes of wisdom in our lives each day! How about you? How are your days being spent currently? Are you feeling distracted? Are you keeping wisdom in view each and every day? Do you see the wisdom in spending quality time with God each and every day? Do you see the wisdom in not taking any “spiritual vacations”? (Spiritual vacations are a very bad idea. . . even when you go on a regular vacation, please bring God with you!)  Like this Proverb teaches us today, let us keep wisdom in view and not let our eyes foolishly wander to the ends of the earth!

YouTube: Today's Psalm reminds me of the Nicole C. Mullen song "Call on Jesus:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpHSGP6U1Ws

Have you called on Jesus?  Click here and make the Call! 

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "A discerning person keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth." Proverbs 17:24 TNIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you are discerning and learning wisdom daily from the Word of God. Pray that your eyes and your heart is not foolishly wandering to the ends of the earth.

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  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

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.

p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!

June 23rd One Year Bible Readings

2 Kings 4:18-5:27 ~ Acts 15:1-35 ~ Psalm 141:1-10 ~ Proverbs 17:23
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture on One Year Bible Online Audio, ESVBible.org: OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~

Old Testament - Interesting readings in 2 Kings 4 about the Shumanite woman, her son and the prophet Elisha today!  You'll note that in verse 20 her son dies, and in verse 21 she places her son on Elisha's bed - in part so that no one will know that her son died.  As she gets to verse 22-24 she is saddling up on a donkey to go straight to Elisha without anyone in her family knowing her son had died!  Below is a painting by Rembrandt from 1640 titled "The Departure of the Shumanite Woman":

As the Shumanite woman nears Mount Carmel Gehazi, Elisha's servant, comes out to greet her and still she won't even tell him that her son has died!  She says everything is fine.  She wants to deliver the news first and directly to Elisha!  I like this woman's focused faith.  She knew that Elisha delivered the Word that she would have a son in previous day's readings, and now that her son had died, I think she had faith that Elisha, being a prophet in relationship with God, would be able to revive her son.  Do you have a focused faith like this when it comes to your relationship with God and Jesus?  Do you always take your problems directly to the One who can truly revive you?  Below is an image of Elisha and the Shumanite woman by artist C.F. Vos:

Did anyone else notice that at the end of chapter 4 today Elisha busted out with a miracle that seemed to foreshadow Jesus' loaves and fishes miracles??  Very cool to consider the parallels between Jesus' feeding of the 5,000 and Elisha feeding 100 here in chapter 4 verses 42-44: "One day a man from Baal-shalishah brought the man of God a sack of fresh grain and twenty loaves of barley bread made from the first grain of his harvest. Elisha said, "Give it to the group of prophets so they can eat." "What?" his servant exclaimed. "Feed one hundred people with only this?" But Elisha repeated, "Give it to the group of prophets so they can eat, for the LORD says there will be plenty for all. There will even be some left over!" And sure enough, there was plenty for all and some left over, just as the LORD had promised." (That's Jesus below, not Elisha :)

In chapter 5 we get to the story of the healing of Naaman.  I found it very interesting that Naaman needed to humble himself and wash up in the waters of the lowly river Jordan!  Know anyone else that did some "washing up" in the river Jordan??  :)  Maybe all of us somehow need to humble ourselves and symbolically be washed up in the river Jordan to receive true healing?  Below is a portrait by artist Guy Rowe of the prophet Elisha with Naaman washing in the river Jordan:

Bible.org's commentary on today's Second Kings readings titled "The Shunammite's Son Resurrected" is at this link, "Death in the Pot" is at this link, "The Miracle of the Bread" is at this link, "The Healing of Namaan" is at this link, and "The Sin of Covetousness" is at this link.

New Testament - Peter's teaching at The Council at Jerusalem in Acts 15 verse 11 is one of the most important verses that all of us should really meditate upon and know and believe: "We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the special favor of the Lord Jesus." Do you believe Peter here?  Do you believe this to be true?  Does this simple message of this little button below ring true to you?

Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "The Jerusalem Council: The Gospel Defined and Defended" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 141 is a beautiful prayer of David's - praying for deliverance from the wicked and their ways.  Verse 4 is powerful - "Don't let me lust for evil things; don't let me participate in acts of wickedness. Don't let me share in the delicacies of those who do evil." Is this a prayer you could incorporate into your prayer life?   What might be some examples of "delicacies of those who do evil"?  Will you pray to God to avoid these "delicacies" and "treasures" that will ultimately fail you?

Proverbs - Proverbs 17:23 today teaches us: "The wicked accept secret bribes to pervert justice." This should be a reminder to each of us to never accept bribes!  Bribes always pervert justice...

YouTube: Today's readings in Acts remind me of MercyMe's song "You Reign:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eow2hNlA-k

Do you know the One who reigns?  Click here to meet the King! 

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat of their delicacies." Psalm 141:4 TNIV

Prayer Point: Pray that your heart is not drawn to what is evil. Pray that you take no part in wicked deeds. Pray that you do not eat the delicacies of evildoers.

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  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

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.

p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!

June 22nd One Year Bible Readings

2 Kings 3:1-4:17 ~ Acts 14:8-28 ~ Psalm 140:1-13 ~ Proverbs 17:22
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture on One Year Bible Online Audio, ESVBible.org: OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~

Old Testament - In 2 Kings 3 verse 3 today we are reminded that King Jeroboam's legacy is held out as a unfavorable legacy... "Nevertheless he (Joram) continued in the sins of idolatry that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led the people of Israel to commit."  That is an interesting thing to think about - a legacy.  Jeroboam's legacy was obviously not one we'd like to have.  So, what type of legacy would you like to have?  And what type of legacy are you in fact leaving these days?  The more I think about my legacy, the more I simply hope and pray that my legacy is something along the lines of "one who loved God and loved people."  Pretty simple really.  But also really tough in our modern world full of so many distractions!  And I am not so sure that I am really leaving this legacy some days.  I don't want to pursue this type of legacy for the wrong reasons - for any sort of appearing "righteous" or prideful reasons.  But I in fact I really do want to spend the rest of my days simply loving God and loving people.  Whatever else I do - career, ministry, whatever - pales in comparison to loving God and loving people.  I even hesitate to write this hope for a legacy on this blog - I feel like I should go back and delete everything I just wrote.  Except - I think this might be the type of legacy we are called to as Christians.  Remember the two great commands Jesus gave us in Matthew 22:37 & 39 - "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself."  Love God and love people.  So - whaddya think?  Is this a good legacy for us to aim for?  Should we be aiming for a legacy at all?  What will your legacy be?

2 Kings 4 verse 8 definitely demonstrates that in addition to being a prophet, Elisha was a very wise man!  "One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman lived there, and she invited him to eat some food. From then on, whenever he passed that way, he would stop there to eat."   :)

Bible.org's commentary on today's 2 Kings readings titled "The Rebellion of the Moabites" is at this link,  "Elisha Prepares to Hear God’s Word" is at this link, "The Victory Over Moab" is at this link, "God’s Supply in the Midst of Poverty" is at this link, and "The Shunammite Woman Receives a Son" is at this link.

New Testament - Wow... amazing readings today... the thing that went through my mind while I was reading about Paul today was a very modern Christian song by Jonah33 called "Faith Like That" that goes like this:

"Oh I, I want Faith Like That
Whatever the cost
I'll suffer the loss, Oh I
I want the Faith That can move any mountain
and send them to the sea
I want the Faith that can break every stronghold
That keeps you, keeps you from me..."

Do you see the depth and strength and love of Paul's faith in verses 19 & 20 - "Now some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and turned the crowds into a murderous mob. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, apparently dead. But as the believers stood around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe."  Paul is stoned and then gets back up and keeps going forward in his minstry for God!  Next thing you know he is praying and fasting for elders in churches - after nearly getting stoned to death!  I want a faith like that...  Also, it is wonderful to read in today's readings how Paul and Barnabas tear their garments because they are so distressed that people were worshiping them as if they were gods!  Would we react so quickly to stop people from worshiping us today I wonder... ?

Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "Mission Accomplished" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 140 is a prayer for deliverance from evil.  And this Psalm certainly should be a good reminder of the Lord’s Prayer, where we pray – “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”  What is the one thing that can truly deliver us from evil?  Can we deliver ourselves from evil on our own?  Or do we need something beyond ourselves for this deliverance?

Verse 7 in this Psalm gives each of us something to consider and should be an encouragement: “O Sovereign LORD, my strong savior, you protected me on the day of battle.”   Do you believe God is your strong savior who will protect you from evil on the day of battle?  Do you believe that perhaps every day is a day of battle?  Do you believe that Satan or evil ever rests in attempting to tempt people?  Should we pray for protection from evil on a very regular basis?  The Lord’s Prayer / Our Father is one great way to do this each day…

From 1928’s Book of Common Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.”  Lord, teach us how to pray...

Proverbs - Proverbs 17 verse 22 for some reason reminds me of Paul again from today's Acts readings: "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength."  Think back again to Paul being nearly stoned to death in today's readings.  Think he would have a good "reason" to have a broken spirit after something like that happened to him?  But.... we see what he goes and does for the Kingdom just after that tragic incident!  My hunch is that Paul had a very cheerful heart - because he was in such close relationship with Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit.  And his cheerful heart was certainly good medicine for him.  He did not allow himself to have a broken spirit - even after nearly being stoned to death!  Seriously, Paul is amazing - but don't worry, I'm not worshiping him... :)  I am just amazed at how in love he was with Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit - and how he let that love guide him and propel him forward no matter what.  So, back to this Proverb - do you think it is possible for us at times to "decide" whether to have a cheerful heart or a broken spirit?  All of us have something bad happen at some time or another.  Is it possible that we can "decide" to be cheerful or broken after something bad happens to us?  If it is possible to be cheerful after something bad happens to us, why?  I think we could learn from Paul's example.  If we are so close in relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, I pray we can weather any storm that life might bring.  Any storm.  Do you believe this is true?

YouTube: 2nd Kings today reminds me of the song "Legacy" by Nichole Nordeman:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbi4nSrhRxo

Do you want to leave a legacy?  Click here for the true Legacy!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that your heart is cheerful, through the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit living within you through your faith in Jesus. Pray that you encourage others in their spiritual journeys to have cheerful hearts as well. Pray that you will minister to those in your life with a crushed spirit.

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  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

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.

p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!