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We are following a One Year Bible plan with 15-minute daily readings from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms & Proverbs.Your options for joining us include: 1. Subscribe to our daily readings emails above. 2. Read online using our daily links to Bible Gateway. 3. Listen online using the links at the top of each daily blog post (the daily readings by Tom Dooley are terrific!). 4. Read from your own Bible using your preferred translation. You can print out a listing of our entire year's readings in PDF format at this link. 5. Purchase a One Year Bible which organizes our daily readings. 6. Email me with any questions at [email protected]
Please note that we are not following a Chronological Bible plan on this blog - however, you can find my Chronological Bible Blog at this link, New Testament in a Year Blog at this link and Old Testament in a Year Blog at this link.
God bless! Mike
p.s. Keep scrolling down to see our latest daily readings blog post and email content below this welcome post. ⬇️
Old Testament - Wow. I like Deuteronomy chapter 11 a lot today. There are a ton of powerful verses in this chapter! I love verse 22 - ""Be careful to obey all the commands I give you; show love to the LORD your God by walking in his ways and clinging to him." I really like that... show Love to God by walking in his ways - and clinging to him. I think I caught that term in our readings yesterday as well - "clinging." I know in our world today it's not too cool to be too clingy. :) But, I think God indeed wants us to be clingy when it comes Him! I pray that I cling to God each and every day. How about you? When it comes to God, are you clingy? Check out this amazing stained glass image of a woman clinging to the cross. Amazing. I love the imagery. Take a few moments to meditate on this one...
Verses 26 through 28 are terrific verses on the choice the Israelites could make back then - ""Today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today. You will receive a curse if you reject the commands of the LORD your God and turn from his way by worshiping foreign gods." I believe this choice has morphed but still continues today through the New Covenant. We can choose to follow Jesus or we can choose to follow our own ways. One way is a blessing and one way is truly a curse. Like the Israelites, we still have the choice of a blessing or a curse.... Which choice will we make?
New Testament - Today in Luke chapter 8 verses 29 through 31 we will read some sobering verses – “For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.” Jesus then expels these demons from the man into a herd of pigs. The One Year Bible Companion has an interesting commentary on these verses that says Jesus did not simply destroy or send these demons into the Abyss, “because the time for such work had not yet come. But it will come. The book of Revelation records the future victory of Jesus over Satan, his demons, and all evil.” This is news for each of us to pay attention to! Satan, his demons and all evil are still out and about in our world today. And honestly - make no mistake - we each need to be very cognizant of the evil that can pursue our hearts. I don’t mean to scare you – but also, I do mean to scare you. :) When I first became a Christian 9 years ago, I instantly understood God’s love and grace and goodness. And I honestly thought for a short while that the world was just so good, and that there wasn’t really any evil in the world. There were just humans that made bad decisions. Well, fortunately I shared this viewpoint with a wise Christian friend of mine. He prescribed that I read 2 books – 1. This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti and 2. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. My friend also told me this – “The devil’s greatest trick is making you think that he does not exist. If you don’t believe he exists, then you won’t even realize it when he’s tempting you.” Wow. So true. If you are like me, where I was a few years ago, and you are not so sure that there is an actual presence of evil in our world – an evil that pursues people’s hearts – then I prescribe these 2 books above to you as well. Now – the good news – Jesus is still the answer to expelling demons and evil and sin away from us today! Jesus is Risen and is so infinitely more powerful than any of the evil that is out there. So – more important than reading those 2 books above, my prescription to you really is to stay as close to Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit as you possibly can in this life. And you will have no need to fear evil. Stick with Jesus.
Okay, I’ve typed a lot here without a question. . . Here it is. Do you believe in the existence of evil in our world today? Do you believe that Satan exists? Do you believe that demons exist? Do you know the one true Remedy and Salvation and Protection from all evil? Will you run into Jesus’ arms for this safety forever? And my last piece of very serious advice if you are struggling with a sin that you know is putting you in contact with evil – you must must must leave that sin behind. I know that all sin is risky and dangerous and dumb, but I think you also will know if you are really entertaining a sin that is leading you down a very dark path. Please confess that sin to Jesus and God and repent. Seek counseling and professional help immediately if it a serious sin or addiction. God will give you victory. Yes, it may be a long and painful process of getting free from the addiction, but you must take this journey to freedom. The freedom will justify the pain it takes to get you there. Paul tells us to flee from sin. Flee from evil. Will you flee? Please flee.
Bible.org's commentary on Luke chapter 8's readings today titled "Stilling of the Storm" is at this link and commentary on "The Deliverance of the Demoniac" is at this link.
Psalms - Psalm 70 verse 4 is awesome - "But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, "God is great!"" Indeed, I think as Christians we should be filled with joy & gladness! Yes, there will be tough times. And suffering. But overall, I pray that we are filled with joy and gladness.
Proverbs - Proverbs 12:4 today teaches us: "A worthy wife is her husband's joy and crown; a shameful wife saps his strength."
YouTube Video: Continuing on with my reflections about our Luke readings today, interestingly, ABC's Nightline TV program did a big "Does Satan Exist?" program featuring Pastor Mark Driscoll (arguing for Satan's existence) and Deepak Chopra (arguing against Satan's existence). If you didn't see the program, it is now online in its entirety, starting at the website link below the YouTube video. (in 10 videos, you can access at the link below) Please pay careful attention to Pastor Mark Driscoll's words and don't be swayed by Deepak or the other gentleman's smooth & deceptive talking. It is particularly sad to see what the world thinks about the Bible these days...
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on three verses of Scripture today: "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse- the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known." Deuteronomy 11:26-28 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you will always choose God's blessing for your life by walking in obedience to Him and His Word. Pray that you will never follow idols, which will only bring you curses.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: Based on our Proverb above, what do you think worthy means in this context? Why would a worthy spouse be the other spouse's joy and crown? What does shameful mean in this context? If you are married, do you seek to be a worthy spouse? If you are not married, are you preparing yourself today for potentially being a worth spouse in the future? Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Old Testament - Okay, I'm really appreciating the New Living Translation little commentary headers before sections of our readings - as I discussed in yesterday's post, these are not from the original manuscripts so should not be considered Biblical text. Nonetheless, I personally do find them useful. And I really do like the first header in Deuteronomy chapter 9 today in the NLT - "Victory by God's Grace." You'll note that you won't actually find the word "grace" in any of the verses that follow. However, I think we do get a good overview of how grace works in this section, and verse 6 gives an example of grace: "I will say it again: The LORD your God is not giving you this good land because you are righteous, for you are not--you are a stubborn people." This verse made me chuckle a bit when I read it. Because it is true. The Israelites were a stubborn people, as we've seen in our readings. And yet, God was still showing grace by giving them the Promised Land. This verse primarily made me chuckle because I think that we, today, are still oftentimes a stubborn people. Not a lot has changed in 3,000+ years. We humans are still a stubborn people. And God is still a God of grace. Then and now. God shows us humans his grace. Thank goodness!
Later in Deuteronomy chapter 9 we read about the golden calf, and we get a great reminder of how Moses truly was a mediator between God and the Israelites - in some ways foreshadowing the mediator role that Jesus is now between God and all humankind. Verses 18 & 19 demonstrate Moses' mediator role well - "Then for forty days and nights I lay prostrate before the LORD, neither eating bread nor drinking water. I did this because you had sinned by doing what the LORD hated, thus making him very angry. How I feared for you, for the LORD was ready to destroy you. But again he listened to me." And check out this amazing image below of Moses laying prostrate before God on behalf the Israelites... can you imagine doing this for 40 days and nights for someone? Particularly for someone who just sinned greatly against God? Moses is amazing...
Wow. Deuteronomy chapter 10 verses 12 through 22 are about as inspiring of a speech as any from Moses. What a great exhortation for the Israelites to love and be obedient to God! There are surely some words of wisdom for us in these verses today as well. Below is a great image from these verses and here are verses 12 & 13, which I love: "And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? "
New Testament - Today in Luke chapter 8 we read the story of the farmer scattering seed. This parable is an opportunity for us to examine the condition of our hearts. Are our hearts rocky, thorny, or are they fertile soil? The condition of our hearts will dictate how receptive we are to Jesus, the Word of God made flesh. Jesus is the farmer still scattering the see of his Word among humankind today. Is your heart receptive to the Word of God? Per verse 15, will you "hear God's message, cling to it, and steadily produce a huge harvest"?
As you are receiving God's Word in your heart, check out verse 18 in today's readings - "So be sure to pay attention to what you hear. To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But to those who are not listening, even what they think they have will be taken away from them." This is a powerful truth. When we are open to God's Word and really study it we will be given more and more insight over time. It should be a lifelong journey of learning from God's Word. I know there are many of you going through the One Year Bible for more than the 1st time - one of you has even gone through the One Year Bible 16 years in a row! And my hunch is that if we were to ask the person going through the OYB for the 16th year if she was still learning and gaining new insights from God through his Word, the answer would be a resounding yes! I do worry to a degree when someone goes through the Bible in its entirety once, and then puts it on the shelf. I think that is risky. I know that we're not all called to read the Bible in its entirety in One Year every year, but I do think it is extremely wise for us to be engaged in the Bible in some way each and every day. Otherwise, perhaps, as the end of the verse above says, "to those who are not listening, even what they think they have will be taken away from them." Let us pray that our love of learning from God's Word each and every day will not be taken away from us. Each day, in some way, let us be like this young person buried in their Bible at Bible Camp... :)
Bible.org's commentary on Luke chapter 8's reading today, titled "Parable of the Soils" is at this link.
Psalms - I love Psalm 69 verse 33 today - "For the LORD hears the cries of his needy ones; he does not despise his people who are oppressed." God hears the cries of his needy ones. Perhaps the question is then, do we hear the cries of God's needy ones? Do we hear the cries of those starving today? Sick from lack of clean water? Suffering from HIV / AIDS? Spiritually poor? Needing a friend? How is the soil of our hearts if we are not hearing these cries? Should we be hearing these cries? And if we do hear them, what then should we do? Remember Jesus' words in Matthew chapter 25 verses 34-36: "‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’"
Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 12 verse 3 is a bit convicting for me personally - "Wickedness never brings stability; only the godly have deep roots." I oftentimes in my life feel a bit unstable. I jump from church to church. Job to job. Interest to interest. The roots don't seem so deep sometimes. I know the roots are deep with Jesus - and that's the one area that really matters - but I do worry about how my roots don't seem so deep in other areas of my life. I appreciate this Proverb. I have something to learn here...
Worship Video: So much of today's readings reminded me of The Newsboys fantastic song & video for "Born Again:"
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open." Luke 8:17 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you have nothing hidden from Jesus in your life. Pray that you have no unconfessed sins. Pray that you are looking forward to that day when you will see Jesus face to face.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: Based on our Proverb above, how about you? How are your roots? Are they deep? Are they stable? Primarily, how are your roots with Jesus today? Are your spiritual roots in Jesus growing each and every day? Do you want your roots to grow? Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Old Testament - Today in Deuteronomy chapter 7, the New Living Translation has the chapter titled "The Privilege of Holiness." Keep in mind that these chapter headings - or headings within sections of chapters - are not Biblical text. They are not from the original manuscripts, but are basically brief summaries from the viewpoint of modern-day translators. Generally speaking though, you can trust what they are telling you - but just remember, they're not Biblical text. All this to say, I was intrigued by this chapter's title in today's readings. Israel was indeed privileged and called to holiness. I think an important for us to keep in mind is that in the Old Testament, Israel was God's chosen people. So, yes, we do read in this chapter and future OT chapters God favoring Israel over all other nations. However, keep three things in mind. One, Israel is the people of God's covenant going to back to Abraham and God is just forming Israel as a nation. Two, the other nations at that time were immersed in sin and idolatry to other gods. Three, through Jesus' ministry, God indeed shows love toward all nations today and wants all nations to be in relationship with him. But, prior to Jesus, we see clearly in this chapter that Israel is, per verse 6: "a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure."
Today in Deuteronomy chapter 8 verse 10 we read: “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.” What a great verse! Many say that it is because of this verse that we traditionally say grace at meal time. Interesting that this verse indicates that the Israelites were to praise God after eating – which, actually, is sometimes how I say grace today now too – when I forget to say grace before eating! :) I think the other thing this verse above gets at is that we humans have a tendency to “forget” God in the good times. In the bad times, maybe we do a decent job of praying to God and trying to stay close to Him. But in the good times, I know that sometimes I can forget Who really blessed me with the good times. I think it is so important for us to remember each and every day this one thing – God has given us everything. Every single good thing we have in our life comes from God. Our family. Our friends. Our physical abilities. Even the very air we breathe. It ALL comes from God. And, while I think it is pleasing to God for us to praise him for these good things – I also think it is ultimately healthy for us to praise God for the good things he has given us. Because, when we truly thank God each and every day for even very simple things – our eyesight, our 12 year old car that still runs fine, etc. etc. – we realize how very blessed we really are, and then I think we have less of a chance of feeling sorry for ourselves. We are blessed! How are you doing on praising God for the good things he has given you in your life? Now that we are in this Easter & Spring season, will you make a conscious effort to really praise and thank God each and every day? Think this might be pleasing to God? Think this might be healthy for you?
New Testament - In Luke chapter 7 today we read about the "immoral" woman who kissed and put perfume on Jesus' feet. Verse 39 is a powerful testament to Jesus' character - "When the Pharisee who was the host saw what was happening and who the woman was, he said to himself, "This proves that Jesus is no prophet. If God had really sent him, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She's a sinner!"" How ironic... this Pharisee thought that Jesus was not sent from God because he let a sinner touch him - when indeed it is this very act that proves that Jesus was sent from God! Jesus loved everyone - and still loves everyone today - and wants to be in relationship with all of us. No matter what this woman's sins were. No matter what our sins were or are. Jesus loves us and wants to be in relationship with us. Like the woman in this story, will we humble ourselves and come before the feet of Jesus? And will we ignore those who might suggest we're not "good enough" to be in relationship with God or Jesus? Remember, Jesus came to call the sinners, the sick - and not the righteous. Let's not act righteous before Jesus, but come to his feet as we really are and worship Him for who he truly is!
Luke chapter 8 readings today are important for us to pay attention to. Oftentimes I think we sometimes think that it was just Jesus and the twelve male disciples cruising around the Holy Land during Jesus' ministry. Today's verses are a great reminder of the involvement of women in Jesus' ministry both by traveling with him and by contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and the twelve! Verses 1 through 3 tell us today - "Not long afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby cities and villages to announce the Good News concerning the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, along with some women he had healed and from whom he had cast out evil spirits. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples." Below is the Italian painter Bernardino Luini's "The Conversion of Magdalene", circa 1525. Luini's painting shows Martha, Mary's sister, on the left pointing toward heaven; Mary, to the right, repeats the gesture to indicate that she too will follow Jesus.
Bible.org's commentary on Luke chapter 7's readings today, titled "Wordless Worship of an Unnamed Woman" is at this link. Commentary on Luke chapter 8's readings today, titled "Ministry, Money and Women" is at this link.
Psalms - Psalm 69 verse 16 today is such a true statement that maybe we need to be reminded of today - "Answer my prayers, O LORD, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Turn and take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful." God does answer our prayers - perhaps not in the way we "want" Him to, but always in the way that is ultimately best for us and the Kingdom. His unfailing love is wonderful. His mercy is so plentiful. But, yet, somehow I think I sometimes forget all of this. Why? I think I forget about God's love & mercy when I am not praying to him. How about you? Are you needing a reminder today about God's unfailing love and his mercy? Are you praying to God for these very things? Will you allow God to demonstrate both his love and mercy to you today? Will you offer up prayers and allow God to answer in his perfect way?
Proverbs - Wow... Proverbs chapter 12 verse 1 is so to the point and so true. Please meditate on this one - "To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction." Do you love discipline? Do you want to learn? Do you hate correction? What holy discipline might God be bringing to you in your life today? Will you accept God's healing and holy discipline in your life?
Worship Video: Today's readings reminds me of the fantastic live version of "Christ our Hope in Life and Death:"
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you will always love God's discipline in your life. Pray that you will never hate God's correction. Pray for wisdom and knowledge in your life that will come from God's blessed correction of you.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: Based on Deuteronomy chapter 8 verse 10 above, do you say grace or offer up some sort of prayer of thanksgiving to God at each meal? Why or why not? Do you think it is pleasing to God when we do say a prayer at mealtime? Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Old Testament - Today we get a nice recap of the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy chapter 5! We originally read these in Exodus chapter 20 and then again in Exodus chapter 34. There are some differences in the wordings of the Ten Commandments in each of these chapters, but not enough to worry about. :) Bible.org has a great overview of the Ten Commandments, based on Exodus chapter 20, at this link.
I love Deuteronomy chapter 6 verses 4 through 9 in our readings today! These verses are known as the Shema - which was named after the first word in this verse and means "Hear." The Shema became the Jewish confession of faith, which was recited by pious Jews every morning and evening and it is still recited in synagogue services today. They are the last words a Jew says prior to death. More very interesting information about The Shema from a Jewish website is at this link. ""Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
Bible.org's commentary on Deuteronomy chapter 6 titled "Responsibilities of Fatherhood" is at this link.
New Testament - Wow.... Verse 35 in Luke chapter 7 is such a profound teaching of Jesus' for each of us to consider: "But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it." Take a few moments to really meditate on this verse and what it means. For me this verse is a reminder that sometimes in life we have to move forward in faith on something "wise" we've heard, but maybe not experienced - and then later see that the wisdom is true. I'm not sure if I'm going to explain myself well here... but my thought is that as followers of Jesus, I think we can get lazy in our faith at times. As just one example - maybe we don't think we really need to give financially to our church. We know the wisdom of Malachi 3:10, but maybe we haven't really experienced the wisdom of giving. So, maybe we need to follow the wisdom first - and then we will later know the full truth and beauty of the wisdom. Hope this makes sense? I'd just say that if there is a struggle in your life that God is calling you to leave behind or move forward on - go for it! If you know you should be doing or not doing something - go with that wisdom you know and then it will "shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it." Please follow Wisdom! Please follow Jesus!
A nice image of John the Baptist sending two of his disciples to meet Jesus is below, from verses 18 & 19 - "The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, and he sent them to the Lord to ask him, "Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?"
Bible.org's commentary on Luke chapter 7's readings today, titled "John's Problem with Jesus" is at this link.
Psalms - Today in Psalm 68 verse 20 we read – “Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.” Do you believe God is a God who saves us? How did / does God do this saving? Do you believe that escape from death comes from God and his Son? I’ve been reflecting on this “death” aspect of our fallen world a bit lately, which has been sad to reflect upon. I had an experience with a few friends very recently where I was reminded of how self-destructive we can be in our lives. I think that without Jesus we can oftentimes not know where to turn for an escape from death – we do not know where to turn from an escape from our own self destructive behaviors. My friends need Jesus. I need Jesus. The world needs Jesus. Our God is a God who saves. From God and Jesus comes escape from death. May this season of Easter bring us, our friends, and families closer to the God who saves!
Proverbs - I love the imagery in Proverbs chapter 11 verse 30 today - "The godly are like trees that bear life-giving fruit, and those who save lives are wise." That is a powerful last half of the verse. Those who save lives are wise... Are you saving lives? How? How might you be able to save lives? My one quick thought on this is to get involved in ministries that are serving the poorest of the poor. I honestly believe $1 a day can save a life, if not many lives. Sponsoring a child through Compassion or another worthy organization is an amazing way to save a life. $1 a day. Will you invest in a child who needs you today? Would this be wise?
Worship Video: Psalm 68:20 reminded me of the Chris Tomlin song "Let God Arise" with the lyric: "Our God is a God who Saves!"
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on three verses of Scripture today:"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts." Deuteronomy 6:4-6 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you will love God with all of your heart, soul and strength. Pray that God's commandments are written upon your heart today and forevermore.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What are some of your favorite charities that serve the poorest of the poor worldwide? And in your own hometown? Do you think we should care that 1.2 billion people in our world today live on less than $1 a day? Do you think we should get involved in this issue? Do you think we should serve those living in poverty both internationally and in our own hometown? Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Old Testament - Today in Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 29 we read: “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” How does this verse speak to you today? Do you believe it is true? Have you sought God with all of your heart and with all of your soul? This verse also reminds me of Jesus’ teaching of one of the two great commands – which he quoted from Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 5 – “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” So – if you have sought after God and found him, do you now today love God with all your heart and with all of your soul and with all your strength? What does this look like in your life? How do you love God in your life today?
New Testament - The passages on the faith of the centurion today are powerful - especially his words in verse 7 - "Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed." Can we learn something from the faith of the centurion in our lives today?
Bible.org's commentary on Luke chapter 6 readings today titled "Tough Love" is at this link. And commentary on Luke chapter 7's readings titled "Jesus the Healer" is at this link.
Psalms - I always like the idea and reminder to sing to God! Do you sing to God at places other than church? Maybe in your car? Maybe at home with the headphones on? Do you "sing" to God with the way you live your life? Here's verse 4 in Psalm 68 today which I love - "Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the LORD-- rejoice in his presence!" How do you sing your praises to the Lord each day? Is it done as passionately as this fella below? :)
Proverbs - Proverbs 11:28 today teaches us: "Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring." Great proverb! It tells us that trusting in money is not godly and "down" we will go. Why? Because if we are trusting in money then we are not trusting in God. And who can ultimately hold us "up" - now and for eternity? God or money? How very interesting is it that the back of U.S. money says "In God We Trust"? :)
Worship Video: Today's readings in Deuteronomy chapter 4 and Psalm 68 remind me of the Matt Maher song "Alive Again:"
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: ""Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" Luke 6:46 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you will call upon Jesus as your Lord, each and every day. Pray that you will be obedient to Jesus' Word, each and every day. Pray that you will be a doer of Jesus' Word, and not just a hearer.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: Back to our Psalm today - how many folks out there belt out worship tunes while driving in your car?? :) Feel free to fess up in the Comments below. I will confess here and now that I do belt out tunes from various worship CD's - Chris Tomlin and Phil Wickham lately. However, what's interesting is sometimes I feel a bit guilty spending so much time listening to music and singing along. I have one great friend who almost never listens to music - he thinks it's a waste of time and he wants to listen to news / preaching in the car instead. To try to learn something he says. And I can appreciate this... but I think it's still quite allright to sing our praises to the Lord on a frequent basis in the car! What say you? Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
