July 14th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17 ~ Romans 2:1-24
Psalm 10:16-18 ~ Proverbs 19:8-9

Old Testament - Today in 1 Chronicles chapter 17 verse 30 we read this prayer of King David – “There is no one like you, O LORD, and there is no God but you.” Have you ever searched for other “gods”? Have you ever really found those other gods? Have they ever delivered on anything? Do you believe there is no other God like the one true and living God that we read about in the Bible? Are you living your life in such a way that you are seeking to know more and more about the character, heart, and will of the one true and living God? Do you love God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit with all of your mind, soul and strength? Have you forsaken pursuing all false gods for the remainder of your life?  Will you leave the idols behind?

New Testament - Again... wow..  Paul's writings in Romans are so convicting and true.  So many verses in today's readings bring out so much.  One verse that stood out to me was 16 - "The day will surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge everyone's secret life. This is my message."  This is powerful to consider.  Do you have a secret life?  Do you realize that Jesus will judge your secret life?  So, really, is there such a thing as a secret life at all?  It will all surely come out into the Light and be judged.  Do you have skeletons in your closet?  Will you confess those skeletons/sins to God now and repent of them immediately?

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "No Excuse for the Jews" is at this link.

Psalms - I love Psalm 10 verses 17 & 18 today - "LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless.  Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so people can no longer terrify them."  The Psalmist here tells us that God knows the hopes of the helpless.  Do we?  Do we care?  The Psalmist says God will listen to their cries and comfort them.  Are we listening?  Are we comforting? God will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so people can no longer terrify them.  Should we?  Will we?

Proverbs - Great Proverb 19 verse 8 today - "To acquire wisdom is to love oneself; people who cherish understanding will prosper."  Do you love yourself?  Are you continually acquiring wisdom in your life?  Do you want to prosper?  Do you cherish understanding?  Where are you seeking wisdom and understanding in your life today?

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

Grace,
Mike

Comments

[Ramona]

I Chronicles 16:37-18:17

Part of message Nathan is told to give to David has totally enraptured me,

10 …" `And now I declare that the LORD will build a house for you--a dynasty of kings! 11For when you die, I will raise up one of your sons, and I will make his kingdom strong. 12He is the one who will build a house--a temple--for me. And I will establish his throne forever. 13I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will not take my unfailing love from him as I took it from Saul, who ruled before you. 14I will establish him over my dynasty and my kingdom for all time, and his throne will be secure forever.' "

This is a message with a duel or multilayered meaning; it speaks to David’s near future and the distant future, eternity. I wonder if David understood this was not only talking about the generations from his body yet born who would die off, but the words spoke of someone who would be born into his line, Messiah.

I’m not sure if what I’m stating is correct but I think it could be possible when we search the scriptures for answers to our current personal problems, the words we find to address the issues, God’s Words, speak and point to a time to come, eternity.

Romans 2:1-24

Knowing the “law” and doing what is required are not synonymous. This is what I here Paul saying in this passage. How many times have I said these words, “O, I know that,” and then acted like the knowing of exempted me from executing what I knew.

Psalm 10:16-18
18 You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,
so people can no longer terrify them

What is it about “orphans and the oppressed” that societies and cultures look to exploit, and what is it about societies and cultures that give rise to oppression? It must be either pride, lust or greed from within banded together to attack and plunder a vulnerable people but they are venerable to God. So going against them is fighting against God.

Proverbs 19:8-9

If the act of acquiring wisdom, actively seeking it out, is the physical evidence that one loves themselves, then those who shun wisdom and are desirous to frolic in folly, then they are self-hating folk.

Grace and peace,
Ramona

IChr 17:18 "What more can I say about the way you have honored me? You know what I am really like." When I read verse 18, I cried because I thought about how God continually blesses me even though He knows what I am really like. Who among us can not praise God for his wonderful blessings to us? If we have nothing to praise God for, then we must be dead. Edna