February 26th One Year Bible Readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Leviticus 19:1-20:21 ~ Mark 8:11-38
Psalm 42:1-11 ~ Proverbs 10:17

Old Testament - Today in Leviticus chapter 19 we read about holiness!  What a tiny but powerful little word - holy.  This chapter is of interest to me in that I continue to struggle with the call to holiness in my life.  I understand grace.  I get grace.  I'm good at receiving grace...  :)  But holiness?  Well, that's a bit trickier for me personally.  I guess where I am at these days in my walk with the Lord is really trying to balance grace and holiness.  I know we are saved through grace, not works - but, I also believe there is a call to holiness in our lives once we have received that gift of grace.   You know I love Bob Deffinbaugh's writings over at bible.org.  I think Bob's writings on Leviticus chapter 19 titled "How to Spell Holy" at this link is up there with some of his best stuff.  Please check out this link, and make sure you scroll down to read about Bob's take on "perversions of holiness" - 1. stained glass holiness 2. positional holiness 3. equating holiness with the miraculous 4. isolational holiness 5. holiness by redefinition.  Great stuff!

You'll notice lately that I've been punting over to Bob on many of the Leviticus chapters.   I'm honestly not finding as much time as I'd like to spend on study & prep as I'd like lately. But, I also think Bob's writings on Leviticus are powerful - and so here he is on Leviticus chapter 20 at this link.  Actually, one quick powerful note on Leviticus 19:18 - "Never seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD."  Jesus quoted the underlined portion of this Leviticus verse as we see in Matthew 22:36-40: ""Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?" Jesus replied, " `You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."

New Testament - The last few verses in Mark's readings today are some of the most powerful verses that each of us should really reflect upon in our lives today! I wish I reflected on these verses more often.  Check out chapter 8 verses 34 through 38 and spend a few moments really reflecting on these verses and on how they speak to how you are living your life today: "Then Jesus called his disciples and the crowds to come over and listen. "If any of you wants to be my follower," he told them, "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 my sake and for the sake of the Good News, 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? If a person is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in the glory of my Father with the holy angels."

These are incredible verses above!  I think the first obvious question these verses open up to us is simply this - do you want to be a follower of Jesus?   If the answer is yes, then the instructions that follow are simple and yet not always so easy in our fallen world:  1.  give up your own selfish ambition.  2. shoulder your cross.  3.  follow Jesus.  How are you doing on these 3 points in your life today?   And what a profound truth there is in that we will find true life if we give up our life for Jesus - the Good News.  I actually have been thinking about this point quite a bit lately.  And my thoughts have revolved around "my identity" - and where I get my identity from.  I think so often I get my identity from my work or my ministry or my friends or my social life - the problem in all of this is that you'll keep seeing the word "my" in my identity.  And I'm realizing more and more that my identity should be in Jesus alone.  Jesus should be the identity.  The reality.  I think that I am really searching for true life in all the wrong places - in my work, in my friends, etc.  And true true life is really only found in one place - Jesus.  How about you?  What is providing your identity in your life today?  Do you think it is possible that your identity could simply be found in Jesus?  Do you want this to be the case?   I think each of us will do well to not be ashamed of Jesus and the Good News in these adulterous and sinful days...  Below is an interesting diagram showing Christian levels of commitment, suggesting that verses Mark 8:34-38 are the "conviction" stage highlighted below.  Which stage of commitment do you think you are at today?

Psalms - Today we read Psalm 42 verse 1, which is one of my favorite verses in the Bible! "As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God."  That is so right on.  Lately these days I have been longing for God more than ever - and I love that.  I am thankful for that.  There have been seasons in my life - which can certainly be called "dry" seasons - where I have not longed for God.  Where I have not longed for the true Living Water.  I just love the picture this Psalm verse paints in my mind - a deer in the wilderness is fleeing from hunters.  It is literally dying of thirst as it runs.  It is tired.  It is weary.  It is running from death.  And it needs water.  It pants for streams of water.  Like this deer, I pray that I long for God in the same way.  As I flee from sin.  As I am tired.  As I am weary.  As I run from death.  I need God.  I long for God.   How about you?  Do you long for God these days as a deer longs for water?  Are you consistently drinking from the true Living Water?

Proverbs - Proverbs 10 verse 17 is a wonderful reminder to allow God to change us, transform us and correct us along the Way: "People who accept correction are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore it will lead others astray."  The second part of that Proverb is powerful too - if we don't accept correction, we'll not only be off the pathway, but we will be leading others astray too...  that's a scary thought.  If you don't accept correction, you'll be bringing others down with you!

(image courtesy of and copyright held by Heartlight Magazine - heartlight.org)

Comments from You & Questions of the Day: Based on Proverbs 10:17 today, do you accept correction in your life?  Do you accept correction from God?  Do you accept correction from others in your life?  Do you think that if you don't accept correction in your life that you will lead others astray?  Can you think of an instance in your life where you ignored correction and it ended up being bad for not only you, but others around you?  Can you think of an instance in your life where you heeded correction and it ended up being good for not only you, but others around 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

Comments

[Karen]

I would just emphasize that He said, 'I am the Lord, I am God.' I think we would do well to listen to Him.

[Micah Girl]

These 2 verses really hit me today in Leviticus 19--
15 " 'Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

People often lean so far "right" or "left" politically that they favor the rich or favor the poor. We are called on to judge fairly, regardless of position!

17 " 'Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.

This is a challenge. Rather than holding onto a grudge or a judgment against someone, we are supposed to rebuke the person frankly and face the conflict honestly, otherwise we share in their guilt. Wow.

[Gina]

I can't wait to read "How to spell Holy" from the link you gave! Holines is something I struggle with lately also."Be Holy because I am Holy" - In the place I am right now in my walk with God, I don't "feel" like I can be Holy enough. Does that make sense? I also think I'm still having a bit of an issue with the Grace thing. I get it in my head, but can't seem to get out of the "I have to do something to get something" mode. Grace is FREE...the price has been paid...I get it all in my head, but for some reason it's stuck there. I refuse to give up though - my freedom is in Jesus and it's coming! Jesus won't leave us the way we are, He keeps changing us so I know my victory is coming soon!

"What is providing your identity in your life today? Do you think it is possible that your identity could simply be found in Jesus? Do you want this to be the case?
.....I think for me that this changes - not that it should - but sometimes my identity is in Jesus, but sometimes I get off track and it does come from other stuff. Like the readings from yesterday about squandering our money - I have for many years found my identity in the things I had. I think Mae mentioned lots of brand names of clothing that pretty much covered it! I too had to have the newest, latest styles ... and I love shoes! hahahahahaha! But now, because of some of those actions, my husband is in a job that keeps him away from home all but 4 days out of each month - we need his salary (and mine) to pay our debt...FOOLISH! We have and are taking drastic measures in our life right now to change this. We both want Jesus to be our identity - not our jobs, or how much stuff or money we have. Just Jesus - - So yes, I believe our identity can be simply found in Jesus alone.

What stood out for me in Mark is where the disciples are kind of freaking out because they forgot the bread...how quickly they forgot who they are with!! Jesus has to remind them of what he did before with the loaves and fish...I know I do the same thing at times! I forget just how BIG our God is and I go into panic mode! What a great reminder that I God is always in control and I am safe as long as I have Him in me!

About correction - well, I hate being corrected but since I've been saved, I've learned that it is such a good thing! Correction from God is good - He always deals with me personally before He "goes public" (haha) - I'm thankful for that! There are many times in my life that I ignored correction - however, I'm learning to listen to Him more and heed His correction. It's so much easier to do life the way Jesus wants us to - so much easier!

[Mae]

I love what you wrote Gina - He always deals with me personally before He "goes public" ... I know exactly what you mean!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Praise the Lord for that, eh?

Mark was very powerful today!
Verse 8:33 stood out for me "Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” ~ I mean ... wow, when was the last time Jesus called you satan??? Yikes ... This tells me to trust 100% in Jesus Christ. Follow His path and instructions! Don't get scared, don't get insecure, those are signs that satan is trying to run you over. Verse 34 "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me". ~ Pretty amazing and so clear ... I have to memorize this verse. You know, I do know it all ... I KNOW IT. But at times it seems so easy to be caught up in work and spending too much time with unsaved friends. Now I'm thinking of it, it's like I'm a baby save in it's play-pen with God watching over me, once in a while He's checking if I can handle myself outside of the play-pen ... but what do I do? Running towards the coffeetable, grab everything I get my hands on, run around the house, see if I can reach the candyjar which I can hardly reach, but yes ... I get it and BAMMMMMMM it falls right on my head and it hurts like crazy. And then overwhelmed in pain and guilt I look around if God is there to put me back in my play-pen, where it's save. Sometimes it feels that I get too much at once; the enemy attacks me and on every point he does. Work, my relatives and friends ... in every corner there's an attack and sometimes it's too hard to handle. And sometimes I look for Him too late to put me back in my play-pen. I must stop to look around, I must turn from my selfish ways, take up the cross and follow Him!
"If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it". (verse 35)

Today I'm on cloud 9 ... I'm smiling all day long and it seems like I slept with a hanger in my mouth. My dad was saved last night ... Praise the Lord!!! He's so good!!!!!! In a matter of 6 weeks time, my husband and my parents got saved. I'm so happy!!! For myself LOL AND for them! My father has Parkinson's Disease and I know God will help my dad. He's going to do wonderful things for my dad, I'm soooo sure!!!

[micah]

What wonderful message today. It actually took me to Malachi 3:2-4, being put through the refiners fire... I am learning that what God is doing in our lives is a process... being the the impatient one I am, it is difficult for me to wait on the Lord, but I am learning and the rewards are great.

Thanks for posting this
God Bless

[Katie]

I am in the process of "accepting correction" right now - from the Holy Spirit... I know that if I don't accept it, I would be in the process of leading other astray. and that's one of the things I want LEAST in my whole life.
thank you Lord for leading me in Your ways!

and thank you,writer of the blog, for your insight! God bless you today!

[Jenny]

I loved Psalms today, it really spoke to me. I am so weary and i just long for Him. He's all that matters. I'm desperately wanting to be with Him! To know Him more, to just dwell with Him.
As for identity, all I can think of in the question, who am I? I' am God's child. Made by Him and made for Him. Anything else I pursue is eternally worthless. Christ is in me and I belong to Him. My heart my soul my will, take it all. I have nothing but Christ and He is everything I need and more. Though i sorrow and am exhausted, my hope is in Him alone. God my king, save me from my troubled heart!

[Ang]

i'm like you gina, i hate being corrected. but i know theres sometimes that i need to be. but along with trying to be more open, i'm starting to listen all the way around. not just one area.
again, i loved psalms. it did however really bother me though how it said picture the deer running from the hunters, trying to escape death. one, i'm an animal rights activist. i truly love animals and am a vegetrian now. i can't stand the thought of an animal being hunted and also killed. but this reminds me of me. i have dreams where i'm being chased and have no where to go, just like the deer. i'm also tired and scared, and weary. but knowing now that god is there for me, and to protect me, i don't have them dreams of being chased like i once did. and boy do i know bout being in "dry" seasons. i've gotten so angry at god that for a while i shut him completely out. i was wrong for doing that and i feel bad about it.