March 31st One Year Bible Readings

Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20 ~ Luke 9:7-27 ~ Psalm 72:1-20 ~ Proverbs 12:8-9
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture on OneYearAudioBible.org or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~ 

Old Testament - Deuteronomy chapter 16 verse 18 is of note today: "Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in all the towns the LORD your God is giving you. They will judge the people fairly throughout the land."  After Deuteronomy comes the book of Joshua, which is followed by the book of Judges.  And then... Israel won't be satisfied with just judges.  Israel will want a king...

Below is an image for Deuteronomy chapter 17 verses 8 and 9 today: ""Suppose a case arises in a local court that is too hard for you to decide--for instance, whether someone is guilty of murder or only of manslaughter, or a difficult lawsuit, or a case involving different kinds of assault. Take such cases to the place the LORD your God will choose, where the Levitical priests and the judge on duty will hear the case and decide what to do." 

New Testament - In the beginning of Luke chapter 9's readings today we read in verse 7 - "When reports of Jesus' miracles reached Herod Antipas, he was worried and puzzled..."  This is of note.  Herod was running the show in Jerusalem, and Jesus had made him worried and puzzled.  Why?  Maybe because in part Herod realized that he was not fully in "control" of everything as he thought he was...  and I wonder about this today...  Does Jesus maybe continue to make people worried and puzzled in our modern world today?  Is it perhaps because, like Herod, we get worried and puzzled about Jesus when we start to realize we are not fully in "control" of things...  that maybe there is something bigger going on around us.  I pray that Jesus continues to make people worried and puzzled today - such that they realize that there is someone who is truly in Control and one to whom we can truly surrender our "control" to.  For, in doing so, we will find true peace, joy & happiness for eternity.  Have you given the control in your life over to Jesus?  If not, is now perhaps a good time for you to hand the "remote control" of your life over to Jesus?  Will you?

Verses 23 through 26 are so amazing and I cannot personally read and meditate upon these verses often enough.  They are beautifully convicting me once again today...  ""If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process? If a person is ashamed of me and my message, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in my glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels."  Putting aside our selfish ambition... this is tough folks!  I know I am still struggling to do this.  I still have so much selfish ambition within me...  but, I am thankful that through Christ and through learning to carry our cross each day - slowly though surely it may be - our ambition will be morphed from selfish into godly.  We know we are arriving closer and closer to true life when we care about the things God cares about.  When we think about the things God thinks about.  When we are ambitious for the things God is ambitious about.  How are you doing with selfish ambition in your life?  Will you drop the things you are carrying so tightly due to your selfish ambition, so that you can instead take up your cross daily?

Verse 13 I found intriguing - "But Jesus said, "You feed them.""  If Jesus said this to his followers 2,000 years ago, think he might say this to us today as well?  You feed them.  Who might Jesus be calling you to feed in your life?  Maybe feeding someone spiritually, mentally, or literally?   You feed them... 

Bible.org's commentary on Luke chapter 9's readings today titled "The Training of the Twelve" is at this link, and another commentary titled "The Cross and Christianity" is at this link.

Psalms - I'll admit.  I pay attention every single time the Bible talks about serving the poor.  And it is a lot.  And I think it is for a reason.  Here it is again in Psalm 72 verses 12 & 13, speaking about Israel's king - "He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them."

Verse 20 tells us - "This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse." And below is a painting of an older King David... perhaps playing a Psalm he wrote...?   

Proverbs - Proverbs 12:8 today teaches us: "Everyone admires a person with good sense, but a warped mind is despised."  Let us pray for consistent good sense in our lives!  A warped mind is a sad state of affairs indeed...

YouTube:  Our readings in Psalm 72 remind me of the fantastic Third Day song "Revelation:"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu7QKDYqDAQ

Do you need a Revelation from God?  Click here for Revelation!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on three verses of Scripture today: "Then Jesus said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for you to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit your very self? " Luke 9:23-25 TNIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you truly want to be a disciple of Jesus. Pray that you will deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow Jesus. Pray that you will not lose your soul by seeking to gain the whole world.

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  Based on Psalm 72 verses 12 & 13, what about us today?  Does this Psalm speak to us?  Do we rescue the poor when they cry to us?  (do we even listen for their cry?)  Do we help the oppressed and those who have no one to defend them?  Do we feel pity for the weak and needy?  Do we rescue them?  Do I?  Do 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

[Ramona]

Deuteronomy 16-17:20

Today a phrase in the first verse of chapter sixteen caught my imagination, “for that was when the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night” Something exploded in my spirit, an understanding, a knowing and it gave me great peace.

It is in the deep, in the darkest part of the night when our deliverance comes. When there is false light, dim light, we struggle to make a our way using the five senses. Then when the dimly lit areas of our lives loose all light, it is then and only then that we turn and rely on something other than ourselves because we have exhausted all natural hope. We either turn to God or we continue to believe the lies of the devil and remain in our sin. It was in the darkness of the grave that Jesus secured victory over death and the grave and brought us into freedom. (I Corinthians 15:55-56). It is in the light of God’s Word that we relinquish our fear of death and darkness that is in the grave because Jesus has wrought for us such a great salvation.

Hebrews 2: 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil– 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

So when we find ourselves in the dark, when we see the death of our finances, death of relationships, as our lives and social structures we have carved out for ourselves slowly crumble and takes its last gasp of air, be of good cheer because deliverance is near. Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning light, and that morning light is Jesus.

When the things in my life are falling apart, God is up to something.

Luke 9:7-27

Picking up on Mike’s comments on being in “control,” I think humans feel comfortable and at ease when we think we are in control. It seems that controlling people are out of control in their personal lives and out of control people are controlling. Herod had his little kingdom and he exercised his “control” by taking off John the Baptist head. Now, as far as he knew John might be walking around again. Guilt and his out of control hedonistic behavior, as recorded by historians, tormented him and caused his confusion. This man Herod who could not keep his base appetites under control found out he wasn’t in control of everything in his little kingdom.

Psalm 72:1-20

1 Give justice to the king, O God,
and righteousness to the king's son.

Since Solomon is listed as the writer of this Psalm, I wonder whom he was writing about? Inspired by the Holy Spirit did he know that this Psalm points to Jesus as the “king” that he wants God to give justice too?
Proverbs 12:8-9
8 Everyone admires a person with good sense,

O, to have good sense! I don’t think it is a bad thing to want to be admired as long as we use the model that used “good sense,” instead of the fleeting fame that comes with having a warped mind. Think dirty mouth comedians.

Grace and peace,
Ramona

[David Chin]

Hi,
This is David.
Sorry I could not comment on all who wrote about my vision of Demons. I was a bit tied up. Thanks to those who prayed for my family and myself. I do appreciate the prayers. Thanks Deedee.
To Raeann,
I don't know if your comment about faith was addressed to me but in case it was, seeing Demons or Angels have nothing to do with faith. The only thing I could say is that I used to be skeptical,I am not anymore. Seeing demons give new meaning to "blessed are those do not see but yet believe".
To Melanie,
Do not pray that anyone should be challenged by Demons. It did not scare me to be a better Christian or anything like that. The first thing I tried to do was to pray and fast, which is usually easy for me, some how became quite difficult, I was not able to fast and I still have trouble up to now. Then the more serious attacks came.
Maybe all of us are being challenged by these forces but for some reason they decided to tell me first. The only true weapon against them is to cling to Jesus.

[DeeDee]

Amen, Amen, and thanks David for your comments! I do pray that you are clinging and having a clearer vision of what God is showing you and eventually with all devils/demons, it says in the Bible, Resist the Devil and He will flee you! James 4:7

On Todays Deuteronomy, I liked first of all the opening line in my Life Application NLT Bible: of Ch 16: "In honor of the Lord your God, the Passover each year in the early spring, in the month of Abib, for that was the month in which the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night. I liked it first because it parellels with the time of season we are in now and the timeframes are always so neat how God works out our bible lessons to fit into our very "season" we are living in our lives, plus it being resurrection week, Passion Week, Good Friday..that sort of thing, it is a great remembrance to us God's Children of what He has done in our lives and blessed us so, from our own bondages of guilt, shame, misery and we are no longer under the influence and captivity of the devil, but are freed because of the cross, because of Jesus! That is a shout of victory indeed! :-)

I also liked the ending notes of todays Ch 17:19-20, "He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way."

I know that the verses above were talking about the time and place when Israelites will elect a king amongst them. They will become suspicious and want what other nations have when they have the one and true King of Kings among them now, but anyway, I look at our lives and think that this read is quite essential for the average "Joe" today! We should read the Bible daily lest we slip and fall and become proud or arrogant and when we read the Bible daily it humbles us and lets us see that Without God we can do nothing, but with Him all things are possible to him that believe. "Mark 9:23

[Raeann]

This is a TEMPORARY farewell, I am in the process of moving. I will be off of ONE YEAR BIBLE regretably for at least a week, hopefully not to much longer then this, I will miss everyone on ONE YEAR BIBLE. Have a WONDERFUL remainder of HOLY week everyone.

[DeeDee]

Commenting on Mikes subject of serving the poor, and do we help or feel a need to help the poor in our community, Yesterdays reading in Chapter 15 of Deuteronomy which I didn't get a chance to post, has in it, verse 11 and it speaks about: "There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need." In my foot notes, its speaks that God told the Israelites to help the poor among them when they arrived in the Promised Land. This was an important part of possessing the land. Many people conclude that people are poor through some fault of their own. This kind of reasoning makes it easy to close their hearts and hands to the needy. But we are not to invent reasons for ignoring the poor. We are to respond to their needs no matter who or what was responsible for their condition.

We have a ministry at our church, and we call it "Deuteronomy 15:11" because like the verses say, there will always be poor people amongst us and though the needs are great and sometimes its just not talking about no food, it is talking about spiritual, mental, emotional food also..we are supposed to support them and help them and show the Love of Christ. Before doing this ministry I was oblivious to the ones in my own community who were dirt poor, selling theirselves on the street, selling what little clothes they had for food and sometimes drugs too, but I truly believe that is the kind of people Jesus ministered to, the druggies, prostitutes, blind, lame, demon-possessed, the "fleshly" diseases that eat away at us..and yes I have been faced with some that need help so bad but pride gets in the way of their getting help and that to is something we have to face, but when we do our part no matter how little it may seem, God will do a mighty work in the one who is doing the giving and that is what I get the greatest satisfaction of, knowing I was a blessing and the reciprocal affect of Have a need, sow a seed, principle! Try it, you will be suprised at how much joy you recieve because of it. :-)

Be Blessed!~~DeeDee

[Melanie]

I love reading the comments and PtL I am still hanging in there daily with the blog so thank you Mike for your tireless dedication. I had the blog on my email last year but never read it. I can't believe already we are through a quarter of the year! I have really had a hard time with the old testament,much of it I just read and don't understand. I sometimes feel kind of ritualistic in my reading because I don't have the time to figure out what it means. I accepted the Lord in 1976 when I was in my early 20's. This is my first time reading through the Bible! Thank you David for addressing my comment,I do pray things will get better for you and your family. I did have a positive sign from my daughter who is living far from the Lord and has cut herself off from her family, so thank you for praying.

[Cahty Curths]

I read your blog daily and enjoy it so much. thanks and God Bless you, Cathy

[Anthonia]

I give glory to God Almighty for the opportunity and the grace been given to the supporters of OYBB. This is a seed and I pray that it will fall on fertile land and produce a good seed. Thanks.