March 25th One Year Bible Readings

Deuteronomy 4:1-49 ~ Luke 6:39-7:10 ~ Psalm 68:1-18 ~ Proverbs 11:28
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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 God: Today's readings i Deuteronomy chapter 4 and Psalm 68 remind me of the Matt Maher song "Alive Again:"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSTaVmDQP5s

Do you need to be made alive again? Click here for Life!

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 - Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Passion CD's, David Crowder 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.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

Comments

[Steve]

Deuteronomy 4:1-49

Moses was a Sheppard, it must have been hard for him to watch but not be permitted to accompany his flock as they finally cross over into the Promise Land. Imagine the responsibility of managing such a huge number of people, a people that are so prone to wander off in different directions. Got me to thinking about the way God sometimes uses Sheppard’s as leaders. The theme of Deuteronomy is love and obedience, the same agenda the good Sheppard has for his flock. The good Sheppard wants to take us out of the bondage of our own territory and lead us into the green pastures of the Promise Land.

The good Sheppard is willing to lay his life down for his sheep; he leads the sheep with love but at times the Sheppard must be harsh on the sheep when they wander. The Sheppard does not enjoy being harsh, he is only harsh because he knows the great danger facing the sheep that wander, realizing those that stray could permanently be separated from the flock forever.

Moses as a good Sheppard pleads with his flock to hearken to the word of the Lord by giving them reason after reason to obey God so that it will go well with them. Deuteronomy expresses the magnitude of God, His love for us and His awesome power as a God of consuming fire and a God of love.

In the words of my Pastor, “Yes, He's a consuming fire and those enemies of God shall be destroyed by that consuming fire. Consuming is just a qualifying word and that is a word that qualifies really the enemies of God; that which the fire will do to enemies of God. But that same fire transmits us into permanency because from us it consumes the dross and the impurities of our life. It's the refining fire of God burning within our hearts, consuming dross transmitting into permanency”.

[Chris Stewart]

I think Moses got it; despite his blaming the Israelites for not being able to enter the promised land, he seems to understand (and conveys that understanding to them) that they absolutely MUST obey God. The thing about Moses and Aaron striking the rock displayed frustration but also arrogance. The rock had done nothing to them, so why hit the rock? Hit the disobedient complainers about water...at least that would have been more appropriate. So, the lesson I think he recognized was that if they wanted God's blessing(s) (and who doesn't), they better learn better than he and Aaron, to OBEY God.

I also liked the reference to fruit in Luke. So many times we wrestle with judging. We are first reminded to remove our own "timber" from our eye before getting that speck of dust out of our brothers, but the "flip" side of that is that we need to recognize when someone is intentionally not being genuine, as in: Is there any fruit on that vine? Is it all just a bunch of brambles in those bushes.

I am particularly moved when I read about God's care of widows and orphans, as I know and love a young woman with three children whose husband was electrocuted while operating machinery on the job. It is a comfort to her knowing that God is her protector. When someone undertakes to leave a husband or start a family without a husband for a protector, it is a whole different scenario from one who loves and obeys her spouse and he is taken away instantly; yes, I know it is God's plans for their lives. She knows it too, and loves God. That kind of individual really encourages others to step up to the plate.

So many good lessons in Luke with building houses on sand as opposed to a firm rock foundation. That's what we are doing reading the One-year-Bible, isn't it? As I read the Easy to read, next to the NIV, and the King James Bible, I feel the rock hard foundation being cemented in my heart (or at least I hope it is).

Praises in the psalms, and a reminder in proverbs about reliance on the riches. My gym teacher told me back in 8th grade that "good enough is never good enough," and that lesson kind of extends to riches, doesn't it? I mean, no matter how much money a rich man/woman has, it's never enough, is it?

Chris