August 3rd One Year Bible Readings

2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33 + Romans 16:10-27 + Psalm 26:1-12 + Proverbs 20:19
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Old Testament - Wow... I thought today's readings are some of the best we've had in a while!  King Josiah cleaned up house for God!  Unfortunately, the southern kingdom of Judah is about to meet a similar fate as the northern kingdom of Israel did.  But King Josiah goes down with a fight for the Lord in today's readings!  I wonder about this in our lives today - are we willing to fight for the Lord and his values in the way that Josiah did today?  Or, perhaps "fight" isn't quite the right word, as Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek....  but, then, considering this, should we simply be meek and mild and not fight for things of the Lord?  I don't think Jesus modeled this entirely either.  Jesus turned over some tables in the Temple and turned over some ideas about God during His life...  What can we learn about a zeal for God from Josiah and Jesus' lives?  Below is an image of King Josiah and his men destroying a pagan altar from today's readings:

Verse 15 reminds me of the old adage - "Dusty Bibles lead to dirty lives..."  :) - "Hilkiah said to Shaphan the court secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the LORD's Temple!" Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan." That is amazing to think about - that finding the Book of the Law in the Lord's Temple was a big find!  Most commentaries suggest that the scroll was either the entire Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy) or possibly just Deuteronomy. Imagine if you will that the Bible was "forgotten" about for generations and then finally discovered today!

King Josiah's words in verse 21 are wonderful repentful words - "Go to the Temple and speak to the Lord for me and for all the remnant of Israel and Judah. Inquire about the words written in the scroll that has been found. For the Lord’s great anger has been poured out on us because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the Lord. We have not been doing everything this scroll says we must do.” Have you ever had ah-ha experiences like this in your life?  Where you realize finally what God wants you to do - and you realize that you have not been doing it?  Well, fortunately God is a God that Psalm 145 verse 8 tells us, "is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love."  There is room for repentance with God!  When you have these ah-ha moments like King Josiah did, will you turn in repentance and humble yourself before God?

Verses 29 & 30 demonstrate true leadership from King Josiah! - "Then the king summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up to the Temple of the LORD with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites--all the people from the greatest to the least. There the king read to them the entire Book of the Covenant that had been found in the LORD's Temple."

 

New Testament - We finish up Romans today! Tomorrow we embark on First Corinthians!  Romans has been a powerful book for me to read and study this year.  I hope it has been for you as well?  I love the closing words in this book today from Paul in Romans 16 verses 25 through 27: "God is able to make you strong, just as the Good News says. It is the message about Jesus Christ and his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they might believe and obey Christ. To God, who alone is wise, be the glory forever through Jesus Christ. Amen." Do you believe that God is able to make you strong?  Are there areas of your life currently where you feel weak?  Will you turn these areas over to God completely, so that he can strengthen you?  To God, who indeed alone is wise, be the glory forever through Jesus Christ!  Amen.

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "Watching Out for Wolves" is at this link.

Psalms - Today in Psalm 26 verse 2 we read: "Put me on trial, LORD, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and affections." What a powerful reflection from David - God, test my motives and affections.  What are your motives?  Why do you do what you do in life?  Whom are you doing it all for?  What are your affections?  Who do you pledge your loyalties to?  Who do you give your heart to?  Where are you investing your time, treasure and talents?   Have you ever asked God to test your motives and affections?

Verse 8 of this Psalm reminds me of my church and I pray it reminds you of your church as well: "I love your sanctuary, LORD, the place where your glory shines."  Wow... the place where God's glory shines!  Yes, I do believe this happens in our churches - even if we maybe don't notice it sometimes.  When we come together as the body of Christ each week, God's glory shines! Will you take a moment to really pay attention to God’s glory shining in your church as you attend a service this upcoming weekend?

Proverbs - Proverbs 20 verse 19 is quite a Proverb!  Perhaps convicting for some of us - "A gossip tells secrets, so don't hang around with someone who talks too much."  This Proverb reminds me of something I posted up recently - I find all too often that we all too often talk about "nothing."  Or, even worse than talking about nothing is that we talk about others.  We gossip.  We tell secrets.  There is so much wisdom in "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."  Keep our mouths shut.  You'll be appearing wise this way!  :)  Do you gossip?  Do you hang around someone that talks too much?  Think this is good for your relationship with God?  Think this is good for your relationship with others?

Worship Video:  Today's readings in Romans reminded me of Matt Maher's song "Turn Around:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IbgbfmQogo

Are you lost & need to be found? Click here and turn around!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much." Proverbs 20:19 TNIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you won't participate in gossip. Pray against gossip in your church, family, and place of work.

Comments from You:  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.

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Comments

[Ramona]

II Chronicles 33:14-34:43

Our pride makes repentance a difficult thing to do. And when one repents, meaning to turn back, when they are a national leader, well---that is a most difficult thing to do. Manasseh did his repentance in public view.

Attached to each form of worship, be it idols or the True God, there is a political mindset, a group, that jockeys for power and a seat of influence to maneuver the hands and mind that rules the nation. Manasseh destroyed all religious worship that was not directed toward God. That was a bold step to take. I can hear and see in my minds eye the political uproar, the coalitions disbanding and banding together trying to get to the king’s ear. (33:14-17)

When I came to the thirty-fourth chapter, I became fascinated with the ages and stages of Josiah and his father, King Amon (chapter 33:21-24). Josiah’s father (the son of Manasseh, only ruled for two years because of his wickedness. When he came into power he was twenty-two years and he had a son who was six, which means Josiah was born to Amon when he was only sixteen years old. Amon produced a child at sixteen; his son Josiah produced a revival.

At the ripe age of eight, Josiah became king. Eight years latter, he inspires a revival by seeking the God of his ancestor, David. He began clearing the land of idols his father had brought back into the land as well as into the daily political life of the rulers. Then ten years latter, the land having been cleansed, the Temple is set to be repaired. Change is a process not an event. When we turn our hearts toward God, He may instantaneously remove some things that are deadly from our lives, but many things that are not pleasing to Him take time to be removed.

Mike comments on how amazing and unbelievable it is to not have the Book of the Law in plan sight and in use in the Temple built to honor the Name of God, the God who gave the Law. Not only was it out-of-sight, it was lost in a room. My question to this find, “How long was it lost and/or which king was the last to actively seek it out and use it?

Romans 16:10-27
The words of the Bible are timeless and never grow old no matter how many generations come and go between the time the words were written and the present day. Paul warns,

Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create dissensions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned. Avoid them! (Rom 16:17 NET.)

The above words are as fresh and pertinent as the day they were written. In order to “watch” for the people that distort the Word of God, one must know what to watch for. Thank you Mike for inviting and encouraging all of us to come into this site and partake of God’s wonderful Words, our guide our yardstick by which we measure every other word.

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
(Psa 34:8 KJV)

Psalm 26:1-12

Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have integrity, and I trust in the Lord without wavering.
(Psa 26:1 NET.)

Man may declare you guilty, but when we walk uprightly before God and do what He requires of us, God will declare us innocent.

Proverbs 20:19
We just love gossip it feeds our ego. We get a kick out of knowing things other people don’t know. Information has value, and we not only will pay a huge price to get that information, we will sell it to the highest bidder as we pass it along. However, the price we are willing to pay and the selling price we extract from a buyer is not measured in gold, but it is measured in integrity and self-worth.

If a gossip tells secrets, and we are willing to pay the cost to get those secrets, the seller we buy the secrets from will unreservedly sell us also.. What they have done to others, they will do to us. .

Grace and peace,
Ramona

[Dd]

Woo-hoo romans!Roman's!! Read and in the books! I love it and God's love poured out to all and 2 achronicles showing that love and commitment to the Lord.

I love them finding the word after all those years.