Monday, December 26, 2011

Dec 26-Jan 1

Monday: Joshua 23
Tuesday: 2 Chronicles 31
Wednesday: Psalm 24
Thursday: Isaiah 28
Friday: Jonah 1
Saturday: John 12
Sunday: Philippians 2

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Josh 23:14 You know and fully believe that the Lord has done great things for you. You know that he has not failed to keep any of his promises.15 Every good promise that the Lord your God made has come true, and in the same way, his other promises will come true.

Berry Girl said...

2 Chr. 31:
I always love the chapters where they tear down the idols and make reforms. It's so beautiful. But I always know that it will be followed by yet another leader/king who will not serve the Lord.
The worst part, I suppose, is that this is such a mirror to our own lives.

Unknown said...

2 Chr 31:1 "When the Passover celebration was finished, all the Israelites in Jerusalem went out to the towns of Judah. There they smashed the stone pillars used to worship gods. They cut down the Asherah idols and destroyed the altars and places for worshiping gods in all of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh."

Yes, I love it to. Reform, revival, absolute passionate abandon to do away with the things that dulled and distracted them to a life of holiness and be true and devoted in their worship. I have had stages in my life where I have completely destroyed or got rid of certain things that I knew were not bringing glory to God, that were pulling me away from him into a worldly mentality... be it cd's, books, certain items of clothing that I know I liked for the wrong reasons, certain things that I had allowed myself to become addicted to or dependent on. I think it is a practice that should never get old, one I should constantly re-evaluate, what needs to give, what am I giving too much hold in my life that it steals the heart that is designed to be kept free for pure worship of my Savior and Father.

Unknown said...

Psalm 24:7 Open up, you gates.
Open wide, you aged doors
and the glorious King will come in.
This gave me goosebumps this morning. Can you imagine when those gates really do swing wide for Him and He enters in the ultimate triumphal entry? To reign from Jerusalem over all the earth? Intense!

Berry Girl said...

Isaiah 28:
I love the language in Isaiah - such interesting images. The cornerstone, of course, is a favourite passage. But what I had never read before was the part in v20:
"The bed is too short on which to stretch out. And the blanket is too small to wrap oneself in"
I mean, you know immediately what that would feel like and how frustrating it would be, and then you compare it to what Isaiah is talking about - my Bible notes say that it was telling Jerusalem that foreign alliances, in which they had put their trust, were inadequate protection. Love it.

Unknown said...

Isaiah 28:22 Now, you must not make fun of these things,
or the ropes around you will become tighter.

When believers start to seriously question things that don't make sense to them from a secular standpoint, things that sound "ridiculous" to the one without faith, things like a literal creation, a worldwide flood, Jonah, donkeys that speak, anything involving the sovereign and miraculous hand of God... it's a downward spiral. You either have faith to believe that God exists and can work in ways beyond our understanding, or you start to question everything and the bible becomes no longer, the word of God, but tales and myths meant to teach principles written by well meaning men. There is a big difference. There is a big danger. When you seek to answer questions with your own wisdom and logic you will indeed be tightening the noose around your own neck.

Berry Girl said...

Jonah 1:
I've always found it interesting that a prophet of The Lord would think that he could run from God. I mean, obviously Jonah would have had a great understanding of God, how could he have thought this would work?
Curious.
Still though, I can totally imagine - I wonder if he was just terrified to go to Nineveh, or if he was just so proud and did not feel that they deserved hearing from God.

Annette said...

16 The sailors were impressed, no longer terrified by the sea, but in awe of God. They worshiped God, offered a sacrifice, and made vows.

I'm always amazed how God takes a bad situation and turns it for good.

Unknown said...

I can relate to Jonah, and I don't like it. I am far to quick to write people off for bad choices. And yet the heart of God is one of grace and love, and pursuit. I want to have the heart of God.

Unknown said...

John 12:27 "Now I am very troubled. Should I say, 'Father, save me from this time'? No, I came to this time so I could suffer. 28 Father, bring glory to your name!"

thinking back the verse last week that said "He has counted you WORTHY of suffering for His name." Wow. Yes, Father, be glorified. Also brings me back to that John Piper video clip again about how God is not most glorified in the lives of those who don't suffer, but through the lives of those who give him glory in the suffering and show the world a different strength and grace that comes only from Him and His presence through the unthinkable.

Unknown said...

the message reads;

27-28"Right now I am storm-tossed. And what am I going to say? 'Father, get me out of this'? No, this is why I came in the first place. I'll say, 'Father, put your glory on display.'"

Lois said...

Phil. 2: 14 & 15-- Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”
Such simple instructions -- so hard to do.