Monday, January 23, 2012

Jan 23-29

Monday: Genesis 3
Tuesday: 2 Chronicles 35
Wednesday: Psalm 28
Thursday: Isaiah 32
Friday: Micah 1
Saturday: John 16
Sunday: Colossians 2

9 comments:

Unknown said...

God is all knowing, mankind walks around with their head in the clouds oblivious as to how our choices can wreak destruction on God's good plans for us and sabotage the good gifts, peace and joy He wants to bless us with.

Unknown said...

I'm all messed up. I read the Psalms passage in my devotions yesterday, and then realized that it was supposed to be for today, went back to Chronicles and realized I still scheduled it a chapter off... sorry ladies.

This might seem totally unrelated but all I could think about as I read today was something that came up in my ladies bible study material yesterday. That the antichrist will wage war on the saints and he will change the "times and the seasons" (ie. holidays and traditions according to the explanation of the original text given). After studying all the different eschatological interpretations I lean very heavily towards dispensational pre-millenialism, a view which means I believe that Jesus will come back for his bride, the church, take her to heaven to clothe her in her bridal array (the reward for the believer) and prepare her to return with Him to reign and rule during the millenium, a time which will begin with his triumphant physical return to Jerusalem at the time when Israel as a nation turns to him, recognizes Him as the Messiah and invokes Him to come and deliver them from the antichrist.

What on earth does this have to do with today's reading you might ask? If you have read this far :) well, just this. To the Jews, the "times and the seasons" are of utter importance. To the church? Not so much. I mean, we love to celebrate but we know that celebration is a thing of the heart, and nobody can take that from you. But for the Jews, their traditions are part and parcel of their worship. To have those "days" and "ceremonies" stripped would be like robbing us of our wardrobe and making us walk around in sackcloth.

I just see the beauty of their ceremony here, what value they place on the ceremony itself (not saying that is right or wrong) and how earth shattering it would be for them to have the right to that stripped away.

Chris said...

Our culture doesn't really know how to relate to that kind of preparation and anticipation, hey?

Isaiah-vs 9- you women who are complacent- that gets to me- am I complacent? Am I content to just hum about in my little life? What am I ignoring that God would have me act/pray on or about? Do I care for his lost sheep enough to stop being comfortable and content?

Unknown said...

Isaiah 32:1 BEHOLD, A [a]King will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice.

This gives me goosebumps. Especially in light of the knowledge of who those "princes" are. Called to reign with Christ, what an honor beyond comprehension! And this life is our training ground. Even now, we reign in the heavenlies over the prnicipalities of darkness and are physically and spiritually co-heirs with Christ, one of the most mindboggling realities of the gospel!

2And each one of them shall be like a hiding place from the wind and a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land [to those who turn to them].

I want to be that kind of person.

20Happy and fortunate are you who cast your seed upon all waters [when the river overflows its banks; for the seed will sink into the mud and when the waters subside, the plant will spring up; you will find it after many days and reap an abundant harvest],

and we will go forth sowing, and He will reap a harvest and we will rejoice at what He has done with our humble and bumbling offerings of service.

Unknown said...

Micah 1:6Therefore I [the Lord] will make Samaria a [a]heap in the open country, a place for planting vineyards; and I will pour down into the ravine her stones and lay bare her foundations.

Samaria was captured by the king of Assyria around 722 B.C. (II Kings 17:6), and was besieged and demolished by John Hyrcanus around 128 B.C. In his book Syria and Palestine, written in the nineteenth century, Van de Velde, after visiting Sebaste or Samaria, wrote: "Samaria, a heap of stones! Her foundations discovered, her streets plowed up and covered with corn fields and olive gardens! Samaria has been destroyed; her rubbish has been thrown down into the valley; her foundation stones lie scattered about on the slope of the hill." Through the inspiration of the omniscient and omnipotent God, Micah was able to foretell all this more than 2,000 years before.

Denise said...

Micah 1:13
“The people of Lachish had influenced many to follow their evil example. They “led Jerusalem into sin”. We often do the same when we sin. Regardless of whether you consider yourself a leader, your actions and words are observed by others who may choose to follow your example, where you know it or not.” I’m really not sure why it is so hard to open this Bible everyday. Really makes me think of what kind of example I am setting for my children. My actions and words certainly are observed by them and I see them following my example.

Denise said...

John 16
“The disciples scattered after Jesus was arrested. Jesus accepted their statement of faith even though he knew their weakness. He knew they would have to grow into people whose words and lives matched even to the point of death. He takes us through the same process. How well are you living out what you say you believe about Jesus?”

Unknown said...

This is one thing I love about you so much, Denise. YOu are not afraid to examine yourself honestly and challenge yourself with tough questions. That "heart" brings great joy to God's heart, even when we come up short. The reason it is so hard, is precisely because of what you mentioned, we are being watched, we are teaching by our actions and the deceiver or nations does his best to deceive us into quietly believing that our complacency and lack of passion doesn't really matter, after all, we love Jesus, that's all that matters... right? Well... kinda sorta... kinda sorta like the half truth Satan told Eve in the garden. The fact of the matter is that spending time in the Word is like any discipline. It's a discipline, and reaping the rewards come after the effort has been put forth. The more rewards you reap, the more desire you have to return to it, it becomes like oxygen for your spiritual breathing. But sometimes it's just hard work, like when you start running. You gotta push through the barriers in order to discover the endorphins.

Denise said...

Aaaaaaw, thanks PC!!!!!!!!!!

Colossians 2
“Christian faith provides a growth track into knowledge of the truth, but along the way, how do we guard against being deceived by lies that are masquerading as “well-crafted arguments”?
If your growth track is too narrow, you become thick-headed and insular – no one can teach you a thing. Before long, you can’t teach anyone around you, for no one is listening. You are isolated. Love disappears from your life.
If your track is too wide and every idea is an exciting new possibility, you’ll waste a lot of time just keeping on track and risk some dangerous detours. The key is centering on Christ and grounding yourself in his Word. Learn daily about the Savior. Study the Bible. Develop your theological knowledge. Stay humble and curious about the amazing complexity of the world God has made. Ask lots of questions about the assumptions behind ideas new to you. Press toward wisdom. Pray for understanding. God has given us minds for learning – never quit using yours.”