2 Thessalonians 1

John 13

Jeremiah 15

Psalm 39

2 Chronicles 5

2 Samuel 1

Exodus 31

1 Thessalonians 5

John 12

Jeremiah 14

Psalm 38

2 Chronicles 4

1 Samuel 31

Exodus 30

1 Thessalonians 4

John 11

Jeremiah 13

Psalm 37

2 Chronicles 3

1 Samuel 30

Exodus 29

1 Thessalonians 3

John 10

"But those who hate their lives in this world will keep true life forever." v25

I always find it so awe inspiring how we are to count this life as nothing. It's all about preparing for eternity, not living this life in a way that when we die we "finish" well, but in such a way that we will have the strongest start as we begin the first day of the rest of our lives.

Jesus said, "Now I am very troubled. Should I say, 'Father, save me from this time?' No, I came to this time so I could suffer. Father, bring glory to your name! Then a voice came from heaven, "I have brought glory to it, and I will do it again." John 12:27-28

Don't we always want to be removed from the "hard path"? And yet it is on the hard path that we are made perfect in weakness and He can be most glorified.

"The crowd standing there, who heard the voice, said it was thunder. But others said, "An angel has spoken to him." v29

I love this, it reminded me of the Uncle Andrew only hearing the animals of Narnia making crazy animal sounds even though they were speaking. His ears were not attuned to the message, his brain was not willing to accept it. Oh to have ears to hear and eyes to see.

Jeremiah 12

"The animals and birds in the land have died, because the people are evil." v4

This brought to mind a treatise I read some years back that talked about how when evil persists God punishes first the culprit, then with time that punishment spreads to affect his possessions, and family, surrounding culture and even environment. It seemed very bizarre to me at first but the author pointed out various passages in scripture where the livestock and creatures of the field were "cursed" basically because of the evil acts of the people in their environment. So frustrating to think of nature being punished for man's wickedness but indeed that is what happened in the fall, it's rather remarkable when you start to think about it. We have a huge responsibility and our guilt affects not only ourselves but much, much more.

Psalm 36

"Lord, your love reaches to the heavens, your loyalty to the skies. Your goodness is as high as the mountains. Your justice is as deep as the great ocean." vv5,6

mmmmm.... I love that. Despite myself, He is everything stated. Loving, good, just, loyal. Glorious.

"God, your love is so precious! You protect people in the shadow of Your wings. They eat the rich food in Your house , and You let them drink from Your river of pleasure. You are the giver of life. Your light lets us enjoy life." vv7-9

It just gets better and better as it builds. So beautiful.

2 Chronicles 1

1 Samuel 29

Exodus 28

1 Thessalonians 2

John 9

Jeremiah 12