July 2 – Psalms 75-77

Focus before you read. . .

Some of the toughest spiritual battles we face involve loneliness.  The devil would like to turn our thoughts totally upon ourselves and away from God’s powerful deliverance through an overwhelming sense of isolation.  I love the relevance of scripture to our human experience.  For example, when describing Satan’s tempting of Jesus, the scriptures are careful to point out the isolation Jesus experienced in the wilderness immediately preceding his test.  In Psalms, 77 David was clearly feeling isolated, separated, maybe even forgotten by God.

Questions to ask as you read. . .

What important decision did David make in the midst of his FEELINGS of loneliness and isolation?

77:7-12 “Then I thought…I will remember the deeds of the Lord…I will meditate on all your words”.  Jesus, likewise, remembered the words of the God and quoted scripture to counter Satan’s temptations.

Prayer after reading:

Lord, when I FEEL lonely and isolated in the trial, empower me though the Holy Spirit to turn my thoughts to memories of your faithfulness and meditate upon your word so that I may guard my heart and stand firm.

July 1 – 1 Kings 19-22

s before you read:

Elijah and Elisha (his successor) are two early non-writing prophets.  While they have some interaction with Judah (SKJ) they primarily confront Israel (NKI) about their worship of false gods—especially Baal. In this passage we meet Elisha when he is introduced by God as Elijah’s successor. He will not minister until II Kings. The movement from Elijah to Elisha occurs at the seam of I Kings-II Kings. Elijah’s cloak is an important thread through their relationship.  Watch for it!

Questions to ask as you read:

What change do you see in Elijah’s demeanor in Chapter 19?  Why do you think it occurs?  Consider his activity in 18:46 through 19:7.

How does God minister to Elijah in his exhausted and weary condition?

How is Ahab’s victory over Ben Hadad a hollow victory?  It is an “official” disaster.

How is the selfish dealing of Ahab and Jezebel with Naboth a “personal” disaster?

What is the repeated phrase that shows how god regarded Ahab and Jezebel’s actions?

Repetition is an important literary device in narrative accounts in Scripture.

How does Ahab respond to God’s judgment announced by Elijah?

In this section we see the first two “good” Kings of Judah.  We meet Asa, I Kings 15:11-15, and Jehoshaphat, I Kings 22:41-50.  What made them “good” kings?

Note that there are NO “good” kings of Israel(NKI)!

Application to make after you read:

Elijah was thoroughly invested in his ministry, both physically and emotionally. He paid a price for this investment.  How invested in God’s work are you physically and in terms

of emotion?  How do you respond to the pressure of doing God’s work?  Have you ever been surprised at God’s ability to use you in difficult personal circumstances?

Prayer:

Lord, what are some responses to pressure and tiredness that I need to change to be more effective for you?   Help me to always be strong and sufficient in you!

June 30 – Leviticus 7-9

Focus before you read. . .

The book of Leviticus presents a challenge to the modern reader.  With all of its guidelines for sacrifices and offerings, this third book of the law may seem like a dry book of rules and regulations for a culture wholly different from our own.  Why study such a book if Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb, has already paid the price for our sins?  What can we learn from the book—beyond an analysis of ancient Hebrew culture?  Today’s reading provides us with an opportunity to provide some answers to these questions.  Chapter 7 continues with instructions for types of offerings.  What do these offerings reveal about the heart of God?  The rest of the reading focuses on the role priests are to play.  Again, what aspect of God’s character do these instructions emphasize?

Questions to ask as you read. . .

1. Read the regulations for the fellowship offering carefully.  What are the different purposes of fellowship offerings?  How do you fulfill these same purposes in your relationship with God?
2. Why does God forbid the eating of fat and blood?
3. What roles did the priests serve?  How are these roles fulfilled today?

Application to make after you read. . .

The word holiness is used over 150 times in the book of Leviticus, more than in any other book of the Bible.  This concept of holiness means “separated” or “worthy of worship.”  How seriously do we take this aspect of God’s character?  Is God’s holiness less important in the New Testament?  How often do we minimize God or try to confine Him to our own image as we try to understand Him better?  How often do we sing of God’s holiness without truly understanding what this means?

Prayer

Lord, help us to grasp your holiness more clearly so that we can give You the adoration You deserve.  Forgive us for our attempts to confine You to our own image.  May our bodies be “living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to You.”

June 29 – Philippians 1-2

Focus before you read. . .

Although written from prison, Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi focuses on the eternal joy we find only through our relationship with Christ.  In the first two chapters of the letter, Paul thanks the church specifically for their “partnership in the gospel,” encouraging them to continue their good work.  His words of encouragement are always grounded, though, in his solid theology of Christ.  Our attitude, Paul writes, “should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. . .”  As you read today, pay close attention to Paul’s specific teachings on Christian behavior and the theology that supports them.

Questions to ask as you read. . .

1. Read Paul’s prayer in 1:9-11.  What is the relationship among love, knowledge, and discernment?
2. What does 2:6-11 teach about the nature of Christ?  What connections do you see to Isaiah 53?  How does Paul reconcile Christ’s humanity and his divinity?
3. What does it mean to “work out your salvation” (2:11)?  How does Paul balance God’s work and our responsibility?

Application to make as you read. . .

One of the central conflicts we face in life is the battle between pride and humility.  Paul encourages us in chapter 2 to model the ultimate example of humility found in Christ Jesus.  So much of the time we compare ourselves to others instead of looking at the perfect standard set by Christ, who set aside all the authority He had as God, to take on the “very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”  Meditate for a moment on all that Christ set aside and all that He suffered on the cross for us.  Now, think about what you have set aside and what you have suffered to be a follower of Christ.  Is there any comparison?  How would you rate your attitude?  Are you easily offended when others fail to recognize your authority, your contribution, and your worth?  Or, do you live your life with God as your primary audience and care little about how others view your accomplishments?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, the more we understand about who You are, the more clearly we see our own pride and selfishness.  Help us to find our identity in You and who You created us to be, rather than in how the word sees us.

May 31 – Luke 5-6

Focus before you read…

Luke 5-6 deals with the miracles and teaching of Jesus’ ministry.  In Luke 5, we see Jesus interacting with his disciples and with the public performing many miracles and rewarding those who approach him in faith believing that they can be healed.  As you read this week’s passage, pay special attention to those individuals who encounter Jesus’ miracles and who approach Him in faith believing that He is able to meet their need.  Also, notice how Jesus emphasizes “others” throughout this chapter.

 

Questions to ask as you read… 

 

1. In Luke 5:5, what does this passage reflect about Peter’s faith?

2. What does Jesus mean in Luke 5:10 about making them “fishers of men”?

3. What does Luke 5:12 reveal about the man with leprosy’s faith in Jesus?

4. In Luke 5:17-20, what was it that allowed the paralyzed man to be healed (v. 20)?

 

Application to make after you read…

In Luke 5, we see Jesus performing many miracles.  After the disciples had spent a considerable amount of time fishing with no success, Jesus instructs them to cast their nets, and the catch was so large that the disciples needed the help of others to get all of the fish into the boats.  Peter was so amazed at the miracle that he fell to his knees and expressed his shortcomings.  Jesus comforted him and called the disciples to become “fishers of men.”  This passage reminds us that we must rely on Jesus to meet our needs and that our focus should be on serving and ministering to others.  Jesus did not say we are to be “hunters” of men.  Fishing takes patience, time, and skill.  Are you taking time, being patient, and developing the skills to serve and minister to others?  This is the key to being an effective witness for Christ.  In Luke 5:17-20, we see the story of a group of men whose great faith caused them to do extraordinary things for a friend.  They cut a hole in the roof of a house to lower their friend down to Jesus so that he could heal him.  Jesus was so impressed by the friend’s faith that he healed the paralyzed man.  What a wonderful picture of how we need to encourage, and take action on behalf of someone in need.  Look around today for a loved one or friend in need; do they need your strong faith to help them through a tough time? 

May 30 – Jeremiah 42-46

Focus before you read:

This segment of Israel’s history illustrates well the massive inconsistency in Israel’s

relationship to God.  The great tragedy of defeat and destruction has not led the remnant

to repentance and obedience.  They go through a meaningless formality of seeking God’s will without the commitment that flows from an obedient heart. 

Questions to ask as you read:

Why does the remnant come to Jeremiah?  

How sincere are they?

 

Outline of the action:

A request for prayer on their behalf.

A promise of obedience.

A precise answer from God.  What was it?

A further disobedience.

Why did the remnant disobey?

What is their excuse?  Who is Baruch? (32:12, 43:3)

 

Why does Jeremiah go to Egypt?  (43:8)

What was Israel’s remnant’s sin in Egypt?  (44)

 

Chapter 46 begins a series of judgments against the nations that have been opposed to

God’s people.  Egypt comes first in a two-part judgment.

Part one is the PAST judgment spoken of before the Battle of Carchemish

The past prophecy fulfilled gives authority to

Part two which is future.  Babylon will defeat Egypt. Think of how popular this

made Jeremiah in Egypt.  

Application to make after you read:

How do you seek God’s will?  Do you seek it from a posture of committed obedience, or is it only one of the options from which you will choose as you please?  

Is that truly obedience?   Does it please God?    Does it meet your real need for guidance?

 

Prayer:

Personalize your response to today’s section as you pray. .

May 29 – Job 41-42

Focus before you read. . .

Today’s reading begins with a continuation of the Lord’s barrage of rhetorical questions to Job, then moves to Job’s humble reply, and concludes with the Lord’s restoration of Job.  In many ways, the “Epilogue” brings the narrative to a satisfying close.  God’s justice is affirmed; Job repents; God delivers the final word, rebuking Job’s three friends and rewarding Job for his faithfulness.  As you enter the text today, though, consider this question: what if God had not restored Job to his former blessings?  Would God be any less just?  Is our notion of God’s goodness dependent upon the blessings He pours into our lives and the tragedies He allows to happen?

 

Questions to ask as you read. . .

1. What point is God making with His questions about the leviathan?

2. What sin does Job confess?

3. What steps must first occur before Job is restored?

Application to make after you read. . .

It’s easy to focus on the “Epilogue” to Job.  We rejoice with Job as he is restored, and—especially for those of us who have made it through all of the arguments in the book—we may even take some pleasure in seeing Job’s friends corrected.  But let us be careful not to overlook Job’s reply to the Lord before he is restored.  “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know” (42:3).  Although in a different context, David expresses a similar thought in Psalm 139: “You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too loft for me to attain.”  What Job realizes in the end is that he is not capable of understanding fully the ways of God.  While we can most certainly clearly understand the attributes of God—His omniscience, goodness, justice, etc.—through our study of the Bible, we cannot fully comprehend God.  Whatever definition of justice or goodness we can construct will always be incomplete because we lack the perspective of the Creator.  Does God’s restoration of Job prove that He is good?  Does God’s healing of our own illnesses and injustices demonstrate that He is just?  While God may certainly choose to heal and restore in our life on this earth, He may not.  Job’s faith was not dependent on his healing.  Neither was Paul’s.  As we learn from this week’s reading in 2 Corinthians, the great apostle prayed three times to have his “thorn in the flesh” removed, but the Lord replied, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  May each one of us find the peace that comes with this statement of faith: Lord, regardless of the circumstances of my life, your grace is sufficient for me!

 

Prayer

Lord, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”  May I accept that which I cannot understand.  May I rejoice in the sufficiency of your grace.

May 28 – Psalms 60-62

Focus before reading:

 

“Faith is an abiding duty, a perpetual privilege. We should trust when we can see, as well as when we are utterly in the dark. Adversity is a fit season for faith; but prosperity is not less so. God at all times deserves our confidence. We at all times need to place our confidence in him. A day without trust in God is a day of wrath.” 

 

 “To wait upon God, and for God, is the habitual position of faith; to wait on him truly is sincerity; to wait on him only is spiritual chastity.” Charles Spurgeon

 

Meditation After reading:

Psalms 62:5-8 “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.  Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out you hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

May 27 – 2 Samuel 20-24

Focus before you read:

The complaining as chapter 19 closes grows into a full blown rebellion in

chapter 20.  The rebellion is defeated.

Questions to ask as you read:

The Gibeonites had come under Israel’s protection in Joshua 19.  Saul had

violated the covenant made with them. The penalty comes on Saul’s house

even though the effect of the sin was visited on the land. (21:1) Perhaps God

wanted to illustrate the importance of a covenant responsibility. The ancient ethic

and bloodshed are foreign to our minds.

 

Concentrate rather on the great hymn of David’s testimony in chapter 22 through

23:7.  It is David’s valedictory speech.

Who is the key actor in the drama?

What are the primary components of His character?

How can David claim righteousness (22:21-25) in view of his sin?

 

Notice how chapter 24 opens.  The initiative for the census that produces a harsh

judgment clearly begins with God.  He is not pleased with the spirit of rebellion

among the people, and when David leaves the choice of judgment to God it falls

on the people as a whole.

Application to make after you read:

There is a principle in 24:24 with respect to our offerings to God.  What is it?

How do you observe this principle in your own stewardship and life?

 

In 23:8-39 we have a testimony to “persons of valor.” If  such a list were to be

inscribed for CCG, where might you appear on it, and what would be said of your

service? 

 

Are you able to claim righteousness in view of your sin?  How is that possible?

See Romans 3:23-25, 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Romans 5:6-10.

Has this transaction taken place in your life? 

Prayer:

At whatever stage of life you  find yourself, you should be able to rejoice in the Lord

and in His promises.  David did so at some very difficult times.  Spend some time

rejoicing before the Lord for who He is and what He is doing with and through you.

 

May 26 – Exodus 29-32

Before you read:

Through the rest of Exodus we will find a strong element of holiness (and 152 times in Leviticus).  We hear that word, but may not understand the ramifications of it.  Exodus never explains it, but gives many examples.  The dictionary defines holy as “belonging to or devoted to God; morally and spiritually excellent or perfect; consecrated, sacred.”  That seems like a high order to live up to, but look at the principles of holy living, and you will notice that in both the Old and New Testaments we are all called to be holy.  You may not feel perfect or sacred, but you can give God your very best.  You can keep certain things and times just for Him.  We must approach God with no pretense and with a determination for complete obedience.  

 

As you read:

Chapter 29: Note at the end of this chapter, the promise of God if they will take these instructions and their devotion to God seriously.

C. 30: God continues his instructions and gives two recipes.  These are to be used only in the temple and never for personal use, noting that these are sacred.

C. 31: Bezalel may have been the grandson of Hur that with Aaron held up Moses’ hands during the battle in c. 17, or possibility a different Hur.  God gave all the craftsmen unusual abilities, but God gave Bezalel unusual abilities.  This affirms the saying, “God doesn’t always call the gifted, but He always gifts the called.”  In v. 12-17 we find a list for keeping the Sabbath (Sunday for us) holy, set apart for God.  God doesn’t get joy out of making up a bunch of rules, v. 13 tells us why.  In the last verse of this chapter God presents Moses with the tablets listing the Ten Commandments.

C. 32: The people gave Aaron the initial idea of making an idol, but he didn’t have to run with it. He had been left in charge and used his power to win the affections of the people.  Instead the people got out of control.  What did Moses say to seek God’s favor? 

 

Application:

What in my life is sacred enough for only God’s use?  Do I take the things of God and use them indiscreetly?  How am I using my time, money, personal belongings, and God-given gifts?  Our jobs, our family time, and even mundane chores can be devoted to Him.  How does God want you and your family to observe the Sabbath?  As we look at c. 32 we realize that righteous anger is productive.  It finally made the people realize that unlike the idols, God cannot be manipulated. 

 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I fall so far short of holiness, yet Your Word tells me to be holy.  I desire more than anything to draw closer to you and let Your Word and Your presence flow through me, yet the world and its’ cares seem to demand too much of my attention.  Help me to keep You and Your priorities at the center of my time and focus.