September 21 Bible reading

Each day of the year I’ll post verses to read, with the purpose of reading through the whole Bible within a year.

Reading the Bible is helpful in taking next steps to follow Jesus. It may not be easy and yet it can be rewarding. Digging into Scripture alongside people you know is a life-giving way to pursue answers together. We discover the love that God has for us, expressed through Jesus.

Please read the verses below, prayerfully consider them, and then my comments may be helpful after those moments.

September 21  Proverbs 23:10-18  Galatians 6  Isaiah 49:8-26; 50; 51:1-16

Based on today’s reading, what is one thing God is saying to you?

God is aware of how we treat people, and He cares about our motives and actions. Providing structure for your children and bringing consequences to wrong behavior will help them avoid serious problems in the future.

Paul teaches mature believers to help another believer find freedom in Jesus if they have become overcome by sin. This is connected to clear instruction to avoid comparison and maintain focus on our own personal integrity. Living to please one’s self first will bring decay. Living to please the Holy Spirit will be life-giving.

Through Isaiah God speaks of His plan to offer His love to people of all nations. God has seen the suffering of His people and felt their pain. He will restore them. We are called to trust in the Lord who created all that we see.

September 20 Bible reading

Each day of the year I’ll post verses to read, with the purpose of reading through the whole Bible within a year.

Reading the Bible is helpful in taking next steps to follow Jesus. It may not be easy and yet it can be rewarding. Digging into Scripture alongside people you know is a life-giving way to pursue answers together. We discover the love that God has for us, expressed through Jesus.

Please read the verses below, prayerfully consider them, and then my comments may be helpful after those moments.

September 20  Psalm 109:1-20  Galatians 5:7-26  Isaiah 47; 48; 49:1-7

Based on today’s reading, what is one thing God is saying to you?

David asks God to punish people who have betrayed him and falsely accused him. God cares about what we are going through.

Paul refutes false teaching that requires circumcision and a distorted focus on external behaviors. We are free from a legalistic approach to life. Paul instructs us to use our freedom to serve each other in love and let the Holy Spirit guide our lives. We should see the Holy Spirit change our cravings to that which is opposite of our sinful nature. Paul has identified several sins, such as sex outside of marriage, worship of something other than God, selfishness, divisiveness, and drunkenness. In contrast, a life led by the Holy Spirit will produce: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Following Jesus compels us to walk away from selfishness.

Isaiah predicts the judgment on Babylon. Repeatedly God outlines the contrast between the characteristics of what they had been focused on and His own character of faithful love.

September 19 Bible reading

Each day of the year I’ll post verses to read, with the purpose of reading through the whole Bible within a year.

Reading the Bible is helpful in taking next steps to follow Jesus. It may not be easy and yet it can be rewarding. Digging into Scripture alongside people you know is a life-giving way to pursue answers together. We discover the love that God has for us, expressed through Jesus.

Please read the verses below, prayerfully consider them, and then my comments may be helpful after those moments.

September 19  Psalm 108:6-13  Galatians 4:21-31; 5:1-6  Isaiah 44:23-28; 45; 46

Based on today’s reading, what is one thing God is saying to you?

David starts early with praise for God’s faithful love. Then he calls for God’s help with their enemies.

Paul writes, “what is important is faith expressing itself in love.” We cannot make ourselves right with God by obeying the rules. As we believe in Jesus as our Savior, we can receive the grace of God coming to us by what Jesus has already done for us. We are free! Now we can express our faith in Jesus by loving God with all we’ve got. We can live our days as a “Thank You” to God. We can live out of love.

Our God Yahweh speaks through Isaiah to the Israelites, reminding them of His faithful love for them, in creating them, providing for them, rescuing them, and taking care of them in a way that other gods had not. Around 10 years ago, a prophet named Dick Mills picked me out of a crowd, not knowing me, and quoted Revelation 3:8; Isaiah 30:21; 43:2-3 speaking over me. This word about God opening doors was the first confirmation I received of having heard from God about moving to Baltimore to pioneer a new church. In Isaiah 44-46, God predicts freedom for His people and the future salvation of Gentile believers. God says, “Let all the world look to me for salvation!” For I am God: there is no other.” 45:22 We should recognize God as a source of strength, giving the ability for healthy relationships. In this way, we will realize the truth and receive God’s guidance.

September 18 Bible reading

Each day of the year I’ll post verses to read, with the purpose of reading through the whole Bible within a year.

Reading the Bible is helpful in taking next steps to follow Jesus. It may not be easy and yet it can be rewarding. Digging into Scripture alongside people you know is a life-giving way to pursue answers together. We discover the love that God has for us, expressed through Jesus.

Please read the verses below, prayerfully consider them, and then my comments may be helpful after those moments.

September 18  Psalm 108:1-5  Galatians 3:26-29; 4:1-20  Isaiah 43; 44:1-23

Based on today’s reading, what is one thing God is saying to you?

Having considered his life experiences, David sings early in the morning, of the faithful love of God. David describes God’s love as being transcendent of this human life. Recognizing God’s love and singing praise to God for it will change your outlook.

Paul writes of personal identity starting with our place as children of God, by faith in Jesus as Savior. This identity is more important than our gender, our ethnicity, or our status in society/vocation. Because of Jesus, we are also heirs to the promise of blessing that God gave Abraham, salvation through the Messiah. We are no longer compelled to repeat our mistakes. We now have freedom.

In Isaiah 43, God reminds the Israelites of the ways that He has fulfilled the promises He made to them in bringing them to freedom because He loves them. God also promises to walk with them through difficulty and to that He would do something new. God will cleanse them from sin and make a path to freedom for them, bringing refreshing in a dry place. May you experience peace today, as you trust in your Creator. God revealed Himself to us through Jesus, “God with us”. Whatever you are going through, God is walking with you through it.

September 17 Bible reading

Each day of the year I’ll post verses to read, with the purpose of reading through the whole Bible within a year.

Reading the Bible is helpful in taking next steps to follow Jesus. It may not be easy and yet it can be rewarding. Digging into Scripture alongside people you know is a life-giving way to pursue answers together. We discover the love that God has for us, expressed through Jesus.

Please read the verses below, prayerfully consider them, and then my comments may be helpful after those moments.

September 17  Proverbs 22:28-29; 23:1-9  Galatians 3:10-25  Isaiah 41; 42

Based on today’s reading, what is one thing God is saying to you?

There’s a benefit to hard work that is combined with good stewardship of resources and money earned. Proverbs 23:4-5 reminds us that money is a tool that will not last forever. We should think through our value-based approach to it.

When Jesus was crucified He took on Himself the curse that came from the sin of all humanity. Jesus rescued all who would receive Him as Savior. God made a promise of blessing to people from all nations in His covenant agreement with Abraham. God gave laws to Moses to show people how their sin breaks this agreement and brings consequence instead of fulfillment of the promise. We receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus. As we receive this salvation we all come into unity.

Through Isaiah God promises to be their Redeemer, a present help and strength. This help doesn’t come from idols. In Isaiah 42 we read a powerful and beautiful promise of the Messiah, a future blessing to people, from all nations, who would receive Him. We are called to sing new songs of praise to God for this Messiah.

September 16 Bible reading

Each day of the year I’ll post verses to read, with the purpose of reading through the whole Bible within a year.

Reading the Bible is helpful in taking next steps to follow Jesus. It may not be easy and yet it can be rewarding. Digging into Scripture alongside people you know is a life-giving way to pursue answers together. We discover the love that God has for us, expressed through Jesus.

Please read the verses below, prayerfully consider them, and then my comments may be helpful after those moments.

September 16  Psalm 107:33-43  Galatians 2:11-21; 3:1-9  Isaiah 38; 39; 40

Based on today’s reading, what is one thing God is saying to you?

Our God brings refreshing, good health, and productivity out of situations that seem impossible. People with wisdom will recognize God at work in these stories and learn from it.

When Peter visited Paul (and the Antioch church, a primarily Gentile, thriving, influential church) a fear of criticism from Jewish believers cause Peter to withdraw from eating with the Gentile believers. Prioritizing the opinion of influential people, ethnic pride, and a wrong-headed church culture, brought about Peter’s mistake. Paul’s correction of Peter clarifies an essential teaching of Jesus’ Good News: we can be made right with God by faith in Jesus, not obeying the Old  Testament law. We receive new spiritual life in our relationship with Jesus. God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son were each at work to open up this salvation, by faith, to people of all nations.

We should learn humility from King Hezekiah’s prayer in Isaiah 38:16-17. There’s wisdom in considering the brevity of human life, as seen in 40:6-11, and God’s care for His children. The loving transcendent nature of our all-powerful and all-knowing God is praiseworthy! Considering God’s generous nature can bring you strength, Isaiah 40:25-31.

September 15 Bible reading

Each day of the year I’ll post verses to read, with the purpose of reading through the whole Bible within a year.

Reading the Bible is helpful in taking next steps to follow Jesus. It may not be easy and yet it can be rewarding. Digging into Scripture alongside people you know is a life-giving way to pursue answers together. We discover the love that God has for us, expressed through Jesus.

Please read the verses below, prayerfully consider them, and then my comments may be helpful after those moments.

September 15  Psalm 107:23-32  Galatians 2:1-10  Isaiah 36; 37

Based on today’s reading, what is one thing God is saying to you?

Psalm 107 repeatedly calls for praise to the God of faithful supernatural love. The Holy Spirit spoke to me through verses 7 and 30 with direction for our move to Baltimore. Our God still responds to people calling for help out of distress.

Paul refutes false teaching. He includes a description of his own submission to spiritual authority. The leaders of the church had identified people who were pretending to be Jesus followers. Peter, James, and John recognized Paul’s ministry, approved of the content of his teaching, and encouraged more ministry to the poor. It’s crucial for us to recognize this interaction now as people are trying to cut out Paul’s teaching from Scripture.

Sennacherib, the evil king of Assyria, laid siege to Jerusalem and with arrogant defiance mocked the Israelites’ trust in Yahweh. Israel’s king Hezekiah turned to the prophet Isaiah, asking for God’s help. Our God had observed this evil king and rescued His people with specific miracles.