April 2 Bible reading

April 2 Proverbs 8:22-31 Luke 9:10-27 Numbers 33; 34

Please read the suggested passages, prayerfully consider them, and the questions below. My comments here may be helpful after those moments. The suggested daily reading is for 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 has been expressed through Jesus.

• What’s the plain simple truth of the verses you read?

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

• What should you do about that truth?

April 2 Proverbs 8:22-31 Luke 9:10-27 Numbers 33; 34

Proverbs 8:22-31 God is the source of wisdom and has been using it since the beginning. Proverbs 8:22-31 invites us to learn from considering this truth. God was exercising wisdom throughout the creation and design of all that we see. It is more important for us to recognize that God used wisdom in creation, than it is for us to debate how God created what we see. What kind of God is this? Certainly a God of greatest wisdom.

Luke 9:10-27 The love of God is seen in Luke 9:10-17 as Jesus teaches the crowd that followed Him, and then did a miracle by providing lunch for thousands. He served them all, including those who felt that they were “far from God”. Jesus prepared His friends for His death. In Luke 9:23-25, Jesus called His friends to follow Him by living a selfless life, with eternal perspective (a value system focused on what matters most).

Numbers 33; 34 In Numbers we see that God cared about His people learning from their past. God made arrangements for each family to have a place to live and a leader to serve them.

April l Bible reading

April 1  Psalm 40:1-8  Luke 8:40-56; 9:1-9  Numbers 31:25-54; 32

Please read the suggested passages, prayerfully consider them, and the questions below. My comments here may be helpful after those moments. The suggested daily reading is for 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 has been expressed through Jesus.

• What’s the plain simple truth of the verses you read?
• Based on today’s reading, what is one thing God is saying to you?
• What should you do about that truth?

April 1  Psalm 40:1-8  Luke 8:40-56; 9:1-9  Numbers 31:25-54; 32

Psalm 40:1-8  David sings his “Thank You” to God for answering his prayer, delivering him, and bringing him up out of despair and into a place of peaceful strength. This is possible for us now through a relationship with Jesus. David believes that people will see what God has done and then put their own trust in God as a result. David now enjoys living by God’s will because he has memorized Scripture.

Luke 8:40-56; 9:1-9  Jesus heals in response to the faith of the woman with the issue of blood and Jarius whose daughter had died. The power of God is seen in Luke 8:40-56 by Jesus bringing healing to conditions that seemed irreversible. Jesus showed power over physical problems that could not be fixed by others. Jesus was available to people. Jesus wasn’t looking for fame or payment. Jesus wanted to see the power of God released and to see the faith of witnesses grow. After this season of the followers watching Jesus work miracles, He called them together giving them the ability to do the same. He sent them out in such a way that would grow their faith in God.

Numbers 31:25-54; 32  The beginning of the Promised Land campaign was focused on removing the own guilt and repairing their relationship with God after they had chosen to worship the gods of Midian. God wants His people to worship Him with purity above all others. God was intent on removing temptation for them to return to their old ways of idol worship. God wanted them to be cleansed of this evil practice. God wanted them to receive His love and love Him wholeheartedly in return once and for all. That is the reason for the events of these chapters.

March 31 Bible reading

March 31 Psalm 39 Luke 8:19-39 Numbers 29:12-40; 30; 31:1-24

Please read the suggested passages, prayerfully consider them, and the questions below. My comments here may be helpful after those moments. The suggested daily reading is for 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 has been expressed through Jesus.

• What’s the plain simple truth of the verses you read?

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

• What should you do about that truth?

March 31 Psalm 39 Luke 8:19-39 Numbers 29:12-40; 30; 31:1-24

Psalm 39 In Psalm 39, David’s song “life’s short” should help us set our priorities on that which is eternal: our relationship with God and the people in our lives. The family of God consists of those who hear God’s word and obey it. This is what a personal relationship with God should look like. Peace and joy are just a couple of the unbelievable benefits from a healthy relationship with God.

Luke 8:19-39 Jesus brought peace out of challenges that were completely out of control (storm on the lake and demon possession). He is worthy of our trust. We should deeply consider this truth. We daily face things that are beyond our control. The Serenity Prayer can help us look to Jesus as Savior and worthy of our trust. We can grow in strength through our personal relationship with Jesus. We should. Look to Jesus as our Savior and ask for His strength beyond our challenges.

Numbers 29:12-40; 30; 31:1-24 In the festivals we see God instructing His people to set aside time for worship and bringing offerings, as a spiritual family. God cares about whether or not we keep our promises. The Israelite conquest over the Midianites was a consequence of the Midianites drawing the Israelites into idolatry. It was about a personal relationship with God and heartfelt worship.

March 30 Bible reading

March 30 Psalm 38:13-22 Luke 8:1-18 Numbers 27:12-23; 28; 29:1-11

Please read the suggested passages, prayerfully consider them, and the questions below. My comments here may be helpful after those moments. The suggested daily reading is for 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 has been expressed through Jesus.

• What’s the plain simple truth of the verses you read?

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

• What should you do about that truth?

March 30 Psalm 38:13-22 Luke 8:1-18 Numbers 27:12-23; 28; 29:1-11

Psalm 38:13-22 David writes a song, asking God for protection and help now that he has turned away from his sin and toward God. We read a great example of how to confess and turn away from sin, in David. The honesty here can help us learn what we should do with our sinful mistakes. Reading about the life of David and considering his own words can bring us understanding about how God responds to humility.

Luke 8:1-18 Joanna, Susanna, and Mary Magdalene, were women who found healing and freedom in Jesus. They used their significant financial resources to provide for the ministry of Jesus. Jesus instructs us to respond to the Word of God by receiving it with faith, taking care to protect the process of our response to it, resisting our enemy’s attempt to attack this, and choosing to not allow our own cravings or worries to crowd it out.

Numbers 27:12-23; 28; 29:1-11 God chooses Joshua as the next generation leader of His people. God brings reminders of His instruction for their seasons and festivals of worship. With faithful love God makes a way for them to be reminded of His provision and receive the benefits of giving thanks.

March 29 Bible reading

March 29 Proverbs 8:12-21 Luke 7:36-50 Numbers 26:12-65; 27:1-11

Please read the suggested passages, prayerfully consider them, and the questions below. My comments here may be helpful after those moments. The suggested daily reading is for 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 has been expressed through Jesus.

• What’s the plain simple truth of the verses you read?

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

• What should you do about that truth?

March 29 Proverbs 8:12-21 Luke 7:36-50 Numbers 26:12-65; 27:1-11

Proverbs 8:12-21 When we seek the wisdom of God, we will learn discernment and good decision-making skills. This can help us earn money and make good use of it. Developing this practice into a life skill will save us from plenty of self-inflicted headaches.

Luke 7:36-50 Jesus brings forgiveness of sin to “that certain immoral woman”, and describes her response as gratitude. At this moment, Jesus is confronting the heart response and behavior of a religious leader, while talking about the value of forgiveness. This is, in particular, a lesson about coming to Jesus repenting of sin, receiving forgiveness, and responding with gratitude.

Numbers 26:12-65; 27:1-11 In Numbers we see that every person matters to God. Each person is named. Their life recorded. God has been true to His word. We read here that God wanted to ensure that each person was provided for.

March 28 Bible reading

March 28 Psalm 38:1-12 Luke 7:11-35 Numbers 23:27-30; 24; 25; 26:1-11

Please read the suggested passages, prayerfully consider them, and the questions below. My comments here may be helpful after those moments. The suggested daily reading is for 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 has been expressed through Jesus.

• What’s the plain simple truth of the verses you read?

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

• What should you do about that truth?

March 28 Psalm 38:1-12 Luke 7:11-35 Numbers 23:27-30; 24; 25; 26:1-11

Psalm 38:1-12 Living in sin brings the consequence of crushing guilt. David writes about this from personal experience. He believes that it is critical for people to learn from what he’s gone through. The prayer of David is a song we can sing in repentance and honest need of a Savior.

Luke 7:11-35 Moved with compassion, Jesus brings a widow’s son back from the dead. We read yet another account of the supernatural power of Jesus. Jesus commends the message, the lifestyle, and the character of John the Baptist, despite the fact that many people did not receive his message or respect his life. John wanted the identity of Jesus as Messiah to be recognized and elevated. Jesus responded with reference to His actions fulfilling prophecy. “Wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.” Jesus contrasts people who rejected Him and John (for different reasons) from the people who were changed, for the better, by accepting Him as Savior. Let us accept Jesus as our Savior.

Numbers 23:27-30; 24; 25; 26:1-11 Balaam delivers the word of God, that He will protect His people. Sexual sin and idolatry are signs of a broken relationship with God, and will bring consequences. When we take this seriously, God invites us to a covenant of peace. God wants to remove our guilt and restore our relationship with Him. God wants to bring us freedom. God wants to bring us into good healthy. God is able to do this. We should learn this truth and relate to God with respect to it.

March 27 Bible reading

March 27 Psalm 37:32-40 Luke 6:37-49; 7:1-10 Numbers 22:21-42; 23:1-26

Please read the suggested passages, prayerfully consider them, and the questions below. My comments here may be helpful after those moments. The suggested daily reading is for 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 has been expressed through Jesus.

• What’s the plain simple truth of the verses you read?

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

• What should you do about that truth?

March 27 Psalm 37:32-40 Luke 6:37-49; 7:1-10 Numbers 22:21-42; 23:1-26

Psalm 37:32-40 Looking to God for hope will help us live a peaceful life. We will find the protection of God. This memorable wisdom poem from David helps us learn how this works. For best results, we should daily choose to “travel steadily along his path”. In order to do so, we must be asking, “What is the way of God?” The followers of Jesus found this Way.

Luke 6:37-49; 7:1-10 Jesus teaches that we can choose to build our lives on the solid foundation of hearing His words and obeying them. Peace and strength are possible in this way. Choosing to believe the words of Christ can build faith and bring supernatural results. Jesus teaches by showing a contrast between people who follow Him and those who don’t. What should a follower of Jesus be like? Love, compassion, forgiveness, and patient understanding would be a few characteristics Jesus mentions. Jesus affirms people who choose to believe in His identity as Messiah and His spiritual power.

Numbers 22:21-42; 23:1-26 God grabs Balaam’s attention by allowing his donkey to talk with him. Despite Balak’s request for Balaam to curse Israel, Balaam responds by blessing Israel in obedience to God’s word. Balaam does not respond to the king’s command, for the sake of his own protection, but instead stays true to his commitment to only say what God told him to. He found benefit from obeying God.