February 22 Bible reading

February 22  Psalm 25:1-7  Mark 6:30-56  Exodus 31; 32; 33:1-6

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?

February 22  Psalm 25:1-7  Mark 6:30-56  Exodus 31; 32; 33:1-6

Psalm 25:1-7  David has come to realize that his life is not his own. He sings about his decision to look to God for guidance, trusting God, and giving his focus to God. David has put his hope in the God who saves with unfailing love.

Mark 6:30-56  Jesus was ready for rest. Crowds of people pressed Him and Jesus responded with compassion. Jesus served them with much-needed teaching. He provided a miracle lunch. He walked on water. Jesus healed many people! Jesus repeated proved His power over the laws of nature. Jesus is supernatural and that should inform our every day.

Exodus 31; 32; 33:1-6  Yahweh God our Creator and Redeemer cared deeply about the place of meeting with the people.  God designed it. God chose the craftsmen to build it. God filled them with His Spirit and gave them wisdom, ability, and expertise. God cares about us and the natural aspects of our place of meeting with Him. Keeping one day each week as a holy day dedicated to the Lord is a practice that shows our covenant agreement with God. As a sign of our faith, we rest from our ordinary work giving ourselves to worship and time with family (both natural and spiritual). It is a day to remember our God who cleanses us from our guilt, mistakes, and disorder. The Israelites grew impatient waiting for Moses. They created something new to worship as their god. Moses had to intercede for mercy so that God would not destroy them.

 

 

February 21 Bible reading

February 21  Proverbs 5:15-23  Mark 6:6-29  Exodus 29; 30

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?

February 21  Proverbs 5:15-23  Mark 6:6-29  Exodus 29; 30

Proverbs 5:15-23  Proverbs instruct us to reserve our sexual love for our spouse, and that a lack of self-control brings a loss of life. God’s design includes sexual expression that gives pleasure within the context of a lifelong commitment. In contrast, lust takes pleasure with the priority on self over others. Selfishness becomes a trap.

Mark 6:6-29  John the Baptist is murdered because of just such a relationship. John was imprisoned because he called people to repentance of sin. This led to his death. Jesus had been mentoring His 12 disciples. He started sending them out in pairs to minister in the same ways they had seen Him. Jesus sends out the 12, giving them spiritual authority. He did this in a way that would stretch their faith for growth.

Exodus 29; 30   In Exodus we see details of provision for the people, things, and place for their meeting with God as sacred and connected with their purity. The benefit includes a commitment from God, “They will know I am the Lord, their God.” WOW! God’s purpose included living among the people, in relationship with them, and daily available to them. This is not a new idea.

February 20 Bible reading

February 20 Psalm 24 Mark 5:21-43; 6:1-6 Exodus 27; 28

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?

February 20 Psalm 24 Mark 5:21-43; 6:1-6 Exodus 27; 28

Psalm 24 Psalm 24 is amazing. David sings from a worship of God our Creator, through the benefit of a healthy relationship with God, to a revelation of both ancient and yet-to-be-fulfilled spiritual worship of God above all gods, King above all kings. Yahweh Creator God has provided us opportunity in this life. We belong to our Creator, along with everything that we see. When we are cleansed from our sin, we can enjoy our relationship with God.

Mark 5:21-43; 6:1-6 Jesus heals in response to faith and yet is surprised by the lack of faith in His hometown. Jesus showed power over death, bringing a little girl back from the dead. Jesus brought healing where doctors could not. And yet not everyone believed Jesus to be the Messiah. Today we can make the same mistake and miss out on a relationship with Jesus, the God of miracles.

Exodus 27; 28 In Exodus we see further detailed plans for the Tabernacle, a place of meeting with God. God wants us to understand that our relationship with Him is spiritual (more important than the natural world) and should be approached with love and respect. The role of the priest included representing the people to God, taking on their sin, seeking forgiveness and God’s direction. In our “priesthood of all believers” we share a responsibility to pray in intercession for each other. God’s instructions for Aaron and the priests also give us a picture of the activities of Jesus in prayer, making intercession for us. This truth should bring us comfort, strength, and purpose in our identity as priests and children of God.

February 19 Bible reading

February 19  Psalm 23  Mark 4:30-41; 5:1-20  Exodus 25; 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?

February 19  Psalm 23  Mark 4:30-41; 5:1-20  Exodus 25; 26

Psalm 23  David sings about the goodness of the living God. Psalm 23 includes the benefits of following God in a close personal relationship, looking to God as a guide, resulting in peace and a confident hope. David is satisfied and renewed in the presence of God. He had already walked through difficult days. David discovered God’s faithfulness despite the hardship. His relationship with God brought him transformative peace. David had worked as a shepherd and so this analogy of God as a good shepherd carried many applications. I recommend reading Phillip Keller’s book “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”.

Mark 4:30-41; 5:1-20  Jesus taught with the use of stories and analogies. He spoke of the Kingdom of God as being supernatural, beyond their current understanding and expectations. Jesus called His followers to believe in His identity as Messiah and His power over the natural world. Jesus calms the storm. Jesus brings deliverance from torment. Jesus repeatedly proved His ability to control what they could not. We should worship Jesus, follow Jesus, and look to Jesus as our source of peace.

Exodus 25; 26  In Exodus, God gave specific instructions to build a Tabernacle, in part, so that there would be a place for their relationship with God, including thanksgiving and forgiveness of sin. So that this place would be safe, sacred, without distraction, and for a specific purpose. God instructs Moses to invite the people to give an offering toward building a place of worship, where God would live among them. Moses would accept donations from “all those whose hearts are moved to offer them”. God wanted the people to prioritize their relationship with Him. This included a high value on the covenant agreement with God. We see God making a way for forgiveness and bringing peace to His people.

February 18 Bible reading

February 18  Psalm 22:22-31  Mark 3:31-35; 4:1-29  Exodus 23; 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?

February 18  Psalm 22:22-31  Mark 3:31-35; 4:1-29  Exodus 23; 24

Psalm 22:22-31  Feeling abandoned by God and overwhelmed by stress, David sang about what he was experiencing. He couldn’t see God at work on days when he was attacked. And yet he chose to praise God publicly. David chose to sing about God’s faithfulness. Despite his anguish at his own circumstances, David chose to gather with the believers so that the younger generation could hear about the goodness of God.

Mark 3:31-35; 4:1-29  Jesus teaches the value of our spiritual family. People who are devoted to Yahweh are part of the family of God. Teaching the 12 disciples, Jesu talks about taking God’s word to people who have a free will choice in how they will respond to it. We have an enemy to resist, who doesn’t want us to hear and respond to God’s Word. Some people will have an initial joy at God’s Word and yet allow personal challenges to keep them from responding faithfully. Worry and/or desire for the things of this world will keep some people from responding faithfully. Despite all of this, some people will responding faithfully to God’s Word and see supernatural results. We should listen, respond, and share God’s Word.

Exodus 23; 24  God calls His people to “not follow the crowd in doing wrong”, but live an honest life. God calls people to live fully devoted to Him and in return offers blessing and protection. Moses, and the people committed to God’s covenant agreement, found God to be present among them. The elders enjoyed a covenant meal in God’s presence, showing that this is about personal relationship with God and not transactional religion.

February 17 Bible reading

February 17  Proverbs 5:1-14  Mark 2:18-28  Mark 3:1-30  Exodus 21; 22

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?

February 17  Proverbs 5:1-14  Mark 2:18-28  Mark 3:1-30  Exodus 21; 22

Proverbs 5:1-14  Proverbs says, “listen carefully, then you will show discernment.” Choosing active learning of God’s wisdom will result in a change of behavior and words. From today’s reading, we receive instruction to avoid illicit sexual relationships. We read that they bring consequences. We should learn from this Proverb. It is a warning.

Mark 2:18-28  Jesus says that there will be a time for fasting. He predicts that the New Covenant will be like new wine in a new wineskin. I believe this relates to practices from the older covenants and practices of their heroes in the faith. The Sabbath practice honors God and brings benefit to the people who use it. As we focus on God, stop our usual work, spend time with our spiritual family in worship and our natural family and friends, we should be at rest in our salvation. This helps us. We are free to do good deeds and help others on the Sabbath. Jesus sets right what they had wrong about Sabbath. Jesus brings healing and freedom. Jesus chooses, calls out, trains, gives authority & mission to, releases the 12 disciples. The ability of Jesus to remove demons proves that He is more powerful. Jesus says that anyone who does His will is in His family.

Exodus 21; 22  God provides instruction for providing freedom and opportunity to people who had made themselves a bondservant in slavery over financial debt. Making amends is clearly a course of action God cares about. Weeding out Egyptian practices that the Israelites adopted takes time, even with God’s guidance. God cares about how we live. God commands that we show respect for others. God values freedom and follow-through on commitments. Justice and the fair treatment of others are values that God instills in His people. Love and respect for each human life are clear values of God our Creator and Redeemer.

 

 

 

February 16 Bible reading

February 16  Psalm 22:12-21  Mark 1:29-45; 2:1-17  Exodus 19; 20

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?

February 16  Psalm 22:12-21  Mark 1:29-45; 2:1-17  Exodus 19; 20

Psalm 22:12-21  Inside the great lament of Psalm 22, we hear them singing that God is their strength. We read an example of pouring out your heart to God and an example of telling God what you are suffering followed by how it’s impacting you. Take to God today. Sing to God today. Listen to God today.
Mark 1:29-45; 2:1-17  Jesus was awake before sunrise, in private prayer. His constant contact with Father God brought personal guidance. Jesus heals many people while He is moved with compassion. Jesus makes a point of referring to His identity as Messiah and that the miracle is a sign of His ability to forgive sins. Jesus calls Matthew, the despised tax collector, to be one of His followers. Jesus speaks to those with spiritual pride, the truth that His ministry is for those who see their own need.

Exodus 19; 20  By instructions given through Moses, God prepares His people for meeting with Him, entering a covenant relationship with Him, and beginning a new season for the Kingdom of God on earth. Consecration, a serious approach to being clean and set aside for this meeting, is seen as essential. God provides the 10 Commandments as a context for a healthy relationship with Him and others. They include His promise of grace on those who repent, love Him, and follow His directives. They also include God’s promise to punish those who reject Him (and the consequence that will follow). This meeting includes an amazing promise from God, “Build My altar wherever I cause My name to be remembered and I will come to you and bless you.”