May 21 Bible reading

May 21  Psalm 65  John 12:12-36  1 Samuel 8; 9; 10:1-8

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?

May 21  Psalm 65  John 12:12-36  1 Samuel 8; 9; 10:1-8

Psalm 65  In the power and majesty of the earth’s environment, David sees the presence of the living God at work, caring for what He created by design. Psalm 65 has David singing thanks to God, the hope of everyone, for answering prayer.

John 12:12-36  Jesus calls people to receive eternal life by following Him. He predicts His own death and resurrection, explaining its purpose. Gentiles who had come to Jerusalem for Passover witness a dialogue between Jesus and Father God. There is a purpose which includes drawing people into this relationship between Jesus and the Father…this inclusion of all through Jesus the Passover Lamb into loving worship of Father God.

1 Samuel 8; 9; 10:1-8  The Israelites grow weary of the sins of the sons of the priest Samuel and ask for a king to rule them, “like all the other nations have.” This is a rejection of God as their King. Saul is chosen. Responding to Saul’s insecurity, Samuel predicts the Spirit God coming upon him and changing him.

May 20 Bible reading

May 20  Proverbs 12:18-27  John 11:45-57; 12:1-11  1 Samuel 5; 6; 7

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?

May 20  Proverbs 12:18-27  John 11:45-57; 12:1-11  1 Samuel 5; 6; 7

Proverbs 12:18-27  Encouragement brings valuable help. Wise words may bring healing. Let’s choose to speak in this way to each other. This is how we become “life-giving relationships” to each other. Your quality of life will improve when you follow through with this decision.

John 11:45-57; 12:1-11  When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the public awareness of Him went to a whole new level. The Jewish leaders saw Jesus as a threat to their way of life. They did not recognize Him to be the Way to a new life here and now, and the Way to eternal life. This group of leaders planned to kill Jesus and Lazarus, out of concern for defending their way of life. Many believed in Jesus because He raised Lazarus from the dead. Jesus offered eternal life to all who would believe in Him as Savior.

1 Samuel 5; 6; 7  The Ark of the Covenant was an important God designed piece of furniture in the place of worship of Yahweh. When the Philistines captured it they saw their own idol fallen face down before it repeatedly. These events helped the Israelites forsake their idols and return to the worship of Yahweh. Samuel led them in this return to a lifestyle of worshipping Yahweh. There is one true living God.

May 19 Bible reading

May 19  Psalm 64  John 11:1-44  1 Samuel 2:27-36; 3; 4  – Happy Birthday Rebecca!

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?

May 19  Psalm 64  John 11:1-44  1 Samuel 2:27-36; 3; 4

Psalm 64  With enemies plotting against him, David sings about his faith that God will deliver him from their attack. He believes that in this he will see others respond to God as well. In this way, David sings about purpose coming from his troubled days. We should carefully consider the purpose of God, even in our difficulties.

John 11:1-44  Lazarus, a friend of Jesus, was sick and dying. When word reached Jesus, He predicted a miracle for Lazarus that would further prove His identity as Messiah. After the death of Lazarus, people are grieving despite the prediction of Jesus. We see the frustration of Jesus with their lack of faith. We also see the empathy of Jesus with their suffering. Jesus brought his friend Lazarus back from the dead. He explained that this miracle would help them believe in His identity as Messiah, the Savior of all who would believe and receive eternal life through Him. This same Jesus is alive today, offering eternal life to all who will believe.

1 Samuel 2:27-36; 3; 4  God spoke to Eli the priest, “I will honor those who honor Me, and I will despise those who think lightly of Me.” Eli had been allowing his sons to violate the place of worship. As a result, God brought punishment on his family, replaced him with Samuel, and brought judgment on the nation of Israel. Samuel heard the voice of God and obeyed. “As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable.” 1 Samuel 3:19

May 18 Bible reading

May 18  Psalm 63  John 10:22-42  1 Samuel 1; 2:1-26

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?

May 18  Psalm 63  John 10:22-42  1 Samuel 1; 2:1-26

Psalm 63  David sings about desiring the presence of God and finding the love of God to be better than anything else in life. David finds God to be helpful even when enemies are plotting against him. He made a life-long commitment to serve God. Singing about this helps us in prayer and meditation. It improves our quality of life.

John 10:22-42  Jesus again reveals Himself to be the Good Shepherd and their Messiah, offering eternal life. He describes believers as people who hear His voice and follow Him. Many people saw Jesus fulfill what John had predicted about Him. They saw Jesus perform miracles. They believed in Jesus as their Messiah. We should follow in their example.

1 Samuel 1; 2:1-26  Hannah dedicated the life of her son Samuel to the service of God because his birth was a miracle answer to prayer. God blessed Hanna for this decision. The priest Eli had sons who had no respect for God. They sinned against God. Samuel grew up in this setting.

May 17 Bible reading

May 17  Psalm 62  John 9:35-41; 10:1-21  Ruth 3; 4

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?

May 17  Psalm 62  John 9:35-41; 10:1-21  Ruth 3; 4

Psalm 62  David’s song suggests that we tell God what is on our hearts, and choose to trust God completely. David finds God to be a source of strength and peace even when He is waiting to see God take action on his behalf. How we deal with delay and disappointment is important. This is where we have an opportunity to grow in faith.

John 9:35-41; 10:1-21  Jesus described those who could not see Him as Messiah, as being spiritually blind. Jesus described Himself as a Good Shepherd who was willing to sacrifice His own life for His sheep. Jesus described our enemy’s plan to steal, kill, and destroy in contrast to His own plan to provide a rich and satisfying life. From this, we should learn the value of a Christ-centered life. Daily we should be considering, “What does Jesus think about this?”

Ruth 3; 4  Boaz and Ruth had each lived a virtuous and faithful life. They found redemption in a healthy marriage. God blessed this marriage. The genealogy of Christ is traced through it. They had experienced disappointment and delay. They chose to have faith in God. This choice improved the quality of their marriage.

May 16 Bible reading

May 16  Proverbs 12:8-17  John 9:1-34  Ruth 1; 2

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?

May 16  Proverbs 12:8-17  John 9:1-34  Ruth 1; 2

Proverbs 12:8-17  “Healthy, stable, productive, calm when insulted, and truthful,” should describe a person who loves God and others. Wise words and hard work bring benefits and rewards. We will find the quality of our life has improved when we apply the wisdom of the proverbs.

John 9:1-34  Jesus reveals the power of God and His identity as the Messiah in healing a blind man. The Jewish leaders rejected Jesus as the Messiah. They used their Sabbath customs in their attempt to question Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah. Jesus proved that God will do miracles on the Sabbath, unrestricted by the legalistic misinterpretation of God’s word. This miracle met the need of the man whose life was changed and served as further proof of Jesus’ identity as Messiah.

Ruth 1; 2  Ruth and her mother-in-law had both been left as widows. Ruth chose to follow Naomi in her return to her homeland, Judah, and the worship of Yahweh. Ruth finds in Boaz an honorable kinsman-redeemer. Boaz recognizes the faithfulness of Ruth and calls for the blessing of God on her. They had seen the mistakes of others. They lived with faithfulness.

May 15 Bible reading

May 15  Psalms 61  John 8:31-59  Judges 20; 21

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?

May 15  Psalms 61  John 8:31-59  Judges 20; 21

Psalms 61  When David is overwhelmed by challenges, he sings his request of God for help and an ability to live daily aware of God’s love. David sings about a personal relationship with God where the love of God is a constant source of peace. David has learned that God is more powerful than anything else in this life. He makes a commitment to the daily worship of God.

John 8:31-59  Jesus calls His followers to a lifestyle of being faithful to His teachings. They will find freedom in this life of learning from and responding faithfully to the words of Christ. It is freedom found in a life-long commitment and devotion to Jesus. Temple leaders challenged the identity of Jesus. They looked to Abraham as a father in their faith and yet did not understand the primary life lesson of Abraham. They could not recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of the promise Yahweh God had made to Abraham. Jesus explained the truth.

Judges 20; 21  Sexual sin and murder brought about a civil war and the death of thousands. The Israelites bore the consequences of living a life of doing whatever they wanted. When people choose to live independently of God’s will destruction follows. Humans can be convinced they are doing right and yet be completely wrong. This is one reason God has provided objective truth in Scripture, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the Messiah Jesus Christ.