September 1 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 1  Proverbs 21:17-26  2 Corinthians 5:1-10  Micah 5; 6; 7

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

Here we have a few proverbs about how we use money. An unhealthy use of money is seen in prioritizing pleasure now over being able to pay for food and lodging tomorrow (among other ways). It is seen when one has money today and becomes unable to support one’s self by foolish spending. Generosity is a characteristic of someone who loves God. When Christ returns to earth, His followers will receive glorified bodies, not born of broken human DNA (affected by sin) but created by God. No more pain, disease, or suffering. Leaving our current bodies, we will be living with God. God shows Micah that he has seen both the people choosing to reject Him and the people choosing to remain faithful to Him. Seeking restoration, God recounts the history of relationship with them. God is asking that they love mercy, walk humbly, and do what is right. Hope for restoration, for miracles, and the faithful love of God is what is being spoken for their future. Our God wants us to choose the love found in healthy relationship with Him.

August 31 Bible reading

Happy wedding anniversary to my beautiful wife!

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.

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

August 31  Psalm 104:31-35  2 Corinthians 4  Micah 1; 2; 3; 4

With wholehearted worship. we should sing a desire to see the eternal glory of God. “The Lord takes pleasure in all He has made”. This helps us understand and respond to the character of who God is. Paul and his ministry team invited the Corinthian believers to a life more focused on the spiritual than the natural world we see. They lived for the message of Jesus. Their own weaknesses were seen as evidence that the power they had, came from God. They persisted despite persecution for the sake of the ever-expanding Kingdom of God. In this way, they found their spirits being renewed despite the deterioration of their aging bodies. Our God had proven that His love was faithful and that His words were reliable. Yet the people He created and redeemed spent years rejecting Him in favor of worshiping objects they had created with their own hands. They brought pain into their own homes & neighborhoods, and civil way to their land. God shows Micah that He is aware of their hearts and has seen their evil actions. We must live in an awareness that God is alert and active, paying attention to us with care for how we live.

August 31 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.

August 31  Psalm 104:31-35  2 Corinthians 4  Micah 1; 2; 3; 4

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

With wholehearted worship. we should sing a desire to see the eternal glory of God. “The Lord takes pleasure in all He has made”. This helps us understand and respond to the character of who God is. Paul and his ministry team invited the Corinthian believers to a life more focused on the spiritual than the natural world we see. They lived for the message of Jesus. Their own weaknesses were seen as evidence that the power they had, came from God. They persisted despite persecution for the sake of the ever-expanding Kingdom of God. In this way, they found their spirits being renewed despite the deterioration of their aging bodies. Our God had proven that His love was faithful and that His words were reliable. Yet the people He created and redeemed spent years rejecting Him in favor of worshiping objects they had created with their own hands. They brought pain into their own homes & neighborhoods, and civil way to their land. God shows Micah that He is aware of their hearts and has seen their evil actions. We must live in an awareness that God is alert and active, paying attention to us with care for how we live.

August 30 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.

August 30  Psalm 104:19-30  2 Corinthians 3:7-18  2 Chronicles 35:20-27; 36

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

It is hard to believe the variety in creation. Our God is the author of life. He makes all things new as He brings new life on earth. We can live out of worship from this truth. As we are “born again” into new spiritual life the Holy Spirit is opening our spiritual eyes to see the glory of God and reflect it to others. As believers, we live in a spiritual freedom that is life-changing. Our purpose includes inviting others into this life. Sadly King Josiah died because he didn’t recognize that God had spoken to the Egyptian king. Josiah did not seek a word from God about their interaction. We should learn humility and realize that God can lead people who don’t look like us, sound like us, dress like us, in ways that we don’t recognize. The Israelites then suffered control by the Egyptians and then the Babylonians. God used the prophet Jeremiah to speak to His people during horrific times, about the results of their unfaithfulness. God is constantly calling people back to repentance and the life-giving peace that comes as a result.

August 30 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.

August 30  Psalm 104:19-30  2 Corinthians 3:7-18  2 Chronicles 35:20-27; 36

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

It is hard to believe the variety in creation. Our God is the author of life. He makes all things new as He brings new life on earth. We can live out of worship from this truth. As we are “born again” into new spiritual life the Holy Spirit is opening our spiritual eyes to see the glory of God and reflect it to others. As believers, we live in a spiritual freedom that is life-changing. Our purpose includes inviting others into this life. Sadly King Josiah died because he didn’t recognize that God had spoken to the Egyptian king. Josiah did not seek a word from God about their interaction. We should learn humility and realize that God can lead people who don’t look like us, sound like us, dress like us, in ways that we don’t recognize. The Israelites then suffered control by the Egyptians and then the Babylonians. God used the prophet Jeremiah to speak to His people during horrific times, about the results of their unfaithfulness. God is constantly calling people back to repentance and the life-giving peace that comes as a result.

August 29 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.

August 29  Psalm 104:1-18  2 Corinthians 2:12-17; 3:1-6  2 Chronicles 33:21-25; 34; 35:1-19

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

We can sing wholehearted praise from Psalm 104. Consider the awesome power of the natural world and the order of its function in harmony. Our God has lovingly created it by design. A starry night sky speaks of this God. Lasting positive life change with a new focus is one sign of faith in Christ. This is best enjoyed in relationship, as we follow Jesus together. We think fondly of those who help us in this journey. Paul writes of these relationships and a spiritual authority of a person with a Christ-like character as a spiritual leader. At 16 years old King Josiah began to seek Yahweh, serving Him and His people faithfully. He removed the elements of idolatry and restored the Temple in place of Yahweh worship. In the rubble, they rediscovered the Scriptures and their need to humbly repent of sin to avoid God’s punishment. A prophetess, Huldah, clearly spoke the Word of God. Josiah carefully followed God’s Word, teaching it to the people and they received God’s grace and mercy. Just as God had promised, when they realized their wrong if they would turn to God and repent of it He would bring forgiveness, love, and restoration.

August 28 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.

August 28  Proverbs 21:5-16  2 Corinthians 1:23-24; 2:1-11  2 Chronicles 31:2-21; 32; 33:1-20

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

How we choose to live will bring results: good or bad. God is aware of how we are living. More than once, Paul has brought necessary correction to the thinking and behavior of the Corinthians. In his compassion for them, he writes that this has been painful for him as well. Paul directs the forgiveness and restoration of a particular troublemaker. Such forgiveness is described as one way to overcome the schemes of our enemy. King Hezekiah completely restored the worship of Yahweh among the 12 tribes, according to God’s instructions. He sought God wholeheartedly and was successful as a result. He trusted God completely and worked hard. When attacked he asked God for help. God sent an angel to destroy the enemy. In a time of peace, he became proud and didn’t respond in the right way to a miracle healing. He repented of his pride. Hezekiah’s son Manasseh rebuilt the pagan shrines his father had destroyed. His idolatry included human sacrifice. He ignored God’s warning for a time and finally repented of his sin, tearing down idolatry and restoring the worship of Yahweh. Over and over through these generations we see patterns of turning away from God, finding consequence for it, and some returning to God repenting.

August 27 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.

August 27  Psalm 103:13-22  2 Corinthians 1:12-22  2 Chronicles 29; 30; 31:1

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

David sings, describing God as compassionate with our weaknesses. God’s love transcends what we see. God’s love will be enjoyed by those who respond to Him forever. The Corinthian church, believers like us, have experienced difficulties including resistance to their faith in Jesus just like Paul and his team did. Paul writes to encourage their faith, teaching that God gives us the ability to stand firm in the faith. Receiving the Holy Spirit is directly linked to the strength Paul writes about. The new king of Judah, Hezekiah, repairs the Jerusalem Temple and restores the worship of Yahweh immediately. Despite their problems, it was a priority to make a covenant commitment to the Lord in whole-hearted worship. The king then offered a peaceful return for the nation of Israel with whom they had been at civil war for many years. They enjoyed weeks of peaceful worship and feasting in a way that had not been seen since the days of Kings David & Solomon. Peace is the result of their worship.

August 26 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.

August 26  Psalm 103:1-12  2 Corinthians 1:1-11  2 Chronicles 26; 27; 28

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

In Psalm 103, David sings with his whole heart a thanksgiving to the Lord for bringing him from being sinful, ashamed, sick, dissatisfied, doomed, and decaying to become forgiven, crowned, healed, satisfied, redeemed, and renewed. Repeatedly we see God described as “compassionate, merciful, slow to anger, and filled with unfailing love.” Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians church starts with relating the truth that when we are comforted by God we can help others find the same. We must look to God as the source of comfort, no longer relying on ourselves but now relying on God. We will discover that this process is part of God’s purpose for us. King Uzziah started out by seeking guidance from God and doing what was right. When he became powerful, pride set in and he stepped into the work of the priest, breaking God’s instructions. This resulted in leprosy. His son, the new king, Jotham became powerful because he was careful to obey the Lord. His son Ahaz rebelled turning to idolatry and worshiping other gods in the Temple. He suffered violent consequences and still refused to return to God. Rebellion and its consequences continued.

August 25 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.

August 25  Psalm 102:18-28  1 Corinthians 16:5-24  2 Chronicles 24; 25

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

Despite the exhaustion of troubled days the Psalm 102 prayer describes the deliverance of God as so valuable that it must be described to future generations. In it we also read a faith that God will provide for these future children. Paul closes his first letter to the Corinthians with a directive for them to stand strong in their faith, courageous, on guard, and doing everything with love. These words would have been read repeatedly, considered carefully, and memorized. It would be helpful for us to do the same. A new righteous king Josh’s restores the worship of God. He repairs the Temple according to God’s original design. After his mentor priest dies King Josh’s is persuaded to abandon the worship of Yahweh. He is warned by the priest’s son but responds by killing this new priest. God brings judgment on him in military defeat and death. The new king Amaziah starts off by doing right but not wholeheartedly. He turns to violence bringing God’s judgment on them again. We should be aware of consequences.