October 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.

October 1  Psalm 115:12-18  Philippians 2:12-30  Jeremiah 2:31-37; 3; 4:1-9

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?

Regardless of our status, if we will wholeheartedly praise God, trust in Him, our God will bless us.

Paul writes a moving recommendation for how we should respond to the supernatural love of Jesus. God is working in us, doing things that we cannot, and we can choose to make an effort to demonstrate those changes. Every day we have an opportunity to live like Jesus and share His love. Timothy and Epaphroditus were examples of this.

God speaks through the prophet Jeremiah to the nation of Israel. They have been unfaithful, serving other gods, despite the fact that God had remained faithful to them. God counted the sins of the 2 tribes of Judah as worse than the sins of the 10 tribes of Israel. God called them back to restoration of relationship with Him. God promised them a return to their Promised Land. After generations of evil leaders, God promised to give them leaders after His own heart. God promises to one day draw people from every nation into worship. God calls His people to a change of heart.

September 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.

September 30  Psalm 115:1-11  Philippians 1:27-30; 2:1-11  Jeremiah 1; 2:1-30

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?

Let us praise the living God who is overflowing with faithful love. Our God will help and protect those who trust in Him.

Paul writes that we should choose to live out of our understanding of the Good News of Jesus. My decisions and my lifestyle can be informed by the dynamic peace of what God has done for me through Jesus. This changes how I look at the challenges I face and the challengers I’m facing. Ph.2:1-11 helps me understand how important Jesus is and how following His example should change my relationships. From this, I am motivated to choose humility and selfless love.

Jeremiah serves as a prophet to Judah for 66 years, recounting the history of their last 5 kings. He called them to repentance, showing God’s grace & mercy in the invitation. Jeremiah was able to do this because God commissioned Him to do so, and gave him the ability to do so. God prepared him for the work and the opposition. God loves His people. Nothing good comes from His people turning away from Him. The Israelites worshipped other gods and their spiritual infidelity brought the pain. It hurt God and it hurt them.

September 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.

September 29  Proverbs 23:29-35; 24:1-4  Philippians 1:1-26  Zephaniah 1; 2; 3

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?

Proverbs paints a sad picture of the consequences of the slow development of alcohol abuse. In contrast, we see wisdom putting knowledge to use and bringing benefit.

In Acts 16 we read the story of Paul & Silas singing praise to God despite being imprisoned for their faith. This resulted in the start of the church in Philippi. Despite being imprisoned again, Paul writes about faith, love, unity, and humility as the foundation of life-changing joy. After praying for them from afar, Paul shares his confidence in the Holy Spirit’s help for their personal spiritual growth. Paul expresses his desire to see their focus on what is most important and that they see the benefits of their salvation. He is warning them of false teachers.

During the reign of King Josiah, the prophet Zephaniah prepares people for God’s judgment on those who would not receive Him as Lord and to comfort the faithful remnant with promises of restoration. Both Zephaniah and Josiah were great great grandsons of Hezekiah. As a descendant of David, Zephaniah predicts the second coming of Jesus and the preservation of the church.

September 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.

September 28  Psalm 114  Ephesians 6  Nahum 1-3

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?

Psalm 114 recounts specific ways that God had done miracles with physical objects to take care of His people. In exodus from Egypt God had provided a dry path for them through the Red Sea. God did the same thing with the Jordan River. God brought drinking water out of rock. People of faith remembered these events. They told the stories of God revealing Himself to be the One who would take care of them.

Paul continues with guidance on how we should live. This is informed by the first three chapters of truth on how God’s love for us transforms our lives. Family relationships, work relationships, and all relationships can be approached with God in mind. We are called to stand in faith through the spiritual struggle of life on this earth. We can access help from God through alert, persistent Spirit-led prayer.

The people of Nineveh, Assyria’s capital, had received mercy from God when they repented of sin in response to God’s message through Jonah. 150 years later the people of Nineveh had rebelled against God and their current sin was worse than it was before. Nahum is sent to declare that God will punish the unrepentant guilty. Stubborn proud people will recognize that God is in control, one way or another. God is close with those who trust Him.

September 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.

September 27  Psalm 113  Ephesians 5:8-33  Isaiah 65:17-25; 66

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

Psalm 113 calls us to praise the one true living God, who is more majestic than our sky and cares for the people who are in need. There is no one who can be compared to God. Let us praise the Lord.

We should carefully search out what pleases God. This pursuit should direct how we live. Filled with the Holy Spirit we will have the ability to live out of gratitude to God. As we have learned about God’s love for us (a love that gives) we can choose to live like Jesus and share His love. This becomes a life-shaping ethic. We live out this faithful, patient, kind love in our marriages because we are now constantly aware of Jesus. Love and respect are essential elements of such a marriage.

Our God will make new the earth and the heavens. There will yet be peace. Yahweh God will bless the humble of heart. In the end of our time, God will forgive the repentant, punish the rebellious, and draw people from all nations (ethnicities) into faithful worship, bringing peace without end.

September 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.

September 26  Psalm 112  Ephesians 4:17-32; 5:1-7  Isaiah 63; 64; 65:1-16

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

People who live in a loving relationship with God, constantly aware of God, showing God respect are seen in Psalm 112 as generous. God is faithful to His covenant agreements. Responding to God, faith-filled generous people are not overcome by evil in this world, but live out of a confident hope that God will take care of them.

Paul writes about our response to the love of God. This includes our searching out the ways that God has said would be healthy for us to live. We should make a decision daily to allow the Holy Spirit to renew what we are thinking and feeling. We should not be deceived by people who try to excuse sin. We should live like Jesus and share His love.

Our God is faithful. Since the beginning of time, no one has seen a god like our faithful loving God. Faithful in forgiving the repentant and punishing those who refused to repent. God remained availalble to those who were not recognizing Him as Lord.

September 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.

September 25  Proverbs 23:19-28  Ephesians 4:1-16  Isaiah 60; 61; 62

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

Parents take great joy to see their children use wisdom in decision making. On our journey from childhood to adulthood we should learn from those with wisdom, including our parents. We can learn to keep our hearts on the right course. This will keep us from self-destructive behaviors and guide us to learning that develops our wisdom in decision making.

In response to the life-changing love of God, Paul calls believers to live out of profound gratitude in a way that honors God and reflects His love for others. We should pursue unity. Within the church, God has given individual people certain gifts, for the purpose of sharing in the work of God, building up the church, helping its people come to maturity. This includes people who function in their gifts as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Together we can become more like Christ and help each other.

God promises a future for Jerusalem where people from around the world are brought into peaceful worship. Jesus quotes Isaiah 61 in revealing His identity as Messiah. This informs us as to God’s purpose and passion. Isaiah’s prayer for Jerusalem in Isaiah 62 should inform our prayer for our cities today. We can combine prayer and work, with purpose & passion, to implement the commitments we make to reveal our Messiah, Jesus.

September 24 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 24  Psalm 111  Ephesians 3  Isaiah 57:14-21; 58; 59

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

We have a song of profound meaning to the Israelites in Psalm 111. It has been memorized by millions. From it we see that people who love God should consider God’s actions and learn from them. God always remembers His covenant agreement with His people.

Paul wrote of God’s plan to offer salvation, equally to Jew and Gentile, through Jesus. Over years Paul had studied Scripture deeply. Jesus had appeared to Paul. The Holy Spirit spoke to Paul and the early church through these sources and their apostles & prophets. God revealed His purpose of a peaceful relationship with Him available through the love of Jesus.

Through Isaiah, God promises the restoration of people who are humble. God calls for true worship and calls out the hypocrisy of bad religion. Service to the poor and help for those in trouble are the actions of people whom God will refresh and continue to guide. God is able to save us. God hears us. Often our trouble is the result of sin: either our sin or the sin of someone else. God is disappointed when people allow injustice and oppression. God will avenge it. God will be true to His covenant agreement.

September 23 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 23  Psalm 110  Ephesians 2  Isaiah 55; 56; 57:1-13

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

David writes a prophetic song, in Psalm 110, that describes the Lord as a priest and a king. In Hebrews 7:21 this is explained as Jesus the Messiah brought fulfillment. Jesus functions in both ways, as a better version of what Abraham saw in Melchizedek.

Each of us has experienced life directed by our carnal nature. Making mistakes, we once allowed our sin to separate us from relationship with God. As we accept the grace of God, available to us by the sacrifice of Jesus, we receive new spiritual life. This does not come to us because we have done anything good, but instead because God loves us. Through Jesus, God makes a peaceful relationship with Him possible. This Good News of peace can break down the wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile, and bring us into healthy relationships with each other.

Isaiah knew that God had revealed to David the promise of unfailing love made available through the Messiah. Our God has purpose. His thoughts and ways are to be respected. God will forgive the repentant and just those who will not repent. David, Isaiah, Abraham, and Paul learned about the gracious nature of God. They came to respect God’s purpose and see the value of responding to God with faithful love.

September 22 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 22  Psalm 109:21-31  Ephesians 1  Isaiah 51:17-23; 52; 53; 54

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

David is not afraid to sing to the Lord, about his blues. An object of ridicule, David appeals to the good character of God, asking for rescue. Regardless of God’s response, David commits to continued thanksgiving to the Lord, for the way He has stood by the poor and defended them.

Paul writes a letter to the church in Ephesus, with whom he had previously spent at least three years. Paul is being held prisoner in Rome, and yet he writes a beautiful letter about our response to God’s love and grace. God’s plan for redemption available through Jesus was in the works before the creation of all that we see. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit loved us and planned to purchase our freedom and make forgiveness and an inheritance available to us. Paul interacted with Jesus personally. He received truth from Jesus directly. We can grow in a confident hope through this truth.

Through Isaiah God explains how His redemptive plan interacts with the free will decisions of people. There’s a blessing on people who are willing to share the “good news of peace and salvation” with others. In Isaiah 53 we read a specific prophecy of the coming Messiah, that was fulfilled by Jesus. God promises restoration of a repentant Israel.