October 30 Bible reading

October 30  Psalm 119:129-136  Hebrews 1  Lamentations 3:40-66; 4; 5

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?

October 30  Psalm 119:129-136  Hebrews 1  Lamentations 3:40-66; 4; 5

Psalm 119:129-136

The poet has felt broken at the sight of people showing disregard for the Word of God. He is looking for God’s love in mercy and deliverance from real-world situations. The poet has seen the guidance of God found in Scripture as helpful, amazing, and illuminating many times over. He found helpful teachers unpacking the Words of God with clarity that anyone could understand. The more he learned about what God had said the more he wanted to hear. He found the strength needed to outlast the evil of his time, in God’s Word. He wept, like Jeremiah, for those who rejected God.

Hebrews 1

In Hebrews, we have an open letter to Jewish followers of Jesus who were under pressure to return to Jerusalem. Jesus the Messiah had fulfilled the Word of God expressed through the law of Moses and the prophets. Bringing a new covenant agreement between God and humans, Jesus the Messiah is seen as the perfect Great High Priest. Here we read an explanation of God’s purpose in the past Old Testament physical practices of worship and seen in the present and future spiritual fulfillment. Everything about Jesus Christ says something about Father God. Jesus Christ is transcendent in power and glory. Jesus Christ radiates God’s glory, expresses the character of God, and sustains everything in power. We get a window into the relationships within the Trinity of God. In it we see mutual love and respect. We read that God is looking for people to make a personal turn around, abandoning a me-first life, turning to wholehearted devotion. We should think about this. What does this mean for you? How should we respond to this?

Lamentations 3:40-66; 4; 5

We must be called to a focus on God that includes repentance, seeking cleansing, and forgiveness. Jeremiah’s fifth poem is completely intercessory prayer. He is heartbroken and weeping for the people. Jeremiah prays for their restoration. He has seen that rejecting God has sent Israel on a trajectory of horrific suffering. A lifestyle of “my way is the best” brought about the destruction of epic proportions. Refusing the guidance of God brought about a curse. God had warned them of it. They would not listen. Then, in repentance, they cried out for restoration.