January 15 Bible reading

January 15 – Psalm 9:13-20, Matthew 12:1-21, Genesis 31

Psalm 9:13-20

David has learned from his life experiences. He has observed the Almighty God at work. God sees the twists and turns of humanity. God brings justice. Death and eternal separation from the God of love will be the experience of all who reject our Almighty God. Those in need can find God ready to help. In one sense, God saved me so that I can praise Him.

Matthew 12:1-21

The gentle way of the leadership of Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. The religious leaders of Yahweh’s Temple were looking for ways to refute Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah. They had turned God’s principle of Sabbath worship and rest into legalism, missing the point. Jesus does a healing miracle on the Sabbath. Jesus teaches that you can do good, handle emergencies, care for basic needs, and serve the house of worship (in a rotation schedule) on the Sabbath. In both the healing miracle and his gentle response Jesus gives us an example.

Genesis 31

God will honor those who seek to make peace through a serious life-long commitment. Laban resented his son-in-law Jacob and kept making one bad decision after another. Jacob responded to God’s guidance and began to return to his homeland. Rachel still had a mixture of sins in her heart. Jacob negotiated a peace treaty with Laban and thanked God for it, with the whole family.

January 15 – Psalm 9:13-20, Matthew 12:1-21, Genesis 31

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 the 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.

After reading today’s selected passages, prayerfully consider them, and then my comments may be helpful after those moments.

• 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?