August 2
August 2
One Year Bible Readings:
2 Chronicles 32:1-33:13
Romans 15:23-16:9
Psalm 25:16-22
Proverbs 20:16-18
Supplemental Reading for The One Year Bible.
The following are excerpts from Mike’s One Year Bible Blog.
2 Chronicles:
Hezekiah later in this chapter receives envoys from Babylon. You'll recall from our Second Kings readings (full details are in Second Kings 20:12-20) that unfortunately, Hezekiah is a bit too hospitable with these envoys. He believes showing off his wealth will prove that he has worldly power and that the Babylonians will respect him and Judah. Isaiah sees that Hezekiah is relying on worldly wealth and not God, and Isaiah delivers a word from God that Judah will be exiled to Babylon. Indeed, this comes true in 115 years from when Isaiah delivers this word.
Q: How about us, in our lives today – do we try to impress people with our worldly wealth or toys or stuff, like Hezekiah was trying to impress the Babylonians? And further, do we actually try to rely on this worldly stuff rather than rely on God?
Romans:
Paul's words in Romans 15 verse 30 stood out to me today - "Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit." The thing that stood out to me in these verses is Paul's encouragement to his brothers and sisters in Christ in Rome to pray for him. Not only to pray for him - but to "join me in my struggle." That is pretty powerful to consider. That we can actually join someone in their struggle - in their work for the Kingdom of God - by praying for them! And I'll be honest - I do not do this enough. I rarely join my pastors and family and friends and spiritual mentors in their struggle by praying to God for them. I rarely join my missionary friends in their struggle by praying for them. I rarely join my brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted in other countries for being Christian by praying for them. I simply do not pray for others enough. And in not doing so, I honestly think I am missing out on something powerful. I am missing out on joining them in their struggle for the Kingdom of God! My selfishness in not praying for others doing Kingdom work in this world is my loss. But - this actually sounds selfish - "my missing out - my loss." Sometimes I guess I try to trick myself into doing something good (praying for others) by attaching a selfish reason (so I won't miss out). The truth here is that our pastors and priests and missionaries and spiritual mentors need us to take up the struggle with them by praying to God for them. Even Paul needed this prayer coverage - and he asked for it! I am afraid that too often our pastors and priests and missionaries and others doing God's work may not ask us for our prayers. But they need them!
Q: So - are you regularly praying for others in your life who are in ministry? Are you joining them in their struggle? Will you begin today / tonight by praying for someone in your life that you know who is in ministry? Will you take up the struggle with them?
Proverbs:
I love Proverbs 20 verse 17! What a great analogy - "Stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth." Stealing is obviously a sin. And the spoils of this sin may taste sweet at first - but quickly turn to inedible gravel in our mouths. Well, I think this analogy works really with any sin we might commit. For one brief moment it seems sweet. But it quickly rots! Why do we sin in the first place? I think we're obviously looking for something. We're thinking the sin is going to deliver us something we're missing. But, of course, it doesn't deliver. It's empty. And sin can only pay the wage of decay and death. Only God can deliver what we mistakenly look to sin to deliver.
Q: Will you repent of sins you are committing? Will you instead turn to God to deliver what you are looking for? He will deliver. Will you stop building upon any mountains of sin in your life that turn quickly to nothing but mountains of gravel?
Copyright © 2004-2012 One Year Bible Blog
One Year Bible Readings:
2 Chronicles 32:1-33:13
Romans 15:23-16:9
Psalm 25:16-22
Proverbs 20:16-18
Supplemental Reading for The One Year Bible.
The following are excerpts from Mike’s One Year Bible Blog.
2 Chronicles:
Hezekiah later in this chapter receives envoys from Babylon. You'll recall from our Second Kings readings (full details are in Second Kings 20:12-20) that unfortunately, Hezekiah is a bit too hospitable with these envoys. He believes showing off his wealth will prove that he has worldly power and that the Babylonians will respect him and Judah. Isaiah sees that Hezekiah is relying on worldly wealth and not God, and Isaiah delivers a word from God that Judah will be exiled to Babylon. Indeed, this comes true in 115 years from when Isaiah delivers this word.
Q: How about us, in our lives today – do we try to impress people with our worldly wealth or toys or stuff, like Hezekiah was trying to impress the Babylonians? And further, do we actually try to rely on this worldly stuff rather than rely on God?
Romans:
Paul's words in Romans 15 verse 30 stood out to me today - "Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit." The thing that stood out to me in these verses is Paul's encouragement to his brothers and sisters in Christ in Rome to pray for him. Not only to pray for him - but to "join me in my struggle." That is pretty powerful to consider. That we can actually join someone in their struggle - in their work for the Kingdom of God - by praying for them! And I'll be honest - I do not do this enough. I rarely join my pastors and family and friends and spiritual mentors in their struggle by praying to God for them. I rarely join my missionary friends in their struggle by praying for them. I rarely join my brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted in other countries for being Christian by praying for them. I simply do not pray for others enough. And in not doing so, I honestly think I am missing out on something powerful. I am missing out on joining them in their struggle for the Kingdom of God! My selfishness in not praying for others doing Kingdom work in this world is my loss. But - this actually sounds selfish - "my missing out - my loss." Sometimes I guess I try to trick myself into doing something good (praying for others) by attaching a selfish reason (so I won't miss out). The truth here is that our pastors and priests and missionaries and spiritual mentors need us to take up the struggle with them by praying to God for them. Even Paul needed this prayer coverage - and he asked for it! I am afraid that too often our pastors and priests and missionaries and others doing God's work may not ask us for our prayers. But they need them!
Q: So - are you regularly praying for others in your life who are in ministry? Are you joining them in their struggle? Will you begin today / tonight by praying for someone in your life that you know who is in ministry? Will you take up the struggle with them?
Proverbs:
I love Proverbs 20 verse 17! What a great analogy - "Stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth." Stealing is obviously a sin. And the spoils of this sin may taste sweet at first - but quickly turn to inedible gravel in our mouths. Well, I think this analogy works really with any sin we might commit. For one brief moment it seems sweet. But it quickly rots! Why do we sin in the first place? I think we're obviously looking for something. We're thinking the sin is going to deliver us something we're missing. But, of course, it doesn't deliver. It's empty. And sin can only pay the wage of decay and death. Only God can deliver what we mistakenly look to sin to deliver.
Q: Will you repent of sins you are committing? Will you instead turn to God to deliver what you are looking for? He will deliver. Will you stop building upon any mountains of sin in your life that turn quickly to nothing but mountains of gravel?
Copyright © 2004-2012 One Year Bible Blog
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