December 11

December 11
One Year Bible Readings:
Amos 4:1-6:14
Revelation 2:18-3:6
Psalm 130:1-8
Proverbs 29:21-22
Supplemental Reading for The One Year Bible.
The following are excerpts from Mike’s One Year Bible Blog.

Amos:
Today in Amos chapters 4, 5, & 6 we read about Israel's failure to listen, a call to repentance, and warning of coming Judgment. Chapter 4 verse 13 stood out to me in today's readings: "For the LORD is the one who shaped the mountains, stirs up the winds, and reveals his every thought. He turns the light of dawn into darkness and treads the mountains under his feet. The LORD God Almighty is his name!" Here we are reminded that God is the creator of all things, and he still is in control of what happens in the present time. He is the past, present, and future. I like that phrase, "reveals his every thought." Meaning, God wants His ways, His character, His thoughts, His love to be known by all.  
Q: Do you believe God reveals His every thought to us? Where might we best find out what God's every thought is? Do you want to know God's thoughts above all else?

I think chapter 5 verse 14 today is a good reminder and warning to each of us: "Do what is good and run from evil--that you may live! Then the LORD God Almighty will truly be your helper, just as you have claimed he is." I believe that sometimes we think we can overcome evil through our own sheer will power. Or that we can change evil. This verse reminds us to simply RUN! I like that reminder. Sometimes you just gotta get out of Dodge to avoid evil influencing you or overtaking you.
Q: Are there temptations or bad habits in your life that you have been trying to overcome, battle, change - and perhaps you should just RUN from them? Flee from them? So that you may truly live?

Amos chapter 6 verse 5 stood out to me for some reason today: "You sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and you fancy yourselves to be great musicians, as King David was." I guess a couple of things jumped out at me here.
Q: First, the singing idle songs to the sound of the harp made me ask myself, are we sometimes idle with our time? When perhaps God is wanting us to be purposeful or intentional with our time? Don't get me wrong - rest is good. But, is idleness good?  I think rest can be purposeful and intentional and healthy. Or it can potentially be just the opposite. Next - do we sometimes fancy ourselves to be "great musicians as King David was" - meaning, do we sometimes try to pretend to be someone who we are not? Are we masking over who we really are, and playing fake? Should we instead be real? And sincere? And intentional and purposeful? I guess I'm just getting at here - are there times when we are being fake? When, perhaps God is simply calling us to simply be real? To be who we are? Who are you? If you need to, will you take off your mask and just be who God made you to be?

Revelation:
Revelation chapter 2 verse 19 is awesome as Jesus says: ""I know all the things you do--your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things."  
Q: How are you doing in these areas in your life? Are you focusing on love, faith, service and patience? Are you constantly improving in these areas in your life?

Revelation chapter 3 verse 3 is powerful from Jesus: "Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly and turn to me again." My thought here is that sometimes we are so on fire for our faith in Jesus and God – particularly when we first believe. And then this fire and initial strong faith begins to wane over time. And to a degree, this is okay. We will not be on the "mountaintop" all of the time – we must traverse through the valleys as well.
Q: But, if perhaps we’ve been camped out in the valleys for a bit too long now, is it possible that we might need to go back to what we heard and believed at first? Might we need to hold to these first beliefs more firmly? And turn to Jesus again? This Advent and Christmas season, will you return to Jesus once again? Will you return to the Manger in Bethlehem?

Psalm:
Psalm 130 is amazing today! Each verse is jam packed with good stuff to think about.... Actually - if you get a chance - please read through each of these verses again, and meditate for a moment on each one and what each verse might be speaking into your life and your heart. I think you will find tons of relevant meditations in this Psalm for your life. Today in Psalm 130 verse 5 we read - "I am counting on the LORD; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word."  
Q: Are you counting on God in your life? Really counting on him? Have you put your hope in his Word, the Bible? Do you believe that reading and meditating and reflecting on the Bible can transform your life and your relationship with God? What is your plan next year to stay in God’s Word each and every day? Should you have a plan to be in God’s Word each and every day?

Proverbs:
Proverbs 29 verse 21 teaches us today: "A servant who is pampered from childhood will later become a rebel."
Q: This is a good reminder not to spoil others - and how about not spoiling ourselves? For some reason this verse reminds me of this old adage, paraphrased here - "God, please don't make me too rich that I forget about you. Nor too poor that I curse you." Let us be cautious not to be spoiled, nor to spoil others in our lives...

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