December 16
December 16
One Year Bible Readings:
Micah 5:1-7:20
Revelation 7:1-17
Psalm 135:1-21
Proverbs 30:5-6
Supplemental Reading for The One Year Bible.
The following are excerpts from Mike’s One Year Bible Blog.
Micah:
Okay, we get an amazing few verses in Micah today, which are perfect for the Christmas Advent season we are in! Keep in mind that these verses were written 700 years before the birth of Jesus. Micah was the Old Testament prophet who prophesied that the Messiah, Jesus, would be born in Bethlehem. Reading these verses In Micah chapter 5 verses 2 through 5 gives me the chills... "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past. The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the time when the woman in labor gives birth to her son. Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land. And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD's strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored all around the world. And he will be the source of our peace." Wow... I love it! Please read these verses again. Perfect for the Christmas season!
12/16 - In Micah chapter 6 verse 8 I read a commentary that the following verse is the "most memorable statement in the OT defining a proper relationship to God". Here it is: "No, O people, the LORD has already told you what is good, and this is what he requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Not a very big and complicated list, eh? Do what is right. Love mercy. And walk humbly with God.
Q: How are you doing on these things?
Micah chapter 7 verse 7 definitely stood out to me in today's readings: "As for me, I look to the LORD for his help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me." I love the confidence and surety of this verse from Micah.
Q: Where do you look for your help? Will you wait confidently for God to save you? Do you believe that God will certainly hear you?
Revelation:
Revelation chapter 7 verse 3 in today's reading tells us: "Wait! Don't hurt the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants." Commentaries suggest that the seal represents the name of God being stamped on the foreheads of his followers - to protect them from the coming judgments. This imagery is very similar to Ezekiel 9:4 - ""Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it." Verse 4 tells us: "And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God. There were 144,000 who were sealed from all the tribes of Israel." Some interpret this to mean 144,000 descendents of the actual Jewish tribes during the time of tribulation. Others interpret this passage to be symbolic of all the faithful believers who live during the time of tribulation. Verse 12 is very powerful in that it has 7 attributes of God: "Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and forever."
Q: Will you attribute to God - Blessing? Glory? Wisdom? Thanksgiving? Honor? Power? Strength? Forever....?
Psalm:
Today in Psalm 135 verse 3 we will read this very simple, yet profound verse – “Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.” The words I want to focus in on here are “the Lord is good.” Do you believe this to be true? Do you really – in your heart – believe that God is good? I think this is important for us to really meditate upon. I’m afraid sometimes we get into our minds that maybe God is not always good. Maybe we start to think that God is out to get us. Or out to trick us. Really isn’t looking out for us. Doesn’t really like us. Doesn’t really love us. These are all of course lies that come into our mind from the Enemy, the Destroyer. God is obviously good. So good. All of the time. And maybe sometimes we really need to remind ourselves of this. Even in the midst of challenges and struggles and addictions and hardships – God is good. God is there with us. God is leading us – and maybe even taking us through a hardship to bring us to the Promised Land on the other side. Our human minds will often not understand God’s ways. But, I think for us to always remember that God is good is so important for our continuing growth in our relationship with God.
Q: So, again, do you believe the words of this Psalmist? Do you believe that God is good?
Proverbs:
Proverbs 30 verse 5 is a strong teaching today" "Every word of God proves true. He defends all who come to him for protection."
Q: Do you believe that every word of God proves true? Does the Bible prove to be true? Do you believe that God will defend you if you come to him for protection? Do you believe that reading and studying and memorizing the word of God can provide spiritual protection for you?
Copyright © 2004-2012 One Year Bible Blog
One Year Bible Readings:
Micah 5:1-7:20
Revelation 7:1-17
Psalm 135:1-21
Proverbs 30:5-6
Supplemental Reading for The One Year Bible.
The following are excerpts from Mike’s One Year Bible Blog.
Micah:
Okay, we get an amazing few verses in Micah today, which are perfect for the Christmas Advent season we are in! Keep in mind that these verses were written 700 years before the birth of Jesus. Micah was the Old Testament prophet who prophesied that the Messiah, Jesus, would be born in Bethlehem. Reading these verses In Micah chapter 5 verses 2 through 5 gives me the chills... "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past. The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the time when the woman in labor gives birth to her son. Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land. And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD's strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored all around the world. And he will be the source of our peace." Wow... I love it! Please read these verses again. Perfect for the Christmas season!
12/16 - In Micah chapter 6 verse 8 I read a commentary that the following verse is the "most memorable statement in the OT defining a proper relationship to God". Here it is: "No, O people, the LORD has already told you what is good, and this is what he requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Not a very big and complicated list, eh? Do what is right. Love mercy. And walk humbly with God.
Q: How are you doing on these things?
Micah chapter 7 verse 7 definitely stood out to me in today's readings: "As for me, I look to the LORD for his help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me." I love the confidence and surety of this verse from Micah.
Q: Where do you look for your help? Will you wait confidently for God to save you? Do you believe that God will certainly hear you?
Revelation:
Revelation chapter 7 verse 3 in today's reading tells us: "Wait! Don't hurt the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants." Commentaries suggest that the seal represents the name of God being stamped on the foreheads of his followers - to protect them from the coming judgments. This imagery is very similar to Ezekiel 9:4 - ""Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it." Verse 4 tells us: "And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God. There were 144,000 who were sealed from all the tribes of Israel." Some interpret this to mean 144,000 descendents of the actual Jewish tribes during the time of tribulation. Others interpret this passage to be symbolic of all the faithful believers who live during the time of tribulation. Verse 12 is very powerful in that it has 7 attributes of God: "Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and forever."
Q: Will you attribute to God - Blessing? Glory? Wisdom? Thanksgiving? Honor? Power? Strength? Forever....?
Psalm:
Today in Psalm 135 verse 3 we will read this very simple, yet profound verse – “Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.” The words I want to focus in on here are “the Lord is good.” Do you believe this to be true? Do you really – in your heart – believe that God is good? I think this is important for us to really meditate upon. I’m afraid sometimes we get into our minds that maybe God is not always good. Maybe we start to think that God is out to get us. Or out to trick us. Really isn’t looking out for us. Doesn’t really like us. Doesn’t really love us. These are all of course lies that come into our mind from the Enemy, the Destroyer. God is obviously good. So good. All of the time. And maybe sometimes we really need to remind ourselves of this. Even in the midst of challenges and struggles and addictions and hardships – God is good. God is there with us. God is leading us – and maybe even taking us through a hardship to bring us to the Promised Land on the other side. Our human minds will often not understand God’s ways. But, I think for us to always remember that God is good is so important for our continuing growth in our relationship with God.
Q: So, again, do you believe the words of this Psalmist? Do you believe that God is good?
Proverbs:
Proverbs 30 verse 5 is a strong teaching today" "Every word of God proves true. He defends all who come to him for protection."
Q: Do you believe that every word of God proves true? Does the Bible prove to be true? Do you believe that God will defend you if you come to him for protection? Do you believe that reading and studying and memorizing the word of God can provide spiritual protection for you?
Copyright © 2004-2012 One Year Bible Blog
Recent
Archive
2024
January
One Year Bible CompanionJanuary 2January 3January 4January 5January 6January 7January 8January 9January 10January 11January 12January 13January 14January 15January 16January 17January 18January 19January 20January 21January 22January 23January 24January 25January 26January 27January 28January 29January 30January 31
February
February 1February 2February 3February 4February 5February 6February 7February 8February 9February 10February 11February 12February 13February 14February 15February 16February 17February 18February 19February 20February 21February 22February 23February 24February 25February 26February 27February 28February 29
March
Categories
no categories
No Comments