Thoughts on January 31 Bible Reading

January 31, 2018
Reading: Exodus 26-28; Matthew 21

I recorded a video with comments on today's reading. Blessings!

Mac

Thoughts for January 30 Bible Reading

January 30, 2018
Reading: Exodus 23-25

I am a day behind in posting these thoughts on the reading on January 30 (yesterday). Josh and I were on the road and I never got around to actually posting the video we made. Hope these thoughts encourage you to stay the course in your reading. Praying for you in the journey!

Thoughts on January 29 Bible Reading

January 29, 2018
Reading: Exodus 20-22; Matthew 20

I have recorded some thoughts on today's Bible reading for those who are following along. I hope they encourage you in the journey!

Mac

Thoughts on January 27 Bible Reading

January 27, 2018

Reading: Exodus 16-19

Here are a few thoughts on today’s reading in the hopes that they will encourage you to continue in God’s Word.

Exodus 17:6 (CSB)

⁶I am going to stand there in front of you on the rock at Horeb; when you hit the rock, water will come out of it and the people will drink.” Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

As the people of Israel continued in their journey away from Egypt into the desert, they grumbled against Moses because they did not have any water. (The people complained to Moses a lot, however, I would say that not having water is a legitimate problem.) Moses cried out to God over the situation. God instructed Moses to strike a certain rock with his staff and told him that water would come out of it. Moses obeyed, and God brought water for the people of Israel out of a rock.

I am encouraged that God can provide for my needs in miraculous ways. He is the God who can bring water from a rock and He can meet my needs in ways that are exceedingly and abundantly more than I can think or imagine.

I praise You, Lord, for your power and for your concern for me and for all people. Amen.

Exodus 18:18 (CSB)

¹⁸“You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone.

Exodus 18:25–26 (CSB)

²⁵So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

²⁶They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.

The weight of responsibility was bearing down hard on Moses. As they traveled through the wilderness, all the people would come to him with their disputes so that he would inquire of the Lord and judge them accordingly. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, saw how heavy these responsibilities weighed on Moses, and made a wise recommendation. On this recommendation, Moses chose men from all Israel who were capable of leading and judging disputes and gave them the responsibility and authority to lead the people and deal with them. Moses delegated.

Perhaps you are weighed down from the strain of leading others or providing for them. Sometimes I feel like I have to do everything myself, as if others are not capable. The better part of wisdom tells us to share the load of work and responsibility among others so that the weight is not so great on us. Further, by empowering others and holding them accountable, you are helping them grow into more responsible human beings.

Exodus 19:16–18 (CSB)

¹⁶On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people in the camp shuddered.

¹⁷Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

¹⁸Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the Lord came down on it in fire. Its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently.

Exodus 20:18–19 (CSB)

¹⁸All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it they trembled and stood at a distance.

¹⁹“You speak to us, and we will listen,” they said to Moses, “but don’t let God speak to us, or we will die.”

God came down on Mount Sinai in power when He first spoke the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel. There was thunder, lightning, thick cloud, loud trumpet, smoke, fire, and earthquake. It made the people tremble before God. It made the people listen to God and want to obey Him.

I am reminded here that God is POWERFUL. What happened at Mount Sinai on that day was just a minor manifestation of His power. He spoke the universe into existence by the power of His Word. Consider the vast distances of space, from one planet to the next, from one star to the next, from one galaxy to the next. Consider the sheer power of the sun. Consider its size. Now think about the fact that the sun is just an average star in an average galaxy that is dwarfed in size by the larger stars. He spoke all of this into existence from nothing. Our God is POWERFUL.

Sometimes we forget who our God is. Who are we that this God should have regard for us? Why would we treat this God with doubts and disobedience? What would we speak to Him or about Him with disrespect? Give thanks to God for creating you. Give thanks to God for saving you. Give thanks to Him for hearing your prayers.

God is AWESOME. Yet that word pales in its ability to describe just how awesome He is. Worship Him today. Amen.

Thoughts on January 26 Bible Reading

January 26, 2018
Reading: Exodus 11-15

I recorded a short video with a few thoughts from today's Bible reading. I hope it encourages you in the journey!

Thoughts on January 24 Bible Reading

January 24, 2018

Reading: Exodus 7-8; Matthew 18

I am happy to share a few devotional thoughts on our reading for today. I am praying these thoughts help you to dig deeper into the Bible for yourself.

Exodus 8:32 (CSB)

³²But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also and did not let the people go.

Exodus 7 and 8 begin to tell the story of the plagues God brought on Egypt because Pharaoh (Egypt’s king) refused to allow the people of Israel to leave. Each time, God announced through Moses and Aaron that a plague was coming and then the plague would come. After a few of the plagues, Pharaoh began to agree to allow Moses to take the people out to worship God in exchange for relief. However, after the plague would subside, Pharaoh would harden his heart towards God. Paying careful attention to the text of Exodus, you see that Pharaoh hardened his heart toward God after the early plagues. However, looking forward into the next couple of chapters, God began to harden Pharaoh’s heart. Pharaoh refused to respond to God with obedience so many times, that he moved past the point at which he would ever be able to respond to Him at all.

Hardening our heart toward God is very dangerous. Each time we refuse to listen to God and obey Him, our hearts become more hardened toward Him. The example of Pharaoh shows us that people can reach a place where we will be unable to respond to God at all.

Is your heart hardened toward God? Don’t take this condition lightly. “One who becomes stiff-necked, after many reprimands will be shattered instantly— beyond recovery” (Proverbs 29:1). Begin today to confess your sins to God and repent of them. Ask God to soften your heart toward Him again, and obey Him when He speaks to you.

Matthew 18:7–9 (CSB)

⁷Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses will inevitably come, but woe to that person by whom the offense comes.

⁸If your hand or your foot causes you to fall away, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.

⁹And if your eye causes you to fall away, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hellfire.

Matthew 18 covers a lot of significant life topics; children, confronting an erring brother or sister in Christ, the importance of forgiving others, and this issue of dealing with stumbling blocks in our lives. Jesus is serious about our holiness. He died on the cross, receiving the punishment for our sins so that we can be forgiven and made righteous. A Christian is not perfect, but is forgiven by the blood of Jesus. However, once we come to know Christ, he calls us to forsake sin and to live for Him.

Many Christians have a particular sin or sins that they have greater difficulty overcoming than others. Some people refer to these sins as besetting sins. Jesus teaches us here that we need to take every painstaking effort to remove those things from our lives that tempt us toward those sins. I believe he is speaking in hyperbole here when He says we should gouge out our eye or cut off our hand. However, the point is that we should make radical efforts to keep ourselves from continued temptation. That may mean that others can watch certain tv programs that you cannot. It may mean others can have a smart phone but you cannot. It may mean that you need to stay away from certain places that to which others can go without a problem.

Ultimately, its our own sinful desires which spring from our sin-stricken heart that lead us to sin. However, a very practical way to deal with temptation is to avoid those things that make you more likely to be tempted. Is God calling you to remove something from your life for your own protection?

Hey, don’t miss the part of Matthew 18 that deals with forgiveness!

Praying for you in the journey!

Mac 

Thoughts on January 23 Bible Reading

January 23, 2018
Reading: Exodus 4-6; Matthew 17

I recorded a video with some devotional thoughts from today's reading. May they encourage you to continue seeking the Lord in His word.

Thoughts on January 22 Bible Reading

January 22, 2018
Reading: Exodus 1-3; Matthew 16

I recorded a video with thoughts on today's reading. Hope it is a help in your personal Bible reading and application. Praying for you in the journey!

Thoughts on January 20 Bible Reading

January 20, 2018
Genesis 49-50; Matthew 15

I recorded a video with thought on today’s reading. Hope it helps as you continue to read God’s Word!

Thoughts on January 19 Bible Reading

January 19, 2018
Reading: Genesis 46-48; Matthew 14

I recorded a short video with a couple of thoughts about the reading for today. I am praying for you as you meet the Lord in His word!

Thoughts on January 18 Bible Reading

January 18, 2018

Reading: Genesis 43-45

Genesis 45:5 (CSB)

⁵And now don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.

Genesis 45:7–8 (CSB)

⁷God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.

⁸Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Today’s reading in Genesis covers the story of Joseph revealing himself to his brothers and bringing his family to Egypt during the famine. From the verses above, a couple of things struck me from the reading. First, how amazing is it to see how God used the evil actions of Joseph’s brothers and of Potiphar’s wife to bring a rescue for the people of Israel? Who else could write this script? God really can take the terrible, broken things in our lives and redeem them. This does not in any way excuse our sinful actions, but it does provide us hope that God can still work in us and through us despite our past failures.

Second, how amazing is it that Joseph was able to perceive the things that happened in his life as God’s plan to rescue his brothers? How amazing is it to see Joseph fully forgive his brothers for the evil they had done to him? How would you treat your brothers if they sold you into slavery and told your father you were dead? Joseph’s life is a foreshadowing of Jesus in many ways. Joseph suffered because of the sins of his brothers. Yet, Joseph forgave his brothers and rescued them from certain death, just as Jesus has done for those who know Him.

Oh Lord, please help us to be in awe of the way you redeem us. Please help us to extend the same forgiveness to others that you have extended to us through Christ. Amen.

Thoughts on January 17 Bible Reading

January 17, 2018
Reading: Genesis 41-42; Matthew 13

Today has been a snow day here in Central Alabama, so there is no good reason I am posting this so late in the day. However, here it is for those who are paying attention.

I hope your Bible reading is going well and that you are able to stick with it. It is easy to become discouraged if you get behind or if you do not really connect with what you are reading. I hope these posts are helping you stay connected. Hang in there!

Thoughts on January 16 Bible Reading

January 16, 2018

Reading: Genesis 38-40

I recorded a video with thoughts for today's reading. On the video, I said the wrong date. Oops. Let me hear from you how your own reading is going!

Thoughts on January 15 Bible Reading

January 15, 2018

Reading: Genesis 36-37; Matthew 12

Happy Monday to you! I want to share a few thoughts on today’s reading in an attempt to encourage you to stay engaged in the Bible.

Genesis 36-37

Genesis 36 is one of the many genealogical lists in the Old Testament. It is often difficult to pay close attention to these types of lists, causing us to skip over them or to read them so fast that we do not pay attention to what we are reading. Using a good Study Bible can help us understand the significance of some of these lists. I am reading from the CSB Study Bible this year and the study notes provided below the text were helpful for me. I will say, however, that I found the study notes in the ESV Study Bible to be even more helpful.

CSB Study Bible

ESV Study Bible

Genesis 36 tells us what happened with Jacob’s brother, Esau, and his descendants after this time. The focus of the rest of Genesis will be on Jacob and his descendants because the line that would become the people of Israel goes through Jacob. Esau’s descendants eventually became the Edomites that are found later in the Old Testament.

Genesis 37 tells the story of Joseph’s dreams and his subsequent mistreatment by his brothers because he was Jacob’s favorite son. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery and made his father believe he was killed by wild animals. By the end of the chapter, Joseph was a slave in Potiphar’s house.

Matthew 12:39 (CSB)

“An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

Matthew 12 continues to describe the ministry of Jesus. In verse 38, the religious leaders requested that Jesus perform a miraculous sign. I suppose they did this because they wanted Jesus to prove His authority to teach or the authenticity of His message. Jesus refused to provide a miraculous sign, stating instead that they would only see the sign of Jonah; Jesus would be in the grave three days and nights in the same way Jonah was in the fish the same amount of time. Jesus’ resurrection would be the sign for them to see.

We often believe that if only people could see a miracle, then they would believe in Jesus, or trust in Jesus. However, that was not always the case in the New Testament. Many people saw Jesus perform miracles in the New Testament. Some marveled, but went on with their lives. Some followed Jesus for a while, but left Him when His teaching challenged them. Others placed their faith in Jesus and followed Him until the end of lives. A miraculous sign from God will not necessarily lead people to become followers of Jesus. We must look to the information He has already given us. He has given us the Bible, His Word.

Lord, help us to believe You and to trust You without demanding a sign. You have already provided all we need to have faith. 

Thoughts on January 13 Bible Reading

January 13, 2018

Reading: Genesis 33-35; Matthew 11

I would really like to hear from some of you who are reading the Bible with me this year. How is it going? What is the Lord teaching you? What are you finding difficult? What would make it easier? Use the comments section below to share.

Genesis 33-35

Jacob’s family had problems. His daughter was raped by a foreigner who was infatuated with her. His sons deceived and killed the men of the town to avenge their sister. His oldest son had sex with Jacob’s concubine who was the mother of the young man’s brothers. Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel, died in childbirth. All of this sounds like a soap opera. Yet God also confirmed His promises to Jacob, the same promises that were given to Abraham and Isaac before him.

I am really thankful that the Lord continued to be Jacob’s God. I am thankful God kept His promises to Abraham and Isaac. My own salvation has come through Jesus because God kept His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  I am also thankful that my family and my circumstances do not have to be perfect for me to remain a child of God. Thank You, Lord!

Mathew 11:2-3 (CSB)

“Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing, he sent a message through his disciples and asked him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?'”

Matthew 11:11 (CSB)

“Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

I am not sure what caused John the Baptist to second guess Jesus. Perhaps Jesus was not doing what John thought the Messiah would or should do. John doubted, so he sent his questions to Jesus and Jesus reassured him. Jesus then followed that up by saying that John was a great man.

I think all people have doubts at one time or another (whether or not we want to admit it). Here, I think we can follow the pattern of John with his doubts. We can take our doubts directly to Jesus. I once heard a pastor say that we should “doubt our doubts” rather than doubting the Lord and His word. I like that.

Lord, please help me to doubt my doubts. Help me to bring my doubts and questions to You. Help me to trust you even when I do not have the answers I desire.

Amen.

Thoughts on January 12 Bible Reading

January 12, 2018
Reading: Genesis 29-32

Thoughts on January 11 Bible Reading

January 11, 2018

Reading: Genesis 27-28; Matthew 10

I am sharing some devotional thoughts from today’s reading in the hope that it will encourage you to stay engaged with God’s Word as you read together with me this year. Please do not let these thoughts be a substitute for spending time reading God’s Word and applying what you learn to your life. I am praying for you as we continue this journey together.

Genesis 27-28

Genesis 27-28 is the account of Jacob stealing Esau’s blessing by deceiving his dad, Isaac. Esau was infuriated and began plotting to kill Jacob. Their mother warned Jacob and told him to flee to her home land and her family back east. While on the journey, God spoke to Jacob and made the same promises to him that He made to Abraham and to Isaac.

God’s promise to Jacob seems unfair, yet it makes me rejoice. God’s choice to bless Jacob over Esau had nothing to do with Jacob’s worthiness. Jacob was a deceiver who essentially stole his brother’s birthright and blessing. Yet, God, in His grace, chose to bless Jacob. God’s grace is the good He gives to people even though they do not deserve it. God, in His grace, has chosen to bless me with salvation and with every other good gift He has given to me. I am not worthy of any good thing from the Lord, and neither are you. Yet, God has not given me what I deserve, but by His grace, has given me good gifts.

Thank You, Lord, for Your grace. Thank You, Lord, for not giving me what I deserve, but for dealing with me according to Your loving-kindness.

Matthew 10:16 (CSB)

¹⁶“Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves."

In Matthew 10, Jesus called the twelve apostles and sent them out to do ministry. He gave them some instructions as He prepared to send them out. Verse 16, above, tells them that He is sending them out like sheep among wolves, so they need to be shrewd and innocent. As I read that, I am reminded that God expects me to act in the same way. There are some legitimately bad people in the world, probably more than we care to think about. He has sent me, and all of us who belong to Jesus, to love people and to share the good news of Jesus. Yet, in our love for others and ministry to them, He also expects us to act with wisdom so that we are not unnecessarily harmed in some way.

So, Lord, help me to love people like You love people, and to be faithful to share the good news of Jesus and do all the good I can do for as many as I can. Yet, Lord, please give me wisdom and help me to live according to it. Amen.

What is the Lord showing you from His Word today? Be a doer of His Word and not a hearer (or reader) only.

Bonus: How to use an expository dictionary to help you understand words in the Bible.

Thoughts on January 10 Reading

January 10, 2018

Reading: Genesis 25-26; Matthew 9

A few thoughts from our reading today. I hope these encourage you to stay engaged in your reading of the Bible. 

Genesis 25:33–34 (CSB)

³³Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to Jacob and sold his birthright to him.

³⁴Then Jacob gave bread and lentil stew to Esau; he ate, drank, got up, and went away. So Esau despised his birthright.

In our Old Testament reading for today, Abraham dies, and we begin to see the stories of Isaac and his two sons, Jacob and Esau. This family is the beginning of the Jewish people. God called Abraham and made promises to him in Genesis 12. The line goes through Isaac, his son, and then eventually through Jacob and his twelve sons. This family became the nation of Israel.

One thing that struck me in the reading for today was how Esau, Isaac’s oldest, basically gave away his birthright to his younger brother Jacob for a bowl of stew. A birthright may not seem that important in our day and time, but this was a very big deal. It is also noteworthy that Jacob essentially used extortion to gain his brother’s birthright from him. Neither of these two people are particularly good. Yet, God had said before they were born that the older would serve the younger, and here we see His words coming to pass.

God’s Word will come to pass, even when we do not see how it could be possible. The choices of people and apparent setbacks progress will not thwart God’s Word coming to pass.

Matthew 9:12 (CSB)

¹²Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick.

In Matthew 9, we continue to see the ministry of Jesus. One thing that I noticed in the reading was that people criticized Jesus for spending time with sinners and tax collectors instead of with the more religious people. His reply was that He came to call sinners to Himself, that they were the ones who needed a doctor, not those who were well. 

Man, this really hits home with me. As a pastor, I spend a lot of time around Christian people who are involved in church. I bet if you are active in a local church, you spend a lot of time with the same kinds of people. Yet Jesus came to earth for everyone. I need to spend more time with people who are not connected to a local church or who do not already have a relationship with Jesus. Lord, help me to have the same love for all people that you have shown, and help me to spend more time with people who need Jesus. Amen.

What is the Lord showing you in your reading today? What will you do about it?

Join me in reading the Bible this year!

Join me in reading the Bible this year!

For the last several years I have put together a one-year Bible reading plan for the congregation I serve.  This year, I would love for you to join us in the journey!  I have attached this year’s reading plan for you to download and use. The guide includes an explanation on how to use the guide and some information on how to apply the things you are learning to your life through a journaling method. I hope you will join me in allowing the Lord to speak to you in His word this year!

Click here to download the reading guide.

Thoughts from January 8 and 9 Bible Readings

January 9, 2018

Reading: Genesis 23-24; Matthew 8

I missed a day in the reading.  There, I said it.  It happens.  By God’s grace, I was able to catch up by including yesterday’s reading this morning. The Lord used the reading in Matthew 7 to remind me that the person whose sins cause me the biggest problems are my own. While I have a responsibility to my brothers and sisters in Christ to help them recognize and repent of their sins, I should be more bothered by my own sins than theirs, and I need to address my own sins before I help them address theirs.

Genesis 24:2–4 (CSB)

²Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his household who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,

³and I will have you swear by the Lord, God of heaven and God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live,

⁴but will go to my land and my family to take a wife for my son Isaac.”

Our Old Testament reading for today continues the story of Abraham and his family. In Genesis 23, Sarah, his wife, dies. In Genesis 24, Abraham sends his servant back to his relatives to find a wife for his son, Isaac. I do not want to assume too much about the reasons Abraham was concerned that his son marry someone from his people rather than from the Canaanites, but it was important. Marriage is important for many, many reasons.

I am a dad of two children, one of whom is now a college student. Who my children marry is important; for their sake, for their children’s sake; and for the sake of the glory of God. I sometimes wish I could arrange their marriages for them, but that is not how it works in this time and in this culture. What I can do for the marriages of my children is to pray for them and their future spouses and to teach my children about marriage and the kind of person they should seek to marry as a follower of Christ. 

Oh Lord, please find me faithful in praying for my children and in teaching them about Christian marriage. Amen.

Matthew 8:34 (CSB)

³⁴At that, the whole town went out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

Matthew 8 contains the stories of several miracles that Jesus did.  The miracles include healings, casting out demons, and calming storms.  One miracle included Jesus casting demons out of two people who lived among the tombs. (Can you imaging how tormented these folks must have been?) He sent the demons into a herd of pigs who ran off a cliff into the sea. I am sure the owners were not happy. After seeing this miracle, the whole town asked Him to leave. Two of their lesser citizens were healed at the cost of a herd of pigs and the Son of God was in their midst. Yet, they preferred the status quo rather than the necessary changes to see Jesus redeem these lives and the lives of others.

How often do I prefer the status quo over the good things the Lord may want to do in my life or through my life? I believe many of us prefer the status quo over the works of God because the works of God may cause us to change, may cost us something, or may positively impact some we do not care deeply about.  Oh Lord, please help me, help us to desire You and Your works over the status quo. Amen.

What is the Lord addressing in your life from this reading in His Word? 

Thoughts from January 6 Reading

January 6, 2018

Reading: Genesis 18-19; Matthew 6

This is day 6 in reading the Bible together, and it is very likely that some of us who are reading have already gotten behind or have missed a day or more. Please do not get discouraged and quit! Each Sunday in this reading plan is a catch-up day, so take advantage of that.  If catching up is a little too much, then just pick up on the current day and go forward.  Our goal here is not to get a prize for checking the boxes, but to provide a place to meet the Lord in His word each day.  If the reading is too much for you each day, then just read the New Testament portions for the day. I am praying for you as you continue this journey.

Genesis 18-19

Our Old Testament reading for today continues to cover the life of Abraham and his family. Again, as we read these historical accounts, it may sometimes be unclear why this should matter to us. One thing I would say is that this is our family history. This is the story of how God worked through history to provide salvation to mankind through His son Jesus. Another thing I would say is that there are things we can see in the lives of the Old Testament folks that teach us what is good to do and what is not good to do. Case in point, the Lord told Abraham that he and Sarah would have a child by that time the next year. Abraham had to choose whether to believe God in the face of contrary evidence. We regularly face the same situation in our lives, whether to believe God and live according to His word, or whether to go with our own assessment.  There is more we can learn from the passage.  Read it and ask God to speak to your life. Then apply what He shows you!

Matthew 6

Matthew 6:1 (CSB)

¹“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven.

Matthew 6:6 (CSB)

⁶But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6:33 (CSB)

³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Matthew 6 continues Jesus’ sermon on the mount.  There is so much we can learn and apply to our lives and I trust the Lord is impressing on your heart what specifics you need to apply today.  One thing that stood out to me was Matthew 6:1, where He tells us not to practice our righteousness in front of others in order to be seen.  Man, that is challenging, especially for me. I am a pastor who stands in front of people to pray and teach regularly. I am writing and posting things about my own Bible reading (with the sincere hope that I am encouraging you in your journey). I need to check my motivation, always, when it comes to public ministry. Matthew 6:6 reminds me of God’s expectation for me to be praying regularly. Matthew 6:33 reminds me that priority number one for my life is to seek God and the things of God and to trust that He will provide all that I need. 

There are a lot of personal things the Lord may be addressing in our lives from today’s reading. I would love to hear from you how God is using His word in your life!

Blessings!

Mac

Thoughts from January 5 Bible Reading

January 5, 2018

Reading: Genesis 14-17; Matthew 5

The Old Testament reading for today covers a swath of the life of Abraham and the New Testament reading begins Jesus’ well-known Sermon on the Mount.  Again, there is so much to learn and to apply to our lives from these passages.  Our goal here is not a detailed study of each passage (though that is certainly a worthy pursuit).  Rather, our goal here is to help us think through some of the things that God is showing us in His Word to which we can personally respond.  So, again, these are devotional thoughts from the passage. 

Genesis 15:6 (CSB)

⁶Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

I believe that the defining characteristic of Abram’s (later Abraham) life was that he had faith in God, meaning he believed God.  God made big promises to Abram in Genesis 12 (go back and read them).  Yet, as time went by, it became clear to Abram that there was no way humanly possible for those promises to be fulfilled.  God had promised him that his descendants would become a great nation, that he would make his name great, and that he would bless all the peoples of the earth through him.  By the end of our reading, Abram was 100 years old and his wife was 90 (a little past child-bearing years), and yet they had no children to fulfill this promise.  Yet, Abram believed God and God credited righteousness to him because of His faith.

Ultimately, faith is hearing from God and believing what He says.  Faith is not some form positive thinking.  It is believing God and living your life according to what He says rather than according to what your intellect, your peers, or your world say.  Today, let us believe God rather than our feelings or logic.  Today, let us live according to what God says, rather than what we think.

Matthew 5:14–16 (CSB)

¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.

¹⁵No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.

¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

So much in Matthew 5, what short devotional thought can I share???  Well, these three verses above struck me today.  Jesus tells us, as Christ-followers, that we are the light of the world and that we need to let our light shine before others so that they may see Christ in us and become worshipers of God. 

I don’t like it when people make a show of their religion and one of the things I want to guard against in my life is trying to make people think a particular way about me by acting religious in front of them.  (The fact that I am writing this to be read on the internet gives me pause.)  Yet, here Jesus tells us to let our lights shine before others, not to hide the fact that we are committed to Christ and living in His ways.  He wants to show others the glory of God through the lives of His people. 

Oh, Christian, if you do not show others by your life and tell others by your words who God is and what it means to know Christ and live for Him, who will?  There seems to be a growing ignorance about God and the things of God in our day, which is hard to believe in the information age.  Now, let’s not make a show of our religion trying to make people think well of us by doing spiritual things in front of them, but let’s live godly lives and talk to people about the God who created them, who loves them, and who wants them to know Him and His salvation.  Be a light today!

Thoughts from January 4 Bible Reading

January 4, 2018

Reading: Genesis 11-13; Matthew 4

I recorded a video with thoughts for today's reading.  Sorry to post it so late in the day, but technology and I have not been on the same page.  I hope these thoughts help you better understand what you are reading in Scripture and to stay engaged with it. Also, as I mention in the video, I have posted a couple of maps to help you understand the places that are described in today's reading.

Blessings!

Mac

Thoughts from January 3 Bible Reading

January 3, 2018

Reading: Genesis 8-10; Matthew 3

As always, there is so much to the reading that it is impossible to comment on each part in this format.  The goal here is to help us think through some of the things that God is showing us in His Word to which we can personally respond.  So, these are devotional thoughts from the passage.  Of course, there is no substitute for each of us reading the passage, allowing God to speak truth into our lives.  I hope the Lord is blessing you as you meet Him daily in His Word.

Genesis 9:21 (CSB)

²¹He drank some of the wine, became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.

Genesis 8-10 finishes the account of Noah and the flood.  God shows us in His word that Noah was a godly man who found favor with the Lord.  Noah obeyed God; building the ark and gathering his family and the animals as God had instructed (I am sure the rest of the people of the earth mocked him and thought he had lost his mind). Noah experienced the grace of God as he and his family were spared while God’s wrath destroyed the rest of mankind.  So, finding Noah drunk and naked in his tent is very surprising.  Seeing his son, Ham, act wickedly is also surprising because he had experienced these things along side his father and brothers.  Why does this godly person sin so easily? 

Of course, this is the same question I constantly ask about myself.  Why, after experiencing salvation through Christ, and so much of the goodness of God, do I find sin so attractive and easy to commit?  I often feel like Romans 7 was written about me (look it up).  Yet, we are foolish to think that we cannot sin as easily as Noah and Ham did here.  Galatians 5 describes the internal struggle Christians face as the Spirit wages war with the flesh, and vice versa.  For the saved, God has given us the grace and power to resist the sinful desires in our lives, yet our sinful flesh will still long for those things that are evil in the sight of God.  

Oh Lord, please give us an extra measure of grace today to recognize how easy it is for us to sin and to take extra precautionary measures to be diligent in our struggle against sin. 

Matthew 3:8–9 (CSB)

⁸Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance.

⁹And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones.

God sent John the Baptist ahead of Jesus to prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of the Messiah.  He baptized people as a sign of their repentance from sin.  As religious leaders came to him, John sternly warned them not to depend on the fact that they were Jews, descended from Abraham, as evidence that they were pleasing to God.  Rather, he called them to personally repent of their sins. 

This is an important word for those of us who are religious today. (I know, I know, it’s not a religion but rather a relationship, but allow me to use the language here).  It may be tempting for us to believe that we are pleasing to God because we are evangelicals, or Baptists, or Methodists, or Presbyterians, or Catholics, or whatever label you want to apply to yourself here.  It may be tempting to believe that because we serve the Lord in some capacity (or have in the past), that we are pleasing to the Lord.  Yet, for me, I need to remember that as important as many of these things are, my personal relationship with the Lord is far more important that the labels to which I cling. 

Are you genuinely saved?  Are you genuinely walking in a right relationship with Jesus?  Are you walking in continual repentance from sin and continual faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?  These are more important that the labels.  

Oh Lord, please give us a fresh and right walk with You today. Amen.

Thoughts from Jan 2 Bible Reading

January 2, 2018

Reading: Genesis 4-7; Matthew 2

For the sake of variety, I recorded a short video discussing today's reading.  These are devotional thoughts from the reading and not an in-depth Bible study.  I hope you will not substitute these things for your own reading of the Word and for your own personal application of His Word.

Blessings,

Mac

Thoughts from January 1 Bible reading

January 1, 2018

Reading: Genesis 1-3; Matthew 1

There is so much from our reading today that should cause us to worship our God and be in awe of Him.  There is more in the reading that I could comment on, but consider these things about the Lord from our reading today:

Genesis 1:14-15 (CSB translation)

¹⁴ Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for seasons and for days and years. ¹⁵ They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth.” And it was so.

Consider how the Bible describes God’s creating of the sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day of creation.  The Bible says He placed them in the heavens to separate day from night, and to mark days, season, and years.  Does that seem a little extravagant to you?  Consider the sheer size and power of the sun.  Now consider the fact that our sun is just an average star.  There are known stars which dwarf our sun in size and power.  Consider the fact that our galaxy is an average galaxy of which there are billions of galaxies with millions of stars each.  It seems a little overkill to this feeble mind to believe that God has created all of this just to provide us light and to mark time for us.  Yet, God simply spoke these things into existence.  Oh, what knowledge, and wisdom, and power God must posses to create such an extravagant universe! How should we respond to a God who has given us the universe for the simple task of lighting and keeping time? Let us fall down and worship this God.  Let us rise up and serve this God.  Let us get to know this God.  Let us give our lives in service to this God.

Matthew 1:21 (CSB translation)

²¹She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

In Matthew 1, it is overwhelming to consider God’s work not only in the cosmic realm, but also in the realms of history and biology.  God has gone to great lengths not only to provide us the sun, moon, and stars, but also to provide us a Savior.  Matthew 1 traces a large swath of the genealogy of Jesus.  Consider God’s command over the events of history for this to take place.  God caused kingdoms to rise and fall throughout history to bring about the Savior.  God caused a people to be established (the Jewish people) and specific tribes and families and individuals to bring about the Savior in the fullness of time.  Through the rising and falling of nations, through interpersonal relationship between families and individuals, through fertilization in the womb, through control over X and Y chromosomes, and through the miracle of a virgin birth, God worked to fulfill every promise He made to bring mankind a Savior.  How should you respond to this God who has gone to such extravagant lengths to provide you a Savior?  Again, I say, fall down and worship Him, rise up and serve Him, get to know Him, and give your lives in service to Him!

Romans 11:33–36 (CSB)

³³Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways!

³⁴For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?

³⁵And who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid?

³⁶For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.