Category Archives: Daily Reading

Post with each day’s reading.

2013 Day 96 – Joshua 4-6, Psalm 53

06 Saturday Apr 2013

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In today’s reading, I love the scene in Joshua 5 where the Israelites are camped on the plains of Jericho and are getting ready to begin conquering the promised land. They begin by celebrating Passover, just as they did before leaving Egypt, and they enjoy the fruits of the promised land for the first time. The food God had been providing the past 40 years, the manna, also stopped. It is a good reminder to us that God will always provide for us when we are in need, but He also provides the means for us to provide for ourselves. Having a strong faith in God is important, but it is not excuse for assuming we don’t need to do our part. Just as prayer is not an alternative to preparation and execution with our God-given abilities and talents.

2013 Day 95 – Joshua 1-3, Psalm 52

05 Friday Apr 2013

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Today we begin the book of Joshua. This is one of my favorite books of the Old Testament. There is a lot of drama and there are many lessons we can learn. One of the things that always stands out to me in this book is how God uses everything to fulfill His plan. The bottom line is that God doesn’t really need us; He chooses to use us. In these first few chapters God even uses a prostitute to fulfill His plan. The point I’m trying to make is He doesn’t need us to be perfect or holy or clean, smart, or even called. He simply wants us to be obedient and willing to be used in any way He asks.

2013 Day 94 – James 3-5, Psalm 51

04 Thursday Apr 2013

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A couple of things stood out to me this morning in our reading. The first verse is about wisdom and made me consider if the wisdom that comes from me matches what comes from heaven. James 3:17 says, But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. If my wisdom is truly from heaven it will exhibit the characteristics described above.

The second verse that stood out to me is Psalm 51:10, Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. This verse matches up well with the verse in James described above. We must allow God to create a pure heart in us so we can identify and accept God’s wisdom from the proper perspective.

2013 Day 93 – James 1-2, Psalm 50

03 Wednesday Apr 2013

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Today we start the first of two days in the book of James. This is a letter written by Jesus’ half brother James who became one of the leaders of the early church. James wrote this letter to expose hypocritical behavior and to teach how believers should live their lives. The letter also tells believer they should expect trials and they should consider it a privilege to know they are found worthy to have their faith tested. James 1:2-3 says, 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

2013 Day 92 – Deuteronomy 31-34, Psalm 49

02 Tuesday Apr 2013

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Today we finished the fifth and final book of the laws. There is so much information to grasp, but the big message I kept hearing over and over was how much God loves His people. I know it sounds like a ton of death and destruction and consequences, but the main message to me is that God never leaves His people. He even told Moses in Deuteronomy 31:16, And the Lord said to Moses: “You are going to rest with your ancestors, and these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them. Even though God knew these people would turn their backs on Him repeatedly, God never left them. The same thing goes for us; God will never leave us no matter how bad we are or how far we stray. He loves us and wants nothing but what is best for us.

2013 Day 91 – Deuteronomy 27-30, Psalm 48

01 Monday Apr 2013

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Welcome back after a couple of days off from our reading plan. I hope you were all blessed by celebrating our Savior’s sacrifice and resurrection.

The verse that caught my eye today was Psalm 48:14, For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. God wants to lead us if we will allow Him to do it. His plan is perfect. We just need to humble ourselves to His leadership.

2013 Day 87 – Deuteronomy 23-26, Psalm 47

28 Thursday Mar 2013

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As we watch decisions unfold around us by the leaders of this country and the world, it is easy to forget who is the leader of them all. Psalm 47:8-9 says, 8 God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. 9 The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted. While we should not ignore what happens around us and sit idly by, we must remember that God is not blinded by any of it. In the end, His righteousness will prevail. Let us not allow ourselves to be hung up on individual issues around us, but let us focus on God’s kingdom and our mission to share the message of Christ. We should also keep in mind that the Great Commission did not include the title of “Judges of the Earth”. Matthew 28:19-20 simply states what our role should be, 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

2013 Day 86 – Deuteronomy 20-22, Psalm 46

27 Wednesday Mar 2013

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As we read all of these individual laws, I can’t help but notice how many of these commands are common sense to us today. God does not give us laws to punish, but to protect. Yes, He wants obedience, but like a father to his children, He wants nothing more than to protect and give what is best for us. When we choose to disobey sound instruction from our Heavenly Father, we place ourselves in the presence of potential danger. Let us not ignore God, but let us obey Him and His commands because He knows what is best for us.

2013 Day 85 – Deuteronomy 17-19, Psalm 45

26 Tuesday Mar 2013

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Reading the description of what a king should be in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 reminds me of how any leader should be. They are not to be greater than all the rest with the goal of attaining extravagant perks. They are not to use the people for their own glory. They are not to work for the sake of self indulgence. Unfortunately, sometimes, leaders feel the actual job is a way to achieve the reward. Leadership is about servanthood, not about self gratification and indulgence. There is responsibility for everyone under you, not the other way around. If leaders, whether they lead a small team or an entire country like the United States, were to remember this they would be much more effective, respected, loved, and followed.

2013 Day 84 – Deuteronomy 14-16, Psalm 44

25 Monday Mar 2013

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Unfortunately, I did not get a lot from today’s reading we have not already discussed. However, as I have said before, it amazes me at the level of detail God puts into the instruction He gives to the Israelites through Moses. I know we no longer live under the law to receive salvation, but there is a lot of wisdom in the commands given to the Israelites (including the command to not eat vultures). There is nothing listed in the Bible by accident or without purpose. We must continue to read and digest every word because it is important, if for no other reason than to point us back to our imperfection without God’s saving grace through Christ’s sacrifice.