July 5

Today's Reading

1 Chronicles: it's easy to drown in this sea of names, isn't it? I suggest you skim over them to get a semblance of the order and the family groups. I'm not sure how this part of Scripture came about, but it's possible that it was the result of beginning to write down history that previously had been passed on by word of mouth from one generation to the next.

For instance, I have cousins who grew up near me. One part of our family trees are the same. Yet we each had another side of our family that wasn't related to the cousins. Each side of those families has a history, often told from one generation to the next. If someone were writing a "Chronicles" today, they would gather each of those histories and compile them, telling the "high points."

I hope that helps because we will read several chapters of names before we really get back to a story.

Acts: on the one hand, Paul was a prisoner of Rome. On the other hand, God was in charge so Paul was a victor rather than a victim. God protected Paul by having his nephew hear of the plot to kill him and passing the info on to the Roman commander.

Psalms: long before Paul (above), David learned how God protects those who call upon Him. It is one of the most valuable lessons in life!

Proverbs: the first verse reminds me of the darkness of depression. It pulls down the depressed person and all sorts of people nearby. The second verse is a challenge to never quit learning and growing.

What are you learning today?