July 7

Today's Reading

1 Chronicles: verse 9, near the beginning of today's passage is the short story of a man named Jabez. There's an excellent little book called The Prayer of Jabez that is definitely worth reading. It will spark your faith!

Acts: Festus, like Felix before him, was caught in a political quandary. He knew he had no legitimate charges against Paul. On the other hand, he wanted to please the Jewish leaders who were often making waves in the Empire. He was willing to take Paul back to Jerusalem, then claim innocence if they were ambushed and Paul was killed on the road. Paul knew that God had other plans for him, so he appealed to Caesar.

Psalms: "Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." That's a great example for us to follow.

Proverbs: this is one of the reasons that Jesus said,
"Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison." Matthew 5:25 (New American Standard Bible) Our pride wants to sulk over perceived wrongs and justify our retaliation. However, the sooner we try to make amends, the more likely we will be able to move to a reconciliation.

What do you see?