July 19

Today's Reading

1 Chronicles. This description of the final days of David's reign is a wonderful climax to his story. He instructed his son Solomon to seek the Lord, gave him details about the construction of the Temple, then led the way in giving to pay for it. What a word picture!

Romans. I thank God for the day when He began to wake me up to the depths of my sin. Only then could I begin to realize the greater depths of His love and grace. He loved me as a sinner, not as someone who had cleaned up my act enough to deserve Him. Now, from the deepest part of my heart, I want to know Him and serve Him. It is the natural response to His great love.
There is, I think, a very important verse in today's passage. I was a young pastor when I was asked why we believe that tiny children haven't reached an "age of accountability" for their sins. I wondered what Scripture we used to back it up. I called a Bible professor whom I knew (perhaps the most learned Bible Scholar I ever knew) and asked him. He wasn't sure of the answer. Then one day I was reading in Romans 5 and came upon verse 13, which says, "...it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break." I asked my professor friend if he thought this could be the answer -- little kids (and some others who have certain mental challenges) can't understand that they have broken God's law until they reach a certain maturity. Only then are they held accountable for their sins. My professor friend agreed with my interpretation and I have found no other verse that so clearly states our "age of accountability" belief.

Psalms. For you and me, worship in God's sanctuary means having intimate heart-communion with Him. Notice the list of attitudes and actions that will keep us from such intimacy. Also, verse 3 says "...speak evil of their friends." A more literal translation says, "take up a reproach against". I like that because it can be taken two ways. Reproaching (speaking evil of) our friends will short-circuit our communion with God. However, we can also squeeze God out by picking up the reproaches others make against our friends. God never gives you the grace to handle my reproaches, but He gives that grace to me! If you grab hold of my offenses and get angry at the offenders, you will lose communion with God because of your bitterness.

Proverbs. An angry person is no fun to be around, but we do them no good by rescuing them from the results of their anger. If we let them face those results, perhaps they will be broken and let God change their heart.

Whew! That's a bunch. What do you see today? Questions for us?

July 18

Today's Reading

1 Chronicles. I found a quiet testimony to faithfulness and courage in Chapter 26 today. It was the selection of people from the "clan of Hebron" to take charge of things for David, both east and west of the Jordan River. Hebron was the capital city during the first seven years of David's reign. Perhaps more important, it is the region that was conquered by Caleb, during the days of Joshua. Caleb and Joshua were the two spies who pleaded with the nation to believe God and possess the land shortly after Moses received the commandments. The people rebelled and all of them over 20 years old -- all except Caleb and Joshua -- died in the wilderness. When they finally got into the Land, they conquered territory for five years. Then, at 85 years old, Caleb asked Joshua for permission to possess the hill country which had been promised to him 45 years earlier. That hill country was the territory of some of the most ferocious giants in the Land, but Caleb claimed and conquered it. By then (and still today), it is called Hebron.

Romans. Paul couldn't have made it clearer than today's passage. Faith -- complete trust in Christ's sacrifice for our sins -- places us in a right relationship with God. A right relationship results in a changed heart that wants to obey. It's never the other way around.

Psalms. Life is full of Fridays, the day that Jesus hung on the cross and hope seemed gone. But God always follows them with Sundays, when the power of death is conquered and joy overflows. Always!

Proverbs. Since we always will have poor near us, we will always have someone to help. It's part of God's process.

Your thoughts? Questions?

July 17

Today's Reading

1 Chronicles. Prior to the resurrection of Christ and the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon people for special acts of service, but He didn't indwell them as He does those who believe today. Therefore, one way of determining God's will was by the "sacred lot." They would ask God to lead them by way of the way the lots fell, then trust Him to be faithful. Notice the level of organization they had for doing the work at the Temple. It was amazing!

Today in Romans, Paul lays out the case for us being considered righteous before God. This is not something we work to earn, but something we receive by faith. It's a great example when we look at the way Paul described Abraham. Abraham trusted God for things humanly impossible. That is where God wants to take our faith, but we must be broken enough to see the limitation of our own resources.

Psalms today does a good job of describing just how I feel at times. I love the way it ends. How about you?

Proverbs. God's commandments will protect us -- if we let them!

Your thoughts? Do you have questions?

July 16

Today's Reading

1 Chronicles. David and Solomon both exercised great wisdom as they dedicated themselves to build the Temple and worship God. They were building something that opened the way to God for all who had a heart to follow Him. Unfortunately, many Jews took it as a sign of their superiority over others. How many Christians have had the same attitude through the ages?

Romans. Sin is universal. We are all guilty! There is only one adequate payment for sin and it was made by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, on the cross. The only way to clear our sin account with God is through faith, trusting in Christ alone for salvation. That's the Gospel in a nutshell!

Psalms. God loves the poor and oppressed. Do we?

Proverbs. Thank you, Lord, for my wife. She is truly a gift to me!

What do you see today? Do you have questions for us?

July 15

Today's Reading

1 Chronicles. David faced a common temptation for leaders, that of looking at the size and breadth of his territory and attempting to find his identity there. It's always dangerous to think our personal worth is in what we have acquired or what we have accomplished. That pride often leads to some type of destruction.

Romans. People with truly humble hearts have a "default position." To them, God is God. Always. If a wrong has taken place, it was not God who did it. Even though God transforms some of our sinful acts and brings good from them, (like the illegitimate baby who grew up to be a gifted evangelist) it still takes the power of Christ's blood to pay for our sins. We are not to excuse them, but to confess and forsake them.

Psalms. At various times in my life, it seems like evil is overcoming good in our world. BUT, God will ultimately prevail!

Proverbs. With today's understanding that "all men are created equal", I find verse 10 difficult. Anyone can become a leader and princes have no more rights than slaves. It wasn't that way, though, when this verse was penned.

What are your insights today? Questions?

July 14

Today's Reading

1 Chronicles. God promised David that He would "...raise up one of your descendants, one of your sons, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for me. And I will secure his throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my favor from him as I took it from the one who ruled before you. I will confirm him as king over my house and my kingdom for all time, and his throne will be secure forever." No one else could meet that description other than Jesus, Messiah, the son of David. Notice David's prayer following his receipt of the Word from the prophet; He claimed the promise by faith. I must do the same when I receive one of God's promises.

Romans. "24 No wonder the Scriptures say, 'The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.'” I heard someone say that there are two reasons people don't know Christ. The first is that they don't know a Christian. The second is that they do know a Christian. May God deliver us from living like stumbling blocks!

Psalms. The Scripture draws a distinct line between the humble victims of a cruel world and those who would use difficulties as an excuse to do evil.

Proverbs. My own desire is to always cherish understanding, even when it threatens my previous view of things.

I have been well fed by today's verses. How about you? Any questions?

July 13

Today's Reading

1 Chronicles. "...King David skipping about and laughing with joy..." I hope that someone with Michal's attitude didn't see me and a bunch of other adults at children's camp this week. I'm certain that our worship would look less than "proper" to them. The person after God's heart is willing to look undignified in worship. It doesn't matter if it's a king or a pauper. By the way, David gave gifts to the people on that day of celebration, including loaves of bread. Since he was from Bethlehem -- house of bread -- I'm sure he knew where to get it!

Romans today is a graphic word picture of sliding down a slippery slope. It mentions three levels of sin, each more depraved than the one before. In each case, "God abandoned them" at that level and the sin got worse. It's a dangerous thing to shut out the conviction of God's Spirit and fail to repent while we can.

Psalms. The humble who seek God may have great difficulty now, but God's salvation is ahead. The wicked may think they are getting away with sin, but judgment is coming.

Proverbs. The world tends to disregard the poor. There are those who call attention to the poor, yet their ultimate goal is for their own gain. God's people, however, naturally have compassion on the poor -- it's from God's heart. On the other hand, many Christians in our own nation have chosen to shut down the influence of the Holy Spirit in this area.

And your thoughts today? Do you have questions?

July 12

Today's Reading

1 Chronicles. David's kingdom began with great joy and unity. It was probably the most unified the Jews had been in their history. It's but a picture of what Christ's kingdom will be like when we are all bound together in love and harmony.

We begin the reading of Romans today. Even though Acts concluded with Paul's arrival in Rome, you will notice that this book was written before that time -- he was planning to come, but hadn't made it yet. Romans is perhaps the deepest and richest book in the whole Bible. The great themes are introduced in this first chapter...
1. The Gospel is powerful to change people from the inside out.
2. We become righteous by faith rather than by works.

Psalms. "The wicked are trapped by their own deeds." I once knew a leader who misused his influence to get rid of a subordinate in a very harsh and humiliating way. Only a year or so later, his organization got rid of the leader using the same methods. Afterwards, someone said to me, "He taught them how."

Proverbs. Whether the issue is money or words, the truth has a way of coming out. May we live truthfully.

What do you see today? What questions come to mind?

July 11

Today's Reading

1 Chronicles. The narrative today turns to David and his mighty men. I'm certain that, while others proudly lauded him as king, David turned his appreciation to those who put their lives on the line for the kingdom. As a fierce warrior, He was respected by his "mighty men." As a man of compassion, he was loved by the people.

Acts concludes with Paul's arrival at Rome. He would see great fruit there and he would also suffer. It was in Rome where Paul was finally martyred, though many historians believe that didn't happen at this time. Paul had other ministry elsewhere before he was finally executed for his faith.

Psalms. God cares for the helpless. That's a far cry from helping "those who help themselves." Yes, we must sometimes take action to deal with our own problems, but we must be cautious lest we try to seize control of our own lives and leave God out completely.

Proverbs today is a mouthful. Which verse speaks the most to you?

What are your questions and thoughts today?

July 10

Today's Reading

1 Chronicles. We have (finally) moved from the list of names to the narrative. Saul lost the kingdom because of disobedience. He tried to hold onto it by his personal power. Have you ever made similar mistakes?

Acts. Like Saul (above), the sailors went to sea when they were warned not to. Then they tried to make everything work out by their own ingenuity. What a mess! But God always has a plan!

Psalms. Whether in the mountains, on the desert sands, or standing next to an ocean, God's majesty is everywhere. He has designed us for a very special place in His kingdom. We are a "little lower than God." God has given us significant authority and, along with it, huge responsibility to care for a created order gone awry. We have much work to do!

Proverbs. I have seen people destroy each other over money when an inheritance is on the line. Genuine friends value the friendship above any earthly thing.

What are your thoughts today? Do you have questions?

July 9

Today's Reading

1 Chronicles. The record of the families continues, with occasional personal history stories thrown in.

Acts. This graphic telling of a shipwreck must be one of the best descriptions of such in ancient writing. It is critical to note that Paul's foreboding wasn't a natural fear, but something he sensed in his spirit. However, he was bound to go. Note had the care taken by the crew wasn't enough to forestall disaster. There's a great lesson there.
The ship landed on Crete (Titus' location when the letter bearing his name was written) and was trying to get to another Cretan port when the storm blew them off course. This event happened, as best as we can ascertain, not long before Paul wrote his letter to Titus. It's possible that his brief stay (only a day or so?) at Fair Havens, Crete was enough to give him some in-depth awareness of what was happening to the churches on the island.

Psalms. David was quick to declare his dependence upon God. He was also quick to look inwardly to make sure He wasn't short-circuiting God's protection and provision by harboring sin. my current trial something God has allowed to produce maturity in me? Or is it the consequence of some sin I need to deal with?

Proverbs. This verse is certainly true for me! Next to my salvation, Cathy is the greatest blessing of my life.

What do you see today? Do you have questions?

July 8

Today's Reading

Today's 1 Chronicles passage concludes with the assignment of territory to the priests, who served throughout the country, serving God and the people.

Acts. Paul's speech before King Agrippa is a masterful and passionate proclamation of the Gospel. Agrippa would have had the authority to release Paul, but Paul's appeal to the Emperor would surely have been forwarded to Rome. There was no turning back on that. Paul, then, used every opportunity to continue sharing the Gospel. What an example for us!

Psalms. David's spot as "a man after God's own heart" didn't insulate him from many trouble. As you read his Psalms, you realize that he often felt overwhelmed by the challenges of life. However, he kept crying out and trusting God. The Christian life is not one of painless joy, nor is it one of constantly being strong in the midst of hardship; it's about struggles, stumbles, rejection and -- sometimes -- being totally unsure of what to do. Through it we keep learning to trust God.

Proverbs. Dear God, please remind me throughout the day to tame my tongue.

What is on your heart? Do you have questions?

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. Bruce Wilkinson wrote 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? Questions?

July 6

Today's Reading

1 Chronicles. The names in Israel's history have quickly moved through the generations to King David's time. Hebron, the city in the hill country which Caleb had claimed as one of the twelve spies under Moses, was David's first capital. Following the mention of Solomon, we get this simple listing (in order) of the Kings of Judah, which we just read about: "10 The descendants of Solomon were Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, 11 Jehoram,[k] Ahaziah, Joash, 12 Amaziah, Uzziah,[l] Jotham, 13 Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, 14 Amon, and Josiah.
15 The sons of Josiah were Johanan (the oldest), Jehoiakim (the second), Zedekiah (the third), and Jehoahaz[m] (the fourth).
16 The successors of Jehoiakim were his son Jehoiachin and his brother Zedekiah."

Acts. You will notice that Paul's imprisonment was far more about politics than about truth. However, Paul used every opportunity to share the Gospel with political rulers who, up until then, may have never considered their own need for Jesus. What an example for us; I'm afraid that I would have been entirely focused on getting free, if I was Paul. If it was a member of my family, I would have fought even harder for release. Not Paul! God had a purpose in his imprisonment. Don't fight it; go with it!
Psalms. I think it showed significant maturity for David to keep from anger, considering the number of his enemies.
Proverbs. The middle verse in today's reading is the one that comes most often to my mind. Every story has at least two sides and we do well to hear them both before we pass judgment.
What do you think today? Do you have questions?

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, which will retell some of the history we have read in 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings.

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? Do you have questions?

May 27, Day 147

Today's Reading

“And now, because of my devotion to the Temple of my God, I am giving all of my own private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction. This is in addition to the building materials I have already collected for his holy Temple. 1 Chronicles 29:3 (NLT) That verse says a lot, in a day when many Christians only think of wealth transfer to their children and grandchildren.  All of us know stories about squandered riches that were handed down to those who didn't work for them.  David's generous gift says much about the placement of his heart.  I love my family and have plans to bless them when I'm gone (if any is left).  But I want my heart to be like David's!

May 25, Day 145

Today's Reading

1 Chronicles 25:1: "David and the army commanders then appointed men from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to proclaim God’s messages to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. Here is a list of their names and their work.."  Reading this makes me think of military chaplains.  May God strengthen them for their difficult jobs!

May 23, Day 143

Today's Reading

2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, Psalms. "Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel." 1 Chronicles 21:1 (NLT) Somehow, David KNEW that he wasn't supposed to do this.  Early in his reign, God had told him to take a census, but now David wasn't supposed to do it.  James 4:17 (New Testament) said, "He who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." David knew this was the wrong thing to do and did it anyway.  It's dangerous for spiritual leaders to place their hope or their identity in a head count.  That doesn't mean that it's wrong to count, but it is wrong to use them as a comparison to others.

May 13, Day 133

Today's Reading

2 Samuel. As I read today's passage, it struck me that David's great victories -- accompanied by his magnanimous gestures to former enemies -- must have led him into pride. How else could he have given in to fleshly desires toward another man's wife, then have the other man killed? Said another way, I don't think he took a giant, instant leap into adultery and murder; I think he took a series a baby steps away from God. To me, that's much scarier.

The complexity of the lives of those in today's passage is worth a notice. Each person was walking through difficulties. David was grieving his son's death and broken over his own sin. Bathsheba was surely mourning the loss of Uriah and her complicity in the sin of adultery, as well as the death of her baby. Nathan was faithfully bringing the Word of the Lord to the king, regardless of the consequences. David's advisers were fretting over the king's demeanor. In the meantime, where was Joab? He was fighting Israel's battles on the battlefield. He was loyal to David...sort of.

May 11, Day 131

Today's Reading

Our reading in 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles today are, obviously, about the same historical events.  History is in the eye of the beholder and God used their observations to give us His Word.  "Men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." 2 Peter 1:21 (NASB) God spoke through their personalities, their vocabulary, and their observations of things happening around them.  It is a common misconception, when we say that the Bible is the Word of God and the WORDS of God, to believe that God dictated it through the equivalent of human robots.  How out of His character that would be!  He gave them intelligence and abilities, which along with their life experiences prepared them for God's purposes.

Why was David a great king?  The answer, in the midst of such widespread victory, is found in Psalm 20: Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7 (NLT)