60IN60 Day 38 - Wed Dec 8

It's Day 38 and we're in Lamentations 1.

This is a book focused on the sadness over what was going on in Israel then. The people's sins had led to God's judgment in allowing a foreign nation to come in and conquer Israel. Although it's sad to read, I'm glad the Bible reflects real life: the times of joy and the seasons of sorrow.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 20 - Sometimes we bring those problems on ourselves and yet are quick to blame God.

Help:
- Verse 2 - "lovers" - He is using that as an analogy of the ways that Israel has gone after other gods - a type of spiritual adultery.
- Verse 8b-9a - This is a sexual analogy - that Israel was like a promiscuous woman out sleeping with other men. Again, a spiritual adultery analogy.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 37 - Tues Dec 7

It's Day 37 and we're in Matthew 14.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 27 - When we struggle, Jesus says, "Take courage!"

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 36 - Mon Dec 6

It's Day 36 and we're in Matthew 13.

A little reminder from James 1:22 - "Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says!" 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 23 - I want to see that overflowing fruitfulness in my life.

Help:
- Verse 12 - Isn't that unfair? It sounds a little that way, but you've got to read it with the idea that the larger passage in mind. The idea that's being shared here is something like this: "To the one that grabs onto what God is trying to show them, more insight and more opportunities to go deeper will be given. To the one who ignores what God is trying to show them, even what little insight they have will fade away."
- Verses 13-16 - This is a hard passage to understand. The most important thing to grasp it is to know that this is not God saying what He hopes will happen: "I hope they don't grasp it and their eyes are blinded so they won't turn to Me." This is God saying what the people are doing: "My people hear with their ears but not with their hearts because they don't want Me. If they would turn to Me, I would eagerly heal them."
- Verse 52 - As Jesus taught, He both shared old truths in an instructive and revealing way as well as sharing new things that helped people toward God.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 35 - Sun Dec 5

It's Day 35 and we're in Matthew 12.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 14 - Are there obvious moves of God that I miss sometimes because I'm closed off to what He's doing?

Help:
- Verses 31-32 - The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is not something that accidentally happens. It comes from the deliberate and repeated choice to ignore the leading of God and to ascribe what God is doing to other sources.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 34 - Sat Dec 4

It's Day 34 and we're in Matthew 11.

One problem that regularly bothers me as I read is a wandering mind. A word in the text will make me think of something that I have to do that day and my mind is off to the races, leaving the Bible behind. I've found it helpful to have something near me that I can make a note on when that happens so I can write down that thing I need to do later and get back to concentrating on the reading in front of me. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 21-24 - I have been given an enormous opportunity in knowing the gospel. Because of how much God has revealed to me, He has great expectations of me. We need to realize there is a responsibility that comes with what's been revealed to us.

Help:
- Verse 3 - Amazingly, John the Baptist is now doubting whether Jesus is really the Christ. This is because Jesus is not acting in the way that John expected: setting up a kingdom to drive the Romans out.
- Verses 16-19 - The basic point is: "nothing satisfies you." John came living a spare lifestyle and you wouldn't listen to Him. Jesus came living a life of eating and drinking and you wouldn't listen to Him.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 33 - Fri Dec 3

It's Day 33 and we're in Matthew 10.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 39 - Feeling a lot of this lately in my life. We've got to be willing to put aside our desires and pursue what He's calling us to.

Help:
- Verses 5-6 - Why did He say this? Because while Jesus was on earth, His mission was focused on sharing the gospel with the Jews. It isn't until after they reject Him that the gospel opens up to the Gentiles (i.e. us).
- Verse 15 - Why would it be more tolerable for them? Because with Jesus doing these miracles and sharing this teaching, they had a clear opportunity to know God's will and they're rejecting it. Because they had a better opportunity than Sodom and yet rejected it, things will be worse for them.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 32 - Thurs Dec 2

It's Day 32 and we're in Matthew 9.

One reason to be in the Bible regularly? It cuts through the clutter. We are surrounded by tons of information, but so much of it is essentially irrelevant to a meaningful life. The Bible speaks to the issues that matter. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - Which would I consider the greater miracle: the physical healing or the soul healing?  Which would I be more impressed by?

Help:
- Verse 3 - They thought He was blaspheming because only God had the right to forgive sins and they didn't think that Jesus was God.
- Verse 9 - He had met Matthew before.  This was not their first conversation.
- Verse 15 - Yeah, that means that we should be fasting regularly.
- Verses 16-17 - What's that mean?  That Jesus is doing a new thing.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.