It's Day 9 and we're in Numbers 13.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 31, 33 - It's so easy to let our fears rule our hearts. They knew God had promised to give them the land, but their fears overwhelmed their faith.
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.
It's Day 8 and we're in Numbers 12.
If you struggle with the feeling that you need to hurry through the reading, it can be helpful to lay aside a certain length of time for the reading. "I'm going to spend the next ten minutes reading the Bible. If I get done early, I'll go back and re-read it. If I don't get it done, that's fine. Now I can relax and not try to hurry through so I can get on with the other things I need to get done today. I'm going to be here for ten minutes."
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 2 - Jealousy of a leader who is seeing God move through him is pretty common. We always need to be careful about impugning God's servant.
Help:
- Verses 1, 10 - There is an irony in the crime and punishment. Moses married a Cushite: i.e. a black woman. The punishment is leprosy: i.e. white skin. God is pointing out their racism.
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.
It's Day 7 and we're in Matthew 21.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 12 - I like this image of Jesus: willing to take a stand, fearless, disruptive, bold, tough.
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.
It's Day 6 and we're in Matthew 20.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 30-31 - Don't listen to the voices telling you to keep quiet. Reach out, call out to God.
Help:
- Verses 1-16 - This is a hard parable. There are two main translations of it: (1) it's about heaven and the point is that some are believers for most of their lives while others believe just before death but both receive the reward of heaven; (2) it's about the Gentiles and the point is that even though the Jews have a long-standing relationship with God, He has the right to invite others ("late-comers") in as well. I personally prefer the first option.
- Verse 22 - They will in fact die for 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.
It's Day 5 and we're in Matthew 19.
If it's hard to understand what you're reading in the Bible, make sure you have a translation that's a good fit for you. Reading the King James (a great historic translation) can be particularly difficult because of the antiquated language. Among the good options available today: New International Version (good all-around translation), English Standard Version (good all-around translation), New American Standard (a more literal translation, closer to the original manuscripts), and New Living Translation (a translation that focuses on readability and understandability).
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 29 - God desires to bless those who passionately live for Him.
Help:
- Verse 17 - Those asking the question didn't see Jesus as God, so Jesus just gives them a little reminder here that only God is good, not just some teacher you're asking questions to.
- Verses 23-26 - They believed that wealth was a sign of God's blessing and approval, so it surprises them that Jesus says that it's hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Wealth makes it hard to come to God because we're more likely to trust in our wealth and our resources rather than realizing we are helpless and need God.
- Verse 29 - This is not saying we'll be rich in money in this life, just that God will bless us (in a whole host of ways).
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.
It's Day 4 and we're in Matthew 18.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 4 - We don't have to do self-promotion or trying to grab as much credit as possible. Just trust that He uses those who humbly serve.
Help:
- Verses 8-9 - The point here is not to mutilate ourselves. Even if I removed my eye, the fact that I have the image in my head would mean that I could still sin. The point He is making is the urgency of it: do what it takes to get sin out of your life! If getting rid of your foot would help, it'd be better to be without a foot than to be in sin.
- Verse 10 - This is one of the two verses that hint at the idea of guardian angels.
- Verses 15-17 - This is how we should deal with such issues. Not talking behind each other's backs, but going to each other and handling it.
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.
It's Day 3 and we're in Matthew 17.
Sometimes we only want to hear words of comfort from God, but we're reminded in Hebrews 4:12 that the Bible is "sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit." It's great when we get an encouraging word, but we need to be convicted too.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 20 - He doesn't even require massive faith - we just have to have a little faith.
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.
