60IN60 Day 51 - Tues Aug 25

It's Day 51 and we're in Proverbs 21.

Remember as we read through Proverbs that a proverb is a general truth - the way things normally are.  That means that what's being said may not be always happen.  For instance, the proverbs about "train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it" doesn't mean that every single child raised in a Christian home will come back to the Lord - it just means that's what generally happens.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 2 - It's not enough to have good actions.  I need to have good motives as well.

Help:
- Verse 14 - I don't think we should presume that the writer here is condoning bribery, but rather that he's simply describing the way the world often works.

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 50 - Mon Aug 24

It's Day 50 and we're in Hosea 14.

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 5 - "like dew" - I like that image of refreshment.

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 49 - Sun Aug 23

It's Day 49 and we're in Hosea 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Nothing really jumped out to me.

Help:

- Verse 1 - "raisin cakes" - Why is this mentioned? They were a part of the Baal worship that they were doing.
- Verse 2 - Apparently Hosea's wife had ended up in sexual slavery, so he is instructed to buy her back.

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 48 - Sat Aug 22

It's Day 48 and we're in Hosea 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verses 1-23 - God cannot abide their sin and just wink at it, yet He so passionately desires for them to come back to Him in love and faithfulness.

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 47 - Fri Aug 21

It's Day 47 and we're in Hosea 1.

A scary thought: the Bible is "able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). That can be frightening, but know that God loves you the way you are, but too much to leave you that way. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Nothing really jumped out to me.

Help:

- Verse 2 - What's going on here? God is asking a prophet to go marry a prostitute? It's an object lesson for Israel. Israel was committing spiritual adultery by breaking their covenant with God and running after all these other gods. God is trying to show them that He takes their commitment as seriously as a marriage commitment and wants them to take it seriously also.

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.

Your Questions and Comments:

- A comment from a 60IN60 participant: "Let go of all that "stuff" and stay focused on God and those who serve in his kingdom."

60IN60 Day 46 - Thurs Aug 20

It's Day 46 and we're in Titus 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 9 – We can spend so much time on pointless arguments. We need to avoid those and stay focused on what’s fruitful.

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 45 - Wed Aug 19

It's Day 45 and we're in Titus 2.

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:
- Verses 2, 5, 6, 12 – “sensible” – In the NASB, the word “sensible” comes up multiple times in this chapter. We need to be sensible in how we handle our lives.

Help:

- Verses 9-10 – Other verses in the New Testament instruct slaves to get their freedom if they can. These verses concentrate on how they should handle life in their current situation.

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.