60IN60 Day 29 - Mon July 31

It's Day 29 and we're in 1 Samuel 25.

One reason to be in the Bible regularly? It provides the answers to life's most pressing questions: "Why am I here?" "What value does my life have?" "What does God want out of me?" "What does a life well spent look like?" For all the time we spend daily on trivial things, it's essential that we spend some time on the big questions. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 18 - It's hard to overestimate the value of a good wife.

Help:
- Verse 8 - It would have been customary back then to reward such behavior.  It's not a "shake-down."  Hospitality generally was much more important in that culture than it is in our's.

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:

- "I’ve always been confused about why in 1 Samuel 17:58 Saul asks David who his father is while in the chapter before 1 Samuel 16:18-22 Saul talks to Jesse to have David work for him. Is it just to reiterate the lineage or something like that?" - We are not specifically told, but there are a number of possible explanations. One you've mentioned: the writer of the passage is emphasizing the lineage of David, who has been anointed king and will one day rule as king. A second option is that Saul has David around playing the harp (16:14-23) in a fairly menial role. Because of that, Saul hasn't been paying very much attention to him. David is just one of many servants attending in various ways to Saul. After the incredible victory over Goliath, David is thrust front and center. Saul knows who David is (the guy who plays harp) but doesn't remember who his father is (since David was just one of many servants). Saul asks because David has increased in importance. A third and final option is that, having seen the military prowess that David has shown, Saul asks about David's father because Saul is hoping David has some brothers who are also impressive militarily. (Of course, Saul actually has some of David's brothers in his army, but they were cowering before Goliath like the rest of the Israeli army.) My preference is for option two.

- "A man who has been divorced, says 'all of my sins have been forgiven (per salvation), so why can't I be a deacon?' Not ordaining a divorced man as deacon is not a 'punishment' for past sin.  How would you explain this to said person? Also, why do churches seem to focus on this one thing when it comes to deacons? There are other qualities a deacon needs to possess. And deacons wives?  There's things in scriptures about them too, but seems like the wife isn't even considered. And I've known some wives that should have negated their spouses ordination." - Good questions. I'll take them one at a time. First question: divorce and disqualification. As you know, there are a variety of views on this in various churches. Some will not allow a man to be a deacon if he's ever been divorced. Some will not allow a man to be a deacon if he was divorced after getting saved. Some will make the determination based on whether the divorce was Biblically justified. Some don't consider divorce in whether someone can be a deacon. To use a simple scenario, if the man was divorced for a reason that isn't Biblically justified (say, he had an affair) and that happened after he was a Christian, he needs to realize that while God can forgive sin, there are still consequences to our sins. Second question, why do some churches focus on only divorce when it comes to choosing deacons? I agree that is a shallow approach. The Bible gives us an entire list of qualifications for being a deacon and it's important churches consider the whole list. Third question, what about deacons' wives? Yes, that should be something that is considered in the decision to ordain a deacon, but, like you said, often the additional qualifications are ignored.

60IN60 Day 28 - Sun Jul 30

It's Day 28 and we're in 1 Samuel 24.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - This is a strange action.  I'm not totally sure what to do with it, but one thing it points me toward is that David had a very strong belief in trusting that God would fight for him and that he should trust His timing.

Help:
- Verses 6, 12 - Why didn't David kill Saul when he had the chance?  David apparently believed that only God should take the life of His anointed king.  Even though David knows he is God's chosen to be the next king of Israel, he also feels that the timing of the end of Saul's reign is up to God.
- Verse 8 - To do this David was either confident in God's protection (knowing that God has chosen him to eventually be the next king) or was desperate and tired of running from the law.
- Verses 16-21 - Saul repents, but we know that his future behavior will repeat the same mistakes.

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 27 - Sat Jul 29

It's Day 27 and we're in 1 Samuel 23.

As you read, listen for where God wants to speak to you. What jumps out to you? What speaks to situations you're dealing with right now? 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 5 - In the course of the victory, God also provided the resources they needed to eat.  God can kill two birds with one stone better than anyone.

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 26 - Fri Jul 28

It's Day 26 and we're in 1 Samuel 22.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 2 - It's interesting that David gathered those from the edges of society.  Jesus did something similar.  Do we?

Help:
- Verse 17 - How evil is what Saul is asking them to do?  You know it's bad when his guards are willing to disobey 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 25 - Thurs Jul 27

It's Day 25 and we're in 1 Samuel 21.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Again, nothing jumped out to me today. That's a few days in a row. That will happen sometimes. Nothing to get discouraged about.

Help:
- Verse 1 - "trembling" - Why was he trembling? Maybe just that having one of the king's main guys show up all by himself was very unusual and he was concerned that it meant bad news.
- Verse 2 - David is lying. Again, the Bible tells the stories of the heroes of the faith both when they honor God with their behavior and when they don't.
- Verse 12 - Why did he fear the king? Presumably because he knew the king was more likely to be violent toward him if he saw David as a threat, which verse 11 says he did.
- Verses 13-15 - This is odd behavior. Apparently David saw this as the best way to get out of the difficult situation he thought he was in.

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 24 - Wed Jul 26

It's Day 24 and we're in 1 Samuel 20.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Nothing jumped out to me today. There are days like that.

Help:
- Verses 17, 41 - Some have tried to make these verses into evidence that Jonathan and David had a homosexual relationship, but that really says more about us and what we're reading into the passage than it does about the passage. Nothing like that is in mind here. Verse 41's "kissed each other" is not a sexual kiss, but the same kind of thing that the New Testament authorizes when it says we can greet each other with a "holy kiss" - i.e. a friendly kiss on the cheek.
- Verses 40-41 - My presumption here is that the sadness of the moment caused Jonathan to abandon his plan and go and have one more conversation with his friend.

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 23 - Tues Jul 25

It's Day 23 and we're in 1 Samuel 19.

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

Help:
- Verses 8-10 - A couple issues here, which I've also addressed in previous days. First, "an evil spirit from the Lord" most likely means that God had authorized Satan to send a demon to torment Saul. God obviously doesn't have an evil spirits who are "on His side." Second, why was David back in Saul's presence when Saul had tried to kill him before (18:11). We don't know for sure, but some thoughts: a. There may have been a presumption that Saul was suffering from a mental illness that made him better sometimes and worse sometimes; b. Because the king's word was law, David's two options were to continue to be around Saul as one of his military men or to flee and essentially declare himself to be in open rebellion against the king - pursuing the second path was a big step; c. Like in domestic abuse situations we see today, we know that people don't always immediately remove themselves from dangerous situations the way you think they would.
- Verse 13 - "the household idol" - The presumption would be that it was Michal's and not David's, since we think of David as someone who served God. Still, it's troubling that he allowed that idol worship to happen within his home.
- Verse 17 - She is lying to protect herself. The fact that the Bible tells us about it does not mean that the Bible authorizes it.
- Verse 23 - In the Old Testament, the Spirit of the Lord coming on you was not a salvation event, but one that usually accompanied receiving power from God or having a special manifestation of the presence of God (as here). It is odd that Saul received it too, but it was apparently something that happened to anyone who was there. An imperfect analogy to today would be how even a non-Christian can be in a worship service where God is moving and be aware of the presence of the Spirit there even though the Spirit is not within them.
- Verse 24 - "stripped," "naked" - Yeah, that's weird.

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

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

60IN60 Day 22 - Mon Jul 24

It's Day 22 and we're in 1 Samuel 18.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 14 - When God is with us, He opens up doors and blesses us in multiple ways.

Help:
- Verse 11 - Why does David still come around Saul? It's hard to say, but some thoughts: a. I'm guessing there was a presumption that Saul was suffering from some mental problems by this point due to his erratic behavior - maybe it seemed to get better and then get worse; b. Unlike today where violent behavior gets you taken to jail, back then the king was the law, so he could get away with whatever he wanted; c. Like in domestic abuse situations that we see today, there is not always that immediate decision to remove yourself from a bad situation, even if that would be the smart thing to do.
- Verse 25 - Yeah, that's disgusting.

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 21 - Sun Jul 23

It's Day 21 and we're in 1 Samuel 17.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 34-36 - God often uses everyday experiences to prepare us for how He's going to use us in the Kingdom.

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 20 - Sat Jul 22

It's Day 20 and we're in 1 Samuel 16.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 2 - The Bible heroes are like us. Here you'd like to think the man of God would be fearless to do God's will, but instead he expresses his fear of the king.

Help:
- Verse 2 - "Take a heifer" - This also serves the purpose of keeping Samuel from arousing Saul's suspicion, but he is actually going to do this so it's not a lie.
- Verse 4 - Why were they trembling? Presumably because there would be times when the prophet of God would come with a word of condemnation or rebuke.
- Verse 13 - "the Spirit of the Lord came mightily of David" - Unlike in the New Testament when the Holy Spirit enters us at the moment of salvation and sees us all the way through this life, back in the Old Testament the Spirit coming on someone was more a sign of power than salvation.
- Verse 14 - "an evil spirit from the Lord" - This most likely means that God gave permission to Satan to torment Saul. It essentially means that God authorized the evil spirit's presence, not that God has evil spirits that are "on His side."
- Verses 12-23 - Even though David has been anointed by Samuel and knows that God has chosen him to eventually replace Saul, as long as Saul lives he is still the king.

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 19 - Fri Jul 21

It's Day 19 and we're in Hebrews 7.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 25 - What an encouraging idea: Jesus talks to God ("intercedes") on my behalf.

Help:
- Verses 1-11 - The main idea being put forward is that the Old Testament priesthood was symbolic, but inadequate.
- Verse 3 - This is not saying that Melchizedek actually had no father, no mother, etc., but rather there was no recorded information about those things.
- Verse 16 - In the Old Testament, there were strict rules about the physical condition of those wanting to be priests.
- Verse 18 - The Old Testament system had its purpose (which was to point out how we cannot keep God's perfect standards in our own strength), but it was ultimately "weak" and "useless" to get us closer to 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 18 - Thurs Jul 20

It's Day 18 and we're in Hebrews 6.

Sometimes things get busy and you miss a day or two. Don’t get discouraged and quit. Just lay aside those readings you missed and jump in with today’s reading. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 11 - We can not just kinda-sorta-hope we have salvation - we can be confident in what Jesus has done for us.

Help:
- Verses 4-6 - These verses are among the most difficult in the New Testament. Among the interpretations that people have offered: a. the verses mean that people can lose their salvation; b. the verses are a hypothetical warning to the believers to continue walking forward strong; c. it's about people who looked like believers but never were.

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 17 - Wed Jul 19

It's Day 17 and we're in Hebrews 5.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 7 - It's interesting to me that it says that Jesus was heard, yet we know that His prayers were not answered in the way that He wanted. We can find hope in knowing that God always hears our prayers, even when the larger purposes of God require that His answer be something other than what we were hoping for.

Help:
- Verse 8 - "learned obedience" - What does that mean? It means that while He was here on earth He consistently chose to do what the Father desired even when tempted to go in another direction. He had to "learn" that because while He was in heaven and not saddled with human flesh, being fully God meant that He was never tempted to do anything other than what was right.
- Verse 9 - "made perfect" - What does that mean? Jesus was sinless when He was born and continued to live faithfully to the Father's call. He had not, however, offered Himself as a sacrifice for sins. Also, He had not endured temptation and overcome it. Those experiences gave Him something that He didn't have before. It made Him "perfect" in the sense of being able to fulfill the sympathetic high priest role in a way that He could not before He came to earth.

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 16 - Tues Jul 18

It's Day 16 and we're in Hebrews 4.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 16 - I needed that reminder today that in our time of need we can approach the throne of grace to find mercy and grace.

Help:
- Verses 9-10 - The reference here to "rest" are essentially a euphemism for heaven.

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 15 - Mon Jul 17

It's Day 15 and we're in Hebrews 3.

We have lots of excuses for why we don't read the Bible: "I'm too busy," "I don't know where to start," "I tried it once and got confused," "I just never got around to it." I hope "60IN60" helps you to be able to overcome those excuses and experience a rewarding time in the Word. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 13 - One of the needs we have in our lives to stay on track spiritually is to have people to encourage us. It keeps us from getting discouraged and giving into sin. It's one of many reasons that we need to have a church family that we're active in.

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 14 - Sun Jul 16

It's Day 14 and we're in Hebrews 2.

If you've got questions about your reading, I love answering those. Feel free to email me. Unless it's something personal, I'll usually anonymously share the question (and answer) in the following day's email so everyone can benefit from it. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 18 - It's good to know that He knows what it's like to struggle.

Help:
- Verse 3 - This is just a rhetorical way of saying, "God has done everything He could, including the life of His only son, in order to open a door to salvation. If we reject it, what possible excuse could we have that would be adequate?"

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 13 - Sat Jul 15

It's Day 13 and we're in Hebrews 1.

An encouragement as you read the Bible today: in Acts 17:11, it tells of some Christians in Berea who "received the Word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether [what we taught was Biblical]." Let's be like them. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - If you understand the Son, you understand the Father.

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 12 - Fri Jul 14

It's Day 12 and we're in Malachi 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 10, 12 - I needed to read this as a reminder that when we put God first in our financial lives He has promised to take care of our financial needs.

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 11 - Thurs Jul 13

It's Day 11 and we're in Zechariah 14.

If you come across something in your reading that doesn't make sense at first, be quick to re-read and to ask questions. If I can help answer anything, drop me an email. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 4 - This mountain has been the subject of endless speculation over the centuries.  Someday a climactic moment will come.

Help:
- Verses 1-21 - This is speaking of a time in the future when events surrounding the Second Coming of Christ will cause cataclysmic events.  The images are breathtaking and scary.  It's a stark reminder to us that there will be an end to the world someday and it's important to be on the right side when that happens.

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 10 - Wed Jul 12

It's Day 10 and we're in Zechariah 13.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Nothing really jumped out in today's chapter. That's ok - it's not going to happen every day.

Help:
- Verses 2-3 - This is harsh, but God is serious about getting Israel back to Him and the false prophets were a significant problem in leading the people away.
- Verses 4, 6 - The "garment of hair" is a reference to something some prophets would wear to look like the prophets of older times (like Elijah); the wounds on their body would be from the way they would sometimes cut themselves as part of getting their false god to answer their prayer. The point is that there would come a time when the evidence of them being a false prophet would be something shameful that they would try to hide rather than exalt in.

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 9 - Tues Jul 11

It's Day 9 and we're in Haggai 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 4 - "take courage" (or some translation have it "be strong") - That's an encouraging word when we're going to through a time of struggle or doubt. God knows we're having a hard time and He encourages us: "Take courage" because I'm going to come through for you.

Help:
- Verses 12-13 - The idea here is that uncleanness is easily transmitted but holiness is not.

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 8 - Mon Jul 10

It's Day 8 and we're in Micah 6.

We're going to be reading a few chapters in the "minor prophets." They're called that because their books are shorter than the "major prophets" like Jeremiah and Isaiah. Overall, their message mostly focuses on coming judgment and eventual redemption.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 7-8 - The end of verse 8 is a nice short summary of what God wants from us.

Help:
- Verses 1-2 - Why is he talking about the mountains pleading and the hill speaking? He's saying that the land stands as a witness to what Israel has done and that if they could speak they would testify to their evil. Kind of like our phrase "if these walls could speak."

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 7 - Sun Jul 9

It's Day 7 and we're in Matthew 7.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 7, 11 - Still on the same problem I alluded to yesterday, these verses are also a reminder that He's good to take care of my needs.

Help:
- Verses 1, 5 - There is a difference between being judgmental and using discernment. Some people presume that verse 1 means that we should never make any judgments, but verse 5 makes it clear (because what the person in doing in that verse demands discernment) that we are not to suspend all judgment. So be discerning, but not judgmental.
- Verse 6 - This is kind of obscure. Most think it means to be discerning about how you share spiritual truth, but it's hard to get too emphatic with something that's not real clear.

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 6 - Sat Jul 8

It's Day 6 and we're in Matthew 6.

An encouragement as you read today: "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8). 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 8, 31-33 - I really needed these this morning as I'm waiting on God to come through for me. It's so easy to worry about it when instead I need to keep going back to the confidence that He is good to take care of my needs.

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 5 - Fri Jul 7

It's Day 5 and we're in Matthew 5.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - That's a great promise to know when you're seeking God and wondering if He's going to meet you.

Help:
- Verse 39 - This does not have to do with being physically assaulted, but rather insulted - i.e. a slap on the cheek.
- Verse 48 - The idea of "perfect" here is focused on the idea of maturity. It is God's intention to get rid of all the sin in our lives, so being "perfect" is the goal we are (imperfectly in this life) striving after.

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 4 - Thurs Jul 6

It's Day 4 and we're in Matthew 4.

What's the Bible say about the book you're reading today? We have the Word so that as believers we can be "equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:17). Read the Word so you're ready for what life throws at you. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Nothing really jumped out to me today. Not every day is going to bring something.

Help:
- Verse 18-22 - We know from the other gospels that Jesus had previous conversations with these guys. It's not (as it sounds like here if you don't know the larger story) that He walked up to strangers, said, "Come on," and they did.

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 3 - Wed Jul 5

It's Day 3 and we're in Matthew 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 8 - Having a heart of repentance is going to be produce fitting fruit in our lives - like urgency, humility, and a desire to change.

Help:
- Verse 11 - "with the Holy Spirit and with fire" - The "fire" reference here is a little uncertain. It might mean persecution. It might refer to the Acts 2 incident. It might mean conviction.

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 2 - Tues Jul 4

It's Day 2 and we're in Matthew 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 13 - Obedience sometimes leads us to places we never expected to be.

Help: 
- Verses 13-18 - This is a heartbreaking story.  Jesus was born into a world of tragedy and suffering.  He bore much suffering Himself.  That's one reason we can bring our struggles 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 1 - Mon Jul 3

It's Day 1 and we're in Matthew 1.

Because of the way the months fall, we have a little overlap between the end of the last "60IN60" cycle and the new one, so today is Day 1 of a new cycle instead of Day 57 of the old one.  "60IN60" starts the first Monday of every other month.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 24 - Sometimes the word from the Lord points you in directions that you weren't planning on going.

Help:
- Verses 1-16 - The genealogy makes for mostly dry reading, but it's in there because it's important to establish the Jewish lineage of Jesus in order to show that He is qualified to be the Messiah.

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:

- "2 Samuel 12:15. I agree this is a hard verse to read. Recently I taught this Sunday school lesson, and the elementary kids were, 'The baby died? Why?.' We say things like 'you have to live with your choices' or 'everything has consequences.'  And that is true. But sometimes it isn't just us that has to live with the consequences. Sometimes it isn't just us that is affected by our choices. David's choices cost Uriah his life, caused Bathsheba to commit adultery, cost an innocent baby his life, and David and Bathsheba lost their first child."

60IN60 Next Round

The next round on 60IN60 starts tomorrow.