60IN60 Day 39 - Thurs Apr 9

It's Day 39 and we're in 1 Kings 8.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 56 - "not one word" - That's something I'm counting on in a couple really important matters in my life right now - that God is good to come through and fulfill His promises.  Not one word that He promised will go unfulfilled.

Help:
- Verses 1-66 - We're picking up this story with the ark being brought to the Temple.
- Verse 6 - The cherubim were angel statues, not actual angels.
- Verse 8 - These are the poles that they used to carry the ark.  They were not allowed to actually touch the ark.
- Verses 33, 35, 37-38, 46 - God told them up front that there were consequences to their disobedience, if they would choose that path.

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 38 - Wed Apr 8

It's Day 38 and we're in 1 Kings 3.

Note that tomorrow we skip forward to chapter 8.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - It's an interesting phrase to me: "he loved the Lord, except. . .."  In what ways is that applicable to me?

Help:
- Verse 7 - "little child" - Not literal language, but figurative.  Solomon likely was about 20 by this point.  

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 Apr 7

It's Day 37 and we're in 1 Kings 2.

We'll be reading a few of the early stories of Solomon's reign.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 46 - There is very much a "Game of Thrones" quality to this chapter: people being killed because they're a threat to the king.  I know that's the reality of power and politics, but it's still uncomfortable reading for me.

Help:
- Verses 5-9 - This is not the magnanimous ending that you might hope for, but it's a few final things to be taken care of.
- Verses 17, 22 - The Bible doesn't indicate whether his motive in asking for this wife was innocent or conniving.  It could have been either.  Given the deadly politics of a newly-established reign, we can definitely say that it wasn't a smart choice.
- Verse 29 - In the Old Testament Law, there were provisions for fleeing to the tent of the Lord under certain circumstances and no one could immediately bring revenge upon you.  There would have to be a trial before a judge.  Joab's situation is not one of those situations, but he's trying to avail himself of it anyway.  Just a move of desperation.
- Verse 37 - Presumably going with the proverb: "keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

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 Apr 6

It's Day 36 and we're in Matthew 28.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 15 - I wonder why they were not personally changed (and therefore refuse the money and instead believe in Christ) by the encounter?  Fear for their lives?

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 Apr 5

It's Day 35 and we're in Matthew 27.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 14 - The restraint He shows is amazing.  Because the charges were trumped up, He could have lawyered His way out, but He remained silent.

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 Apr 4

It's Day 34 and we're in Matthew 26.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 5 - They were so interested in their popularity.

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 Apr 3

It's Day 33 and we're in Matthew 25.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 20 - God expects fruitfulness.

Help:
- Verse 20, 22 - God expects that we use the time, talent, and money He's entrusted to us to bear fruit.
- Verses 24-27 - The master does not agree with the servant's argument that he is an unreasonable man.  He does respond by saying, "If you really believed that, you wouldn't have just buried what I gave you."

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 Apr 2

It's Day 32 and we're in Matthew 24.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - There is a plan.

Help:
- Verses 4-51 - This all is generally considered to have to do with "end of the world" stuff.  There's a ton of details here, but the two key verses are 36 and 42.  Verse 36 reminds us how much we don't know.  Verse 42 reminds us to always be ready.
- Verse 34 - The word "generation" can mean "generation" or "race."  Some take the verse to refer to the Fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, which would put it with a generation.  Some take it to mean that it'll happen before the end of the world.

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 31 - Wed Apr 1

It's Day 31 and we're in Matthew 23.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 23 - I think Baptists are guilty of this too often: missing the larger issues of justice.

Help:
- Verses 6-10 - We need to be careful that we're not getting full egos off the praise of people.
- Verse 13 - The second half of the verse refers to people with genuine spiritual interest who would come to the Pharisees because they were "the religious experts."  The Pharisees' answer would point those people in the wrong direction.
- Verses 30-32 - They were both trying to claim that it was their "fathers" who made up Israel while trying to deny the ancient disobedience those old Israelites did that made God mad.
- Verses 34-35 - Because the Pharisees of Jesus' day had a vantage point to see so much and therefore have so many warnings about disobedience, it makes their guilt greater.

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 30 - Tues Mar 31

It's Day 30 and we're in Matthew 22.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 7 - Tough verse, but worthy of pondering as to why God would do that.

Help:
- Verse 7 - Verse 6 is a big help in understanding verse 7.  These people had murdered innocents.
- Verse 10 - The point here is that the invitation was widely given, but verse 12 has more to say.
- Verse 12-13 - Some were invited, but didn't make the change needed to come to the wedding.  The analogy would be those who hear the gospel invitation, but never change their lives.  Verse 13 is descriptive of hell.
- Verse 14 - God throws open the opportunity to all, but we must come having received what Christ has done for us.
- Verses 15-16 - The Pharisees and Herodians were natural enemies.  If Jesus said to pay the taxes, the Herodians would turn Him into the Romans as an enemy of the state, preaching rebellion.  If Jesus said to pay the taxes, the Pharisees would tell the people that Jesus was just a patsy for the oppressive Roman rule.  It was designed to be a no-win situation.
- Verse 24 - This was the tradition back then.  I know today that we marry for love and this seems strange to us, but it was the custom.  (And our marrying-for-love system hasn't exactly produced perfect results either.)
- Verse 30 - We will not be married to other humans in the Kingdom to come.
- Verses 41-45 - This is a little puzzle.  David is speaking of the Messiah, who will come after him.  Because David is the older, he should receive the higher honor.  Yet he refers to this Messiah as "Lord."  Why?  The answer is that the Messiah was not just going to be another human, but God incarnate.  That made the Messiah worthy of such an honor.

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 29 - Mon Mar 30

It's Day 29 and we're in 1 Thessalonians 5.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 17 - I want to reach a place where I'm constantly inviting God into moment-by-moment life.

Help:
- Verse 16, 18 - This is not to say that we have to be thankful for everything, but we do need to find reasons to be thankful in everything. 
- Verse 26 - This is a cultural thing from Paul's time and not a binding commandment on us today.

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:

- "Is this to be taken literally? The dead will rise (in spirit) from the grave and the living will join Jesus in the sky? Does that mean the spirit of the dead will remain there in the grave until then? I thought when they died they went to heaven to wait until then?" - The way this is usually interpreted is that the spirits of those who are with Christ in heaven will be reunited with their earthly body, that will be then changed into a resurrection body, and then they will be part of Christ's return to earth. We are with Christ in heaven after we die, but also get to be a part of this amazing event. Some take it as a metaphor, though.

60IN60 Day 28 - Sun Mar 29

It's Day 28 and we're in 1 Thessalonians 4.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - God wants the sin gone from our lives.  We don't have to wonder about that - we know it's His will.

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 Mar 28

It's Day 27 and we're in 1 Thessalonians 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 9 - As a pastor, I get this.  The joy of seeing those in your church family grow is a big deal.

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 Mar 27

It's Day 26 and we're in 1 Thessalonians 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 7 - As a pastor, I get this.  You so want to see your congregation grow spiritually.

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 Mar 26

It's Day 25 and we're in 1 Thessalonians 1.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 5 - I want to see that power.

Help:
- Verse 6 - Not that Paul was perfect, but he was trying to authentically model a true spiritual life.

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 Mar 25

It's Day 24 and we're in Psalm 28.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 7 - I like the thought that thinking of what He's done for us fills us with joy.

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 Mar 24

It's Day 23 and we're in Psalm 26.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 2 - It's essential to come before God regularly and ask Him to reveal where we've still got work to do.  He wants to see us make progress.

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 22 - Mon Mar 23

It's Day 22 and we're in Psalm 25.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - Sometimes we're out on a limb for Him, trusting that He's going to come through.  He will not let us down.

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 Mar 22

It's Day 21 and we're in Psalm 24.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 1 - All that was created was created by 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 20 - Sat Mar 21

It's Day 20 and we're in Acts 4. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 14 - The hard-headedness is amazing.  They have no reply and know something amazing has happened (verses 15-18), but yet they are so tied to their position and their power that they won't consider changing.

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 Mar 20

It's Day 19 and we're in Acts 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 19 - That's a nice phrase: "times of refreshing."

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 Mar 19

It's Day 18 and we're in Acts 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 43 - I'd like to see more of that "awe" today.

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 Mar 18

It's Day 17 and we're in Acts 1.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 7 - I don't remember noticing this verse before.  This has a lot to say to preachers who spend endless time speculating on end times possibilities.

Help:
- Verse 11 - The latter half of the verse is a reference to the Second Coming.
- Verses 15-26 - I think this is a mistake by Peter.  He was not told to fill that twelfth spot.  I think God had Paul in mind as being Judas' replacement and Peter did something he wasn't asked to do.  If so, that means the first major decision by a Christian after Jesus left was a mistake.

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 Mar 17

It's Day 16 and we're in Genesis 45.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 2 - Forgiving is hard.

Help:
- Verse 2 - This is not playacting.  This is the genuine struggle of Joseph moving from resentment to forgiveness.
- Verse 3 - Why does Joseph ask if his father is still alive?  He knows that he is from previous conversations with his brothers.  This moment simply shows Joseph's heart for wanting to see his father again.
- Verses 4-8 - His brothers do bear guilt for their sinful treatment of Joseph, but Joseph is here acknowledging that he can now see where God was working within what seemed at the time to be terrible.
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 Mar 16

It's Day 15 and we're in Genesis 44.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 1-2 - In many ways Joseph has the best character of any of the Old Testament figures, yet here it shows him struggling with forgiveness.  We've all been there.

Help:
- Verse 1 - Why does Joseph do this?  I think at this point he still has bitterness and resentment toward his brothers and wants to make them squirm.  It's not until later in this chapter when Judah offers to sacrifice himself that Joseph's love for his brothers breaks through (which shows up early in chapter 45).

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 Mar 15

It's Day 14 and we're in Genesis 43.

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

Help:
- Verse 23 - The steward thought this was true, but 42:25 tells us otherwise.

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 Mar 14

It's Day 13 and we're in Genesis 42.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 24 - He is moved by their sorrow, but not enough to forgive.

Help:
- Verse 4 - Yes, Jacob is showing favoritism again and that is bad parenting.  The Bible describes what Jacob does but that doesn't mean it endorses it.
- Verses 7-17 - I think this comes from Joseph's resentment over how he was treated.  Some think Joseph is more mature than that and this is just a little drama, but I think Joseph still had hard feelings.
- Verse 28 - They were concerned they'd be accused of stealing.
- Verse 37 - Offering two sons as a bounty had to do with the honor system they had back then.
- Verse 38 - Yes, Jacob is playing favorites.

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 Mar 13

It's Day 12 and we're in Genesis 41.

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:
- Verses 1, 40 - The timing of the famine determined when Joseph got out of jail.  It was a longer wait than he'd have liked, but as verse 57 indicates many lives were saved by what Joseph went through.

Help:
- Verse 38 - Pharaoh gave Joseph too much credit in presuming that the divine spirit dwelt within him.  He did have help from God, but he wasn't part divine.

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 Mar 12

It's Day 11 and we're in Genesis 40.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 14-15 - Sometimes what looks like it's obviously going to be the open door fails to materialize.

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 Mar 11

It's Day 10 and we're in Genesis 39.

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 - It's an interesting comment here.  Within the larger bad thing, God showed kindness to Joseph in a smaller way.  Of course, we'd usually just avoid that struggle altogether.

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 Mar 10

It's Day 9 and we're in Genesis 38.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 24-25 - He was so indignant over her sin even when he had secretly committed that same sin.  What are the sins I publicly condemn while privately accommodating?

Help:
- Verses 7, 10 - This is not something that usually happens, but it does sometimes.
- Verses 14-18 - Yes, this is Jerry Springer stuff.  The Bible describes what this family does and that doesn't mean that God approves of what they do.  Pretty sick stuff.

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 Mar 9

It's Day 8 and we're in Genesis 37.

We're going to be reading the Joseph stories out of Genesis.  In many ways, he's the most impressive character in Genesis, although he does give into resentment in meeting his brothers in Egypt.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 34 - Did the brothers think about the consequence to their Dad before they did it, or were they just focused on their own feelings?

Help:
- Verse 3 - "Israel" is Jacob.
- Verse 3 - Yes, this is bad parenting.  Genesis tells what they did, but that doesn't mean what they did was always right.

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 Mar 8

It's Day 7 and we're in Matthew 21.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 13 - A defining characteristic of the church should be our prayer.
- Verse 43 - He wants fruit from us.

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 Mar 7

It's Day 6 and we're in Matthew 20.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 34 - How often am I "moved with compassion"?

Help:
- Verses 1-16 - Two possible interpretations: a. This refers to the opening door for the Gentiles to come into the Kingdom after it'd been just the Jews for so long; b. It refers to those who are saved late in life and have little time to serve God.
- Verses 22-23 - They would die for the Kingdom, but that authority had already been granted.

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 Mar 6

It's Day 5 and we're in Matthew 19.

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 21 - What's holding you back?  What's holding me back?  For this guy it was his possessions, but it might be something else for us.

Help:
- Verses 1-9 - This is not all the teaching on divorce that Jesus did.
- Verse 12 - This means that some are born without the "equipment" to have sex; some (not so much today, but it happened back then) were made eunuchs by people (like the man who would oversee the king's harem); some choose not to have sex because they feel God is calling them to a single life (this would not involve a physical change like the other two options).
- Verse 17 - This presumably was because the man looked at Jesus as a human teacher.
- Verses 23-26 - This is not saying it's impossible for rich people to be saved, but it is harder.  Why?  They tend to love the things of this world and put their trust in their wealth.

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 Mar 5

It's Day 4 and we're in Matthew 18.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 34-35 - These are verses to think about slowly.  If God really feels this way, that's different than most of us think of Him.

Help:
- Verse 10 - This is one of the two New Testament verses that hint at the idea of guardian angels.
- Verses 15-18 - This is the idea of "church discipline."  It's how we are to treat serious sin within the church.

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 Mar 4

It's Day 3 and we're in Matthew 17.

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 20 - How little faith we must have, since we see so little of His power.

Help:
- Verse 4-5 - Peter's mistake was that he should have realized the point of the vision was how great Jesus was, not that all three were equally impressive.

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 Mar 3

It's Day 2 and we're in Matthew 16.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 26 - One of my life verses.

Help:
- Verse 4 - The "sign of Jonah" refers to the fact that Jesus was going to be three days to the resurrection, like Jonah was three days in the fish.
- Verses 6, 11-12 - The "leaven" was their hypocrisy.
- Verse 18 - Catholics believe the "this rock" is Peter; Protestants believe it is his confession of Christ.
- Verse 20 - This was largely a timing issue.  He had a timetable in mind.
- Verse 24 - As disciples, we need to be willing to make sacrifices for Him.
- Verse 25 - This means that rather than doing what I want to do, I instead obey the teaching of Christ, believing that obedience to Him will lead to true life.

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 Mar 2

It's Day 1 and we're in Matthew 15.

There is a little overlap between the two "60IN60" cycles, so we are starting another 60 days because of the way the calendar fell.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 4 - This is a challenging verse for me, because the penalty seems too severe.  This is a part of the Word that I will have to keep wrestling with.

Help:
- Verses 21-28 - It seems harsh that Jesus declines her request.  His mission at this point is exclusively to the lost sheep of Israel.  In other words, He's come to try to win back God's people to God.  Of course, we know that they will reject Him.  But before they do that, He focuses His attention on them.  You can't say yes to everything.

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 56 - Sun Mar 1

It's Day 56 and we're in Psalm 22.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 1 - I appreciate the honesty.

Help:
- Verses 6, 12 - This is poetic imagery.
- Verses 14-18 - Parts of this are prophetic, pointing toward Christ's experience.

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 55 - Sat Feb 28

It's Day 55 and we're in Psalm 18.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - He is worthy to be praised.  I've got evidence of that in my life.

Help:
- Verses 7-15 - This is poetic, not literal, language.
- Verses 20-24 - This most likely is intended not to say that he was perfect, but that he was passionately keeping the system that God had laid out at that point.  (The Old Testament Mosaic system.)

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 54 - Fri Feb 27

It's Day 54 and we're in Psalm 16.

One thing that can impede God speaking to you is the presence of unconfessed sin in your life. Are you coming to the Word today with a clean heart or are you holding things back from God? 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 11 - I like that phrase: "in Your presence is fullness of joy."  I'd like more of that.

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 53 - Thurs Feb 26

It's Day 53 and we're in Psalm 14.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 2 - God is looking for those who are looking for 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 52 - Wed Feb 25

It's Day 52 and we're in 1 Samuel 15.

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:
- Verses 13-14 - Saul claims to have carried out God's command while the evidence that he didn't is making noise all around him.  So often we have motives to give partial obedience and think it's good enough.

Help:
- Verse 3 - This is just a hard verse.  Knowing that God commanded this destruction is hard to understand.  Statements like in verse 33 of the evil that this nation had done help us to understand partially, but it's still a very harsh word and one that believers have struggled with down through the centuries.
- Verse 21 - They might have been sacrificing a little, but most was just taken as spoil.
- Verse 35 - It's not that God didn't know this would happen.  It's just that, like a family tragedy you can see coming for years before, it's still heartbreaking to watch it actually unfold.

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 51 - Tues Feb 24

It's Day 51 and we're in 1 Samuel 14.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 44 - It's ironic that Saul had made a stupid decision, yet he sticks by it and even invokes the name of the Lord for it.  So many stupid things done with God's name as backing.

Help:
- Verses 9-10 - This is not something that we can normally count on: that we ask God for a specific sign and He will give it to confirm our need to move forward.  God did it here, but that's not an obligation for Him to always do similar things.
- Verse 19 - Instead of waiting on a word from God, Saul decides to move forward.
- Verse 24 - This was a bad idea from Saul that lessened the victory.
- Verse 41 - In the Old Testament they sometimes discerned God's direction through casting lots.
- Verse 44 - This was Saul's decision, not God's.  The oath was Saul's idea. . . and not a good one.  Here it brings the ridiculous situation of the hero of the story potentially being executed.
- Verse 52 - Saul put all the good warriors he could find in his army.

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 Feb 23

It's Day 50 and we're in 1 Samuel 13.

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 11-12 - We always have excuses for our disobedience.  Sometimes they're really good ones, but it's still disobedience.

Help:
- Verse 13 - This seems harsh, but God wanted someone who would trust Him and obey 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 49 - Sun Feb 22

It's Day 49 and we're in 1 Samuel 12.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 23 - "far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you" - That's a phrase to hold onto.

Help:
- Verses 17, 19 - They'd been told ahead of time it was sin, but "they wanted what they wanted."  Now, too late, they acknowledge their sinful desire.
- Verse 20 - This is Plan B.  God will not abandon them to their sin, but they have lost the chance for Plan A when they chose to have a human king.  There are choices we can made that remove God's Plan A for our lives.

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 Feb 21

It's Day 48 and we're in 1 Samuel 11.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - There are things that should move us to righteous anger.  We are too often angry over petty things and not often enough angry over injustice.

Help:
- Verse 3 - Why they allowed them to do this is beyond me.  Maybe it was the custom in war of that day.
- Verse 10 - Yes, they lied.
- Verse 12 - Suddenly Saul is popular, whereas originally there were some who questioned him as the choice.  People overreacted and wanted to kill those who'd questioned him.  It was a mob mentality, not a God 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.

60IN60 Day 47 - Fri Feb 20

It's Day 47 and we're in 1 Samuel 10.

One reason to be in the Bible regularly? It helps you avoid nonsense. There are so many different ideas out there today about God. It's important that we base our image of God on who He said He is, not what other people wish He was. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 19 - With sadness, God lets us have what we want, even knowing it will hurt us.  We're too stubborn to listen to His warnings.

Help:
- Verse 1 - "kissed him" - On the cheeks.
- Verses 6, 9 - Even though God did not want them to go down this path, He was going to do His best to empower Saul to be a good king.
- Verse 19 - God had been their king up to this point, but they wanted a human king like all the other nations.  See chapter 8.
- Verse 22 - Is this comedy or tragedy?  The new king is sufficiently overwhelmed or shy that he is hiding among the baggage.

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 46 - Thurs Feb 19

It's Day 46 and we're in 1 Samuel 9.

Note that we've jumped forward to chapter 9.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 16 - It's always cool when God gives you a sign and then you watch it happen.

Help:
- Verse 2 - A head taller and very handsome?  Reminds me of someone. . .
- Verse 16 - The people were demanding a king so they could be like all the other nations.  Up to this, God was their king and there were prophets to speak His will.  God warned them in chapter 8 of all the bad that would come from that decision to get a human king, but they persisted, so He let them have what they wanted.

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.