It's Day 49 and we're in Hosea 3.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Nothing really jumped out to me.
It's Day 48 and we're in Hosea 2.
Where God Spoke To Me:
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.
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.
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.
It's Day 44 and we're in Titus 1.
Where God Spoke To Me:
If you want to read the chapter online, here’s a link.
It's Day 43 and we're in Joshua 11.
Is the Bible an old dusty book? Nope - ". . . the Word of God is living and active . . ." (Hebrews 4:12). Dig into today expecting it to speak to you.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 18-19 - We all remember the miraculous intervention by God at Jericho, but the majority of the conquest of the land happened by long, hard battles.
Help:
- Verse 20 - I presume that the sinfulness of the people in the land is what led God to do this. I don't think He's just be arbitrary in His actions.
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:
- "In the New Testament we have the black and red print to allow us to read Jesus's words but we do not see that in the Old Testament when the Lord speaks. Is there a reason behind the differences?" - Interesting question. The original text does not have the black and red print in it. The "words in red" are something that some publishers/translations have added to help readers. So if a publisher/translator decided it would be helpful to add red to the Old Testament words of the Lord, they could do that as well. This is all similar to the chapter and verse divisions in our Bibles. Those are also not in the original manuscripts. They were added to translations later just so it would be easier to reference a certain passage and everyone would know exactly where you were at. In these cases, these are just attempts to make the Bible easier to understand, which is acceptable. If someone tried to change what the Bible says, that would be an unacceptable change.
- A comment from a 60IN60 participant: "Yes, it is a brutal passage, this wholesale slaughter. But if memory serves, God had given this particular nation plenty of time to repent. Instead, they went deeper in sins such as child sacrifice and other unspeakable things. God is holy and He wanted his chosen people to be holy as well. Had they not engaged in wholesale slaughter, had they left the women with their children, what would have occurred would have been what always occurred when Israel didn't obey: intermarriage, introduction of foreign gods, foul practices, etc. God intended to keep Israel set apart no matter what the cost. Remember what happened to Solomon when he took foreign wives. Israel was torn apart. it was a high cost, but so was the crucifixion."
It's Day 42 and we're in Joshua 10.
Where God Spoke To Me:
It's Day 41 and we're in Joshua 9.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 14 - We get in trouble when we don't ask 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 40 and we're in Joshua 8.
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 in this chapter.
Help:
- Verse 25 - This is an issue in several of the upcoming chapters. Israel doesn't just kill the men who meet them in battle, but they kill everyone in the city: men, women, teens, children, babies. There are some explanations that are often given: the guilt of these people was great; it was necessary for all the people to be gone for Israel to succeed in this land; this was Israel's God-granted land; they chose to fight rather than to flee. All of them get at part of the issue, but in the end I still struggle with such wholesale slaughter in the name of God. It's one of the Biblical issues to which I have not yet found an explanation that fully satisfies me.
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: Joshua 7. "My big take away comes from vv. 11-12. I feel it is example of how a 'pet sin', hidden or otherwise, clearly permeates a family or those around us. We don’t know the hearts of all the family, but the Lord does. Maybe the seed of greed was a family trait. But I do trust that the Lord knew hearts then and He knows hearts now. I see it as a call to eliminate sin before it destroys your family. Sin promises pleasure but delivers destruction. Sometimes it is necessary to cut off the rotten part to save the healthy."
It's Day 39 and we're in Joshua 7.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
Your Comments and Questions:
- A comment from a 60IN60 participant: Mark 16. "I'm pretty sure they misinterpreted verse 18 and the original manuscript said "The only good snake is a dead snake."
It's Day 38 and we're in Mark 16.
What's the Bible say about the book you're reading today? "All Scripture is inspired by God . . ." (2 Timothy 3:16). So reading the Bible helps me know how God sees things.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - That's pretty good news!
Help:
- Verses 9-20 - The earliest and best manuscripts don't have these verses, so they are probably a later addition. That's good because I really don't want to have to explain verse 18 as authentic.
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 37 and we're in Mark 15.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 8 - This must have seemed like an answer to prayer to Pilate. He wants to release Jesus but is afraid of the religious leaders. What's he going to do? Then the crowd asks for a prisoner to them because of the Feast. I wonder if he thought, "A way out! I can declare Jesus guilty to satisfy the religious leaders but then release him so I won't be guilty of killing an innocent man." Just a reminder that not every "open door" is from 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 36 and we're in Mark 14.
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 72 - We need to watch ourselves that we don't become overconfident in our faith. We are dependent on God for being able to stand strong.
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 35 and we're in Mark 13.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 24-25 - It's frightening to consider how difficult those days will be.
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 34 and we're in Mark 12.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 9 - When we have violently rejected God, there comes a moment of terrible judgment. The anger of God is justified and it is a horrible thing to consider.
Help:
- Verse 14 - These two groups (v. 13) are trying to trap Jesus. If He says to pay the taxes, the Pharisees will tell the people that Jesus is a patsy for the hated Roman occupation. If He says not to pay the taxes, the Herodians will tell Rome that Jesus is preaching rebellion.
- Verses 35-37 - This is a little Bible puzzle Jesus gives them to show their limited knowledge. The point He is making is that David came before the Christ, yet David (who should have been honored by his ancestor the Christ) calls his descendent by the honor of the title "Lord." The key to solving the puzzle is knowing that Jesus was physically by His birth the ancestor of David but by His preexistence was superior to David, which means He's worthy of the title "Lord."
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 33 and we're in Mark 11.
One thing that's important as we read daily: being eager to hear Him speak to you. Go into your reading expectant that God desires to share something with you.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 23 - What mountain do I need to see God toss aside for me?
Help:
- Verses 12-21 - Jesus doesn't curse the fig tree because He's in a bad mood. The fig tree is symbolic of the Temple - without fruit. He curses it as a sign that He is cursing the Temple 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.
It is Day 32 and we're in Mark 10.
Where God Spoke To Me:
It's Day 31 and we're in Mark 9.
Where God Spoke to Me:
- Verse 35 - We must be willing to be a servant.
It is Day 30 and we're in Job 42.
Where God Spoke to Me:
- Verse 6 - Encountering God led to humility.
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 29 and we're in Job 38.
We've skipped a bunch of chapters in Job where his friends try to explain what happened to him. Now, after all that talk, God shows up to speak for Himself.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 12 - I like the way He puts this.
Help:
- Verses 1-41 - God response to Job's complaint centers on talking about the wonders and powers He displayed in the physical creation. Philip Yancey summarized God's argument here well: "Until you can tell me how to run the physical universe, don't tell me how to run the moral universe."
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. Job. 3. "Job speaks from the depth of despair. Most people wouldn't be that articulate and most wouldn't still be addressing God."
- A comment from a 60IN60 participant. Job 2. "Point: Despite all this, Job did not sin with his lips. What I got: Job may have said nothing in this particular passage (his wife did the talking for him) but he was furiously thinking inside for he would later confront God. And did he get an answer? Not really, God told him to consider the Leviathan. And I’ve always wondered what Job’s wife thought of bearing replacement children."
It's Day 28 and we're in Job 3.
Where God Spoke To Me:If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
It's Day 27 and we're in Job 2.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 13 - This is the main thing Job's friends get right: sitting and sympathizing with him. Once they open their mouths, things start to go off-track.
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: "When I was 20, Job was my favorite book of the Bible. The beginning troubles all of us, I think, because we want a world just by our standards. Chapter One says that pain is not equitable. God governs, but not everything we experience is God’s will. The rest of the book depicts ordinary folks trying and most failing to make sense of that. Job was once rich because he was righteous, they imply, and now his fall is a sign of grave sin. In the end, God justifies Job but, given his largesse to Job, never quite dispels the idea that righteous people get lots of stuff."
- A comment from a 60IN60 participant. 1 Corinthians 7. "Some of this seems a bit naive—like the idea that eschewing marriage will make one more attuned to God. But what I focus on is his claim that marriage between a Christian and an unbeliever is not a terrible thing. The believer by his/her presence and prayer can be the salvation of the non-believer. This was the sort of marriage my parents had, and my mother certainly thought that part of her role was the salvation of my father. This passage was comforting."
- A comment from a 60IN60 participant. 1 Corinthians 7. "This is another passage I wish Paul hadn't written."
