December 31, Psalm 119:169-176

Click here to go to Psalm 119:169-176

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I'm so excited for those of you who've participated in this journey with me. As I look forward to the new year and starting reading again with John.  I hope you'll enjoy in the journey and see what God has to tell us from His Word this next year. 

For the final day of 2012 we finish Psalm 119. Here are a couple of verses that I enjoyed:

171 

Let praise flow from my lips,

    for you have taught me your decrees.

172 

Let my tongue sing about your word,

    for all your commands are right.

December 30, Psalm 119:161-168

Click here to go to Psalm 119:161-168

165 

Those who love your instructions have great peace

    and do not stumble.

December 29, Psalm 119:153-160

Click here to go to Psalm 119:153-160

156 

Lord, how great is your mercy;

    let me be revived by following your regulations.

160 

The very essence of your words is truth;

    all your just regulations will stand forever.

December 28, Psalm 119:145-152

Click here to go to Psalm 119:145-152

152 

I have known from my earliest days

    that your laws will last forever.

December 27, Psalm 119:129-144

Click here to go to Psalm 119:129-144

135 

Look upon me with love;

    teach me your decrees.

136 

Rivers of tears gush from my eyes

    because people disobey your instructions.

143 

As pressure and stress bear down on me,

    I find joy in your commands.

144 

Your laws are always right;

    help me to understand them so I may live.

As pressure and stress bear down we can find joy in God's Word. 

December 26, Psalm 119:105-128

Click here to go to Psalm 119:105-128

A little bigger reading today to finish by the end of the year.

So many good things in this section so here are a few of my favorites:

105 

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet

    and a light for my path.

114 

You are my refuge and my shield;

    your word is my source of hope.

125 

Give discernment to me, your servant;

    then I will understand your laws.

December 25, Psalm 119:97-104

Click here to go to Psalm 119:97-104

Merry Christmas!!

98 

Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,

    for they are my constant guide.

Another thing God's Word does for us... makes us wiser.

December 24, Psalm 119:89-96

Click here to go to Psalm 119:89-96

90 

Your faithfulness extends to every generation,

    as enduring as the earth you created.

91 

Your regulations remain true to this day,

    for everything serves your plans.

December 23, Psalm 119:81-88

Click here to go to Psalm 119:81-88

86 

All your commands are trustworthy.

    Protect me from those who hunt me down without cause.

87 

They almost finished me off,

    but I refused to abandon your commandments.

88 

In your unfailing love, spare my life;

    then I can continue to obey your laws.

December 22, Psalm 119:73-80

Click here to go to Psalm 119:73-80

73 

You made me; you created me.

    Now give me the sense to follow your commands.

76 

Now let your unfailing love comfort me,

    just as you promised me, your servant.

December 21, Psalm 119:65-72

Click here to go to Psalm 119:65-72

65 

You have done many good things for me, Lord,

    just as you promised.

66 

I believe in your commands;

    now teach me good judgment and knowledge.

Good judgment, what a great thing to have, some days I feel like I have it while other days... well....not so much.

December 20, Psalm 119:57-64

Click here to go to Psalm 119:57-64

With all my heart I want your blessings.

    Be merciful as you promised. (58)

December 19, Psalm 119:49-56

Click here to go to Psalm 119:49-56

Your promise revives me;

    it comforts me in all my troubles. (50)

December 18, Psalm 119:41-48

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47 

How I delight in your commands!

    How I love them!

48 

I honor and love your commands.

    I meditate on your decrees.

December 17, Psalm 119:33-40

Click here to go to Psalm 119:33-40

This is such a great chapter... but today I like this verse the best:

I long to obey your commandments!

    Renew my life with your goodness.

December 16, Psalm 119:25-32

Click here to go to Psalm 119:25-32

Sorry that my comments were in white bars again... I do these the evening before and it's scheduled to post at 12:30 the morning of so I don't see it right away...  I copied today's comments into notepad first and now into blogger so hopefully it won't hold the "white background"

I love this whole section!


25 I lie in the dust;
    revive me by your word.
26 I told you my plans, and you answered.
    Now teach me your decrees.
27 Help me understand the meaning of your commandments,
    and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds.
28 I weep with sorrow;
    encourage me by your word.
29 Keep me from lying to myself;
    give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.
30 I have chosen to be faithful;
    I have determined to live by your regulations.
31 I cling to your laws.
    Lord, don’t let me be put to shame!
32 I will pursue your commands,
    for you expand my understanding.

I think 29 is the best: Keep me from lying to myself...

But such good stuff!

December 15, Psalm 119:17-24

Click here to go to Psalm 119:17-24



Open my eyes to see
    the wonderful truths in your instructions. (18)

I am always overwhelmed
    with a desire for your regulations. (20)


To be overwhelmed with a desire for God's Word, I wish I could say that, but most days it's still work. 

December 14, Psalm 119:9-16

Click here to go to Psalm 119:9-16

In the second section we are asked the question of how we can stay pure. The answer follows:
By obeying God's Word.

Again the focus is the Word of the God.

This was probably one of the first verses I was taught as a child:
I have hidden your word in my heart,
    that I might not sin against you. (12)

December 13, Psalm 119:1-8

Click here to go to Psalm 119:1-8

I'm kind of glad I saved this Psalm to finish the year. It's extremely encouraging on the importance of reading God's Word and taking it to heart.
Here's the footnote from www.biblegateway.com regarding Psalm 119:
This psalm is a Hebrew acrostic poem; there are twenty-two stanzas, one for each successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of the eight verses within each stanza begins with the Hebrew letter named in its heading.

This Psalm opens with letting us know what it takes to be joyful:

• People of integrity
• People who follow God's instructions
• People who obey God's laws
• People who search for Him
• People who do not compromise 
• People who walk only on God's path

I love the last line and seem to pray it often, "Please don't give up on me!"

December 12, Revelation 22

Click here to go to Revelation 22

13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”!! PRAISE BE TO GOD. WE DID IT!

I thought we would finish out the year reading through Psalm 119.

December 11, Revelation 21

Click here to read Revelation 21


3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

It's going to be amazing!

December 10, Revelation 20

Click here to go to Revelation 20

I've always heard after the tribulation Satan will be thrown into a pit for 1,000 years and then he'll be released. During that time he will gather an army of those in heaven that will try to defeat God. I assume this chapter is where they get that idea.

It's hard to imagine that anyone could be in the presence of God and decide to take sides with Satan.

I don't get it but I think that's what this chapter is saying.

December 9, Revelation 19

Click here to go to Revelation 19

Sorry about the weird text the past couple of days, not sure why it happened and hopefully I figured out how to stop it from happening...

Again the thing that struck me is the worship  in this chapter. It is beautiful, but this section is so cool to imagine:

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. 12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. 15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. 16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: “Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared.

Faithful and True is our Lord!

December 8, Revelation 18

Click here to go to Revelation 18

¹⁶ “How terrible, how terrible for that great city!
    She was clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens,
    decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls!
¹⁷ In a single moment
    all the wealth of the city is gone!” (16, 17)

Even though there is great evil there will be those that will be sadden when it is destroyed.

December 7 - Revelation 17

Click here to go to Revelation 17

¹¹ “The scarlet beast that was, but is no longer, is the eighth king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, is headed for destruction. ¹² The ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have not yet risen to power. They will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast. ¹³ They will all agree to give him their power and authority.¹⁴ Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”

Regardless, the Lamb will defeat them because he is LORD OF ALL LORDS and KING OF ALL KINGS!  Amen!

December 6, Revelation 16

Click here to go to Revelation 16

¹⁷ Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne in the Temple, saying, “It is finished!” ¹⁸ Then the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed. And a great earthquake struck—the worst since people were placed on the earth. ¹⁹ The great city of Babylon split into three sections, and the cities of many nations fell into heaps of rubble. So God remembered all of Babylon’s sins, and he made her drink the cup that was filled with the wine of his fierce wrath. ²⁰ And every island disappeared, and all the mountains were leveled. ²¹ There was a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing as much as seventy-five pounds^[d] fell from the sky onto the people below. They cursed God because of the terrible plague of the hailstorm.

John 19:30 - When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.

Matthew 27:50 - 53
⁵⁰ Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. ⁵¹ At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, ⁵² and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. ⁵³ They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.

Hopefully I'm not proof texting here, but when God says "It is finished!" It's powerful.
 
 

December 5, Day 338 - Revelation 15

Click here to go to Revelation 15

³ And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

“Great and marvelous are your works,
    O Lord God, the Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
    O King of the nations.^[a]
4 Who will not fear you, Lord,
    and glorify your name?
    For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
    for your righteous deeds have been revealed.”

⁸ The Temple was filled with smoke from God’s glory and power. No one could enter the Temple until the seven angels had completed pouring out the seven plagues.

 

December 4, Day 337 - Revelation 14

Click here to go to Revelation 14

Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. ² And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together.
³ This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth

That is going to be amazing!

December 3, Day 336 - Revelation 13

Click here to go to Revelation 13

More troubles for those who do not follow "the beast" by being unable to buy or sell. There are notes in The Voice bible:

The number "666" stands in contrast to the perfection of the Lamb and the Spirit. Because this number is "the number of a person," readers have tried to pin down the identity of this person throughout history. In John's day, the name and title "Nero Caesar" was a likely candidate for the beast because Nero persecuted and executed believers, demanding obedience and even worship. Every era seems to have its Neros, those beastly characters who occupy seats of power and yet use their power to oppress God's people. The speculation continues as to this person's identity, but what has not changed is the message of hope in the midst of extreme persecution; that is the beauty proclaimed in this vision given to John.

My Pastor always says to remember that scripture was written for those of the time. I think the line he uses "it means what it meant." I do like what the notes say in The Voice that every era has those trying to destroy Christianity, but there is always hope! Thank God for our hope!

December 2, Day 335 - Revelation 12

Click here to go to Revelation 12

This sounds like something from a bad syfy channel movie! (Sorry, my husband is watching some weird movie on SyFy right now.

The imagery in this chapter is intense to say the least.

⁷ Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. ⁸ And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. ⁹ This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.

Reminds me of Frank Peritti's "Darkness" series and the passage from Ephesian that reminds us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world (6:12 NLT)

 

December 1, Day 334 - Revelation 11

Click here to go to Revelation 11

This is tough stuff.
I do find this section interesting:
⁴ These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. ⁵ If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. ⁶ They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.
⁷ When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit^[a] will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. ⁸ And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem,^[b] the city that is figuratively called “Sodom” and “Egypt,” the city where their Lord was crucified. ⁹ And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. ¹⁰ All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them.
¹¹ But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all who were staring at them. ¹² Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets, “Come up here!” And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched.

I've read a couple of fiction books that have used this passage in their books. 
 

November 30, Day 333 - Revelation 10

Click here to go to Revelation 10

⁹ So I went to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. “Yes, take it and eat it,” he said. “It will be sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will turn sour in your stomach!” ¹⁰ So I took the small scroll from the hand of the angel, and I ate it! It was sweet in my mouth, but when I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach.

What must John have thought? 

 

November 29, Day 332 - Revelation 9

Click here to go to Revelation 9

²⁰ But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk! ²¹ And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

When you read all the things that happen in this chapter you wonder how can one refuse to repent? Of course, how many times to people blame God for their problems?

 

November 28, Day 331 - Revelation 8

Click here to go to Revelation 8

Sorry about the dates the past few days, I think I finally got it right...

The four trumpets and four catastrophes. I don't know whether I'll experience these events or not, but I trust God to carry me through if I do. 

November 26, Day 330 - Revelation 7

Click here to go to Revelation 7

I guess the thing I don't ever remember seeing in Revelation before is the amount of praise that takes place. Here you have the 144,000 Jews and a vast crowd to great to count and what are they doing!??!?!

Praise the one who brings salvation.

Nov 25, Day 329 - Revelation 6

Click here to go to Revelation 6



⁹ When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. ¹⁰ They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?” ¹¹ Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters—their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had joined them.

A great organization to learn more about those who are being martyred in our would today: The Voice of the Martyrs 

 

Nov 25, Day 328 - Rev. 5

Click here to go to Revelation 5

I think the thing that jumped out at me was the worship. Jesus is worthy to open the scroll and He is worthy of praise.

Nov 24, Day 327 - Revelation 4

Click here to go to Revelation 4

Sorry for the late post, my internet was down last night....

The imagery here is amazing from the description of the throne room to the 4 creatures. But my favorite part is the constant praising of God:
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
    who was and is and is to come!”

Reminds me of my favorite passage from Isaiah 6 he witnesses a similar scene. 

The response of the 24 elders is also beautiful:

⁹ And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

¹¹ “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they existed and were created.”

It is true God is worthy to receive glory and honor and power.  God is good!

Blessings

Nov. 23, Day 326 - Revelation 3

Click here to go to Revelation 3

We have probably all heard the verse 20:
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

I've heard it in relationship to salvation and how Jesus wants to enter into our lives and if we answer His knock He'll come in.

But here reading it in context I wonder if it more for the church like Laodicea, who were fooling themselves thinking that they were rich when they were really poor. In verse 19 we are told that those Jesus loves He disciplines. And if we open the door He'll come in. 

Blessings All! 

Nov 22, Day 325 - Revelation 2

Click here to go to Revelation 2

I think the one that jumps out at me is the words to the church of Ephesus. Although they were doing a lot of good things, they had left their first love. I have found it so easy to get wrapped up in doing "things" which I do think our faith should generate works, but we have to stay with that first love, Jesus.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Nov 21, Day 324 - Revelation 1

Click here to go to Revelation 1

I have to be honest I thought about not reading Revelation as part of the Bible 360, but my Pastor encouraged me to include it. I feel ill equipped to really make any comments regarding this book. But I need to trust the Holy Spirit to guide me in this.

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”
¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

Nov 20, Day 323 - Psalm 150

Click here to go to Psalm 150

Before we start The Revelation I wanted to read one of my favorite Psalms.

¹ Praise the Lord!

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heaven!
² Praise him for his mighty works;
    praise his unequaled greatness!
³ Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;
    praise him with the lyre and harp!
⁴ Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
    praise him with strings and flutes!
⁵ Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
    praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
⁶ Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

One of my favorite bands has always been Petra. This Psalm makes me think of this Petra song and the proclamation "Let Everything that Has Breath PRAISE THE LORD!!!"

Nov 19, Day 322 - Jude 1

Click here to go to Jude 1

²⁰ But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, ²¹ and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.
²² And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. ²³ Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

"Building each other up" such an important part of what we should be doing for each other. I think about the days I've been down and I get a message of encouragement. It just makes my day and reminds that I do have brothers and sisters in Christ that lift me up. Reminds me that I need to be doing the same.

I also love verse 22. I've heard it said the church is the only army that buries our wounded. We need to show mercy to those struggling with their faith. Good reminders from Jude.
 

Nov 18, Day 321 - Psalm 148

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As I go into worship today, I'm reminded that all of creation praises the Lord!

Nov 17, Day 320 - Psalm 147

Click here to go to Psalm 147

¹ Praise the Lord!

How good to sing praises to our God!
    How delightful and how fitting!

⁷ Sing out your thanks to the Lord;
    sing praises to our God with a harp.

¹² Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem!
    Praise your God, O Zion!

and the last line of the Psalm

Praise the Lord!

We need to start and end everything we do with Praise to our Lord!  (I need that reminder!!)   

Nov 16, Day 319 - 3 John

Click here to go 3 John

⁵ Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. ⁶ They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. ⁷ For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. ⁸ So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth.

What a good report! Oh to be faithful to care for God's teachers and ministers. Too often I've seen criticism of God's workers, when we need to lift them up and take care of them. 

I also liked this reminder:

¹¹ Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God. 

Nov 15, Day 318 - 2 John

Click here to go to 2 John

⁵ I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. ⁶ Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.

John reminds us several times to love one another. So important!

Nov 14, Day 317 - 1 John 5

Click here to go to 1 John 5

⁴ For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. ⁵ And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

The victory is ours!
 

Nov 13, Day 316 - 1 John 4

Click here to go to 1 John 4

So much good stuff in this chapter:
 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. (4)

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. (9,10)

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. (16)

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. (18)

There is also an important warning: Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. (1)

 
  

Nov 12, Day 315 - 1 John 3

Click here to go to 1 John 3

¹⁸ Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. ¹⁹ Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. ²⁰ Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

Walk the talk!! I need this reminder all the time!
 

Nov 11, Day 314 - Psalm 55

Click here to go to Psalm 55

This is another great Psalm to read when your struggling. But I love verse 22 for anytime:

²² Give your burdens to the Lord,
    and he will take care of you.
    He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

From The Voice: 

Cast your troubles upon the Eternal; His care is unceasing! He will not allow His righteous to be shaken.

Reminds me a little bit what Jesus said: 

Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28, The Voice)

 

Nov 10, Day 313 - Proverbs 31

Click here to go to Proverbs 31

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity,
    and she laughs without fear of the future.
²⁶ When she speaks, her words are wise,
    and she gives instructions with kindness.
²⁷ She carefully watches everything in her household
    and suffers nothing from laziness.

Strength and dignity... that's what I want in my life... the joy of the Lord is my strength!!

Thank God for His strength!

Nov 9, Day 312, 1 John 2

Click here to go to 1 John 2

This is a great chapter of encouragement, warnings and directions.
⁹ If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. ¹⁰ Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.

Walk the talk!

²⁸ And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

²⁹ Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.

Remain in fellowship with Christ! 

Blessings!

Nov 8, Day 311 - 1 John 1

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⁸ If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. ⁹ But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

Thankful that He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from ALL wickedness... all we have to do is CONFESS!

Thank you Lord!

Nov 7, Day 310 - 2 Peter 3

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⁸ But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. ⁹ The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

God wants all of us to come to Him... but he will eventually judge all
¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. 

We need to be ready! 

Nov 6, Day 309 - 2 Peter 2

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I love this story: ¹⁶ But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice.


Can you imagine your donkey talking to you!??! Of course, that's not Peter's focus here, but a reminder that false teachers have been around forever. 
A reminder of the importance of knowing God's Word, staying in fellowship with Him so we can recognize the false.

Blessings all! 

Nov 5, Day 308 - 2 Peter 1

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Such a power opening:

³ By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. ⁴ And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

⁵ In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

"God has given us everything we need for living a godly life." The first thing that popped into my head is they didn't have a bunch of books about prayer and Bible study (not that those things are necessarily bad). They had the Old Testament, the stories from that were passed down from the apostles and possibly some of the letters from Paul and/or Peter. Yet Peter tells them they have everything they needed, which means we do too!

Again, I'm not saying that Christian "how to" books are wrong or bad, but I do feel we need to make sure their source is Scripture and we go to the Bible as our primary source. I've really appreciated the comments through the year, so many good thoughts and pointing out things that I didn't see in a passage. It's been a blessing!

Nov. 4, Day 307 - Psalm 41

Click here to go to Psalm 41

This is such a great Psalm when you are facing adversity. Several years ago it was one of the Psalms I prayed frequently when I was facing adversity from a couple of families in my church.

Through it all God was faithful and still is:
¹² You have preserved my life because I am innocent;
    you have brought me into your presence forever.

The natural response... 

¹³ Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who lives from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and amen!

So thankful for God's faithfulness. 

Nov 3, Day 306 - Psalm 34

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So many good things in this chapter, I think today this is my favorite:

¹¹ Come, my children, and listen to me,
    and I will teach you to fear the Lord.
¹² Does anyone want to live a life
    that is long and prosperous?
¹³ Then keep your tongue from speaking evil
    and your lips from telling lies!
¹⁴ Turn away from evil and do good.
    Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

Nov 2, Day 305 - 1 Peter 5

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⁶ So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. ⁷ Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

I like the way The Voice put verse 7, not different words, but the sentence changes the emphasis in a really good way:

Since God cares for you, let Him carry all your burdens and worries.

And in the words of Peter...

....May peace come to all who follow Jesus the Anointed. (14b The Voice)

Nov 1, Day 304 - 1 Peter 4

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A good reminder:
¹⁰ God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. ¹¹ Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

God has given us all a gift and He wants us to use it!
 

Oct 31, Day 305 - 1 Peter 3

Click here to go to 1 Peter 3

I've seen verses 1 & 2 lived out in the life of a dear lady that I knew when I was growing up. For years she faithfully attended church and faithfully prayed for her husband. It was years before he came to confess Jesus as Savior and Lord. But it happened.

The verses that jumped out to me were:

⁸ Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. ⁹ Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it. ¹⁰ For the Scriptures say,

“If you want to enjoy life
    and see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
    and your lips from telling lies.
¹¹ Turn away from evil and do good.
    Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
¹² The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
    and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
    against those who do evil.”

Especially the part "...pay them back with a blessing."

Oct. 30, Day 304 - 1 Peter 2

Click here to go to 1 Peter 2

One of my favorite verses:
⁹ But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

A verse that is somewhat difficult, especially during this election time, but doesn't change its meaning:

¹³ For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state, ¹⁴ or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

Really hard sometimes, yet Paul told Timothy a similar thing. 

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. ² Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. ³ This is good and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.   (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

Be Blessed!

Oct 29, Day 303 - 1 Peter 1

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There is a lot of good stuff in this chapter, words of encouragement as Peter reminds us of what Jesus did for us. As well there are strong words about how we should life a holy life as God is holy.

I think this is my favorite verse today at least:
It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, ⁴ and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.

So thankful for that great mercy!

Oct. 28, Day 302 - Proverbs 30

Click here to go to Proverbs 30

⁷ O God, I beg two favors from you;
    let me have them before I die.
⁸ First, help me never to tell a lie.
    Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!
    Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
⁹ For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”
    And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.

I think this is a good prayer to pray.

 

Oct 27, Day 301 - Psalm 20

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What a great prayer for a leader!!! I love the focus of this prayer I've heard this verse many times
⁷ Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
    but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.

But reading it in context of the entire Psalm makes it more significant. 

God is Good!

Oct 26, Day 300 - James 5

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WOW!! Day 300 only 66 left. Home stretch and it's been such a blessing to me to read through the New Testament. I've been working on the schedule for next year. Next year will start with John again but then the rest of the Gospels will be spread out about every 3 months. Reading the rest of the New Testament in order that it is believed they were written in. For the weekends reading through the Psalms.

James ends with wonderful words regarding prayer my favorite:

¹³ Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. ¹⁴ Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

Oct 25, Day 299 - James 4

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⁷ So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. ⁹ Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Oh the importance of staying humble and let God lift us to honor in His time and His way.

 

Oct 24, Day 298 - James 3

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Oh the power of the tongue....
² Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

So very, very true, but I love how the chapter closes:
¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. ¹⁸ And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

I tend to be a person that tries to help find peace in situations. I like the idea of reaping a harvest of righteousness. 
 

Oct 23, Day 297 - James 2

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⁴ What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? ¹⁵ Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, ¹⁶ and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

Our faith should show itself in our works, but we have to be careful (speaking from experiencing) not to let works go ahead of the faith. In some church traditions it's easy to get caught up in doing the right things without the right motives. We can't earn our way to heaven, Jesus did that for us on the cross, but he does expect us to reach out and do "works" because of our faith.

 

Oct 22, Day 296 - James 1

Click here to go to James 1

James is one of those books that every time I read it I feel like there is so much for me to learn.

Here are some of the verses that jumped out at me:

⁵ If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

¹⁷ Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. ²⁰ Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. ²¹ So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

²² But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. ²³ For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. ²⁴ You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

So much good stuff!  
 

October 21, Day 295 - Psalm 18

Click here to go to Psalm 18

I love the book of Psalm and here's one of the reasons why I like this one

¹⁶ He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.
¹⁷ He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
    from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
¹⁸ They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
    but the Lord supported me.
¹⁹ He led me to a place of safety;
    he rescued me because he delights in me.

Oct. 20, Day 294 - Proverbs 29

Click here to go to Proverbs 29

This verses jumps out at me:

To discipline a child produces wisdom,
    but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child. (15)
 
Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind
    and will make your heart glad. (17)

Just because I'm struggling with my 13 year old son, the boy needs some wisdom and I definitely could use the peace of mind.

Another good reminder:

Fearing people is a dangerous trap,
    but trusting the Lord means safety. (25)

Oct. 19, Day 293 - Hebrews 13

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²⁰ Now may the God of peace—
    who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great Shepherd of the sheep,
    and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
²¹ may he equip you with all you need
    for doing his will.
May he produce in you,^[e]
    through the power of Jesus Christ,
every good thing that is pleasing to him.
    All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

Only one of the things that jumped out at me. 

Oct. 18, Day 292 - Hebrews 12

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I love this verse!!!
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (1)

 
I love how the Orthodox churches have this as a part of their churches. That reminder that we do have the cloud of witnesses.

I also really like verse 14: Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
Sometimes it's a lot of work to live at peace with people. 

 

Oct. 17, Day 291 - Hebrews 11

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It was by faith....

This is such a great chapter to remind us of the people of faith that go before us. My favorite is Rahab. She wasn't a Jew yet she not only helped the Israelites but she was part of the linage of Jesus.

Reading about these great people of faith, who weren't perfect reminds me there's hope for me.

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. (1)