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This is a podcast sharing thoughts and insights for the accompanying the daily reading schedule for the book, Reading the Bible Cover to Cover in 365 Days.
Welcome to day 327 of Reading the Bible Cover to Cover in 365 Days!
Let us pray:
O Lord, thank You for Your Word and the promises in Your Word. Help us receive the message You have for us today.
Let’s see what Jesus says to us in Luke chapter 16!
Jesus tells the parable of the dishonest manager of an estate to share the concept that He shared in verse 10, where He said, “He who is faithful in a very little [thing] is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest and unjust in a very little [thing] is dishonest and unjust also in much.” This verse argues that no one will trust us with much if we aren’t faithful in the little amount we have. This reminds us to be obedient to the Lord. And if it seems difficult to be obedient, we can pray that God will help us be obedient. He gives us the strength to do what He asks us to do.
Jesus said we “cannot serve God and mammon (riches, or anything in which you trust and on which you rely).” Reflecting on what we hold dear is essential. It’s also important to continue taking inventory to ensure we are not putting our trust in anything more than we trust almighty God.
The Pharisees loved money, and they started ridiculing Jesus, to which He said, “You are the ones who declare yourselves just and upright before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted and highly thought of among men is detestable and abhorrent (an abomination) in the sight of God.“ We cannot hide from God, our Maker. He knows our thoughts better than we know our own. Many of God’s ways seem opposite from the world’s, so we need to stay in His Word and learn more about Him.
Then we read the story about Lazarus, who was utterly destitute and led a life of begging and eating scraps from a rich man’s table. When he died, he was comforted in the arms of Abraham. When the rich man died and saw Lazarus being held, he asked for pity. But Abraham reminded him that his life was filled with all the comforts it could offer. It was now time to offer comfort to the destitute. The rich man asked if Lazarus could go to his family and tell them what awaits them, hoping they would turn from their evil ways. But Abraham said no. This story always touches my heart and urges me to ask myself what I’m seeking and desiring that is not God’s will. Let us pray that God’s will be done and that He leads us into the life He has planned for us. Let us also pray for a willing heart to obey.
Let’s see what John’s vision is today in Revelation chapter 7!
First, John sees four angels who hold back the wind. We may see the wind here as calamity and the enemy sending calamity our way through the wind. But God sent His angels to hold it back for a time. As we continue in the chapter, there is a second angel who was to put a mark on the foreheads of those God has chosen as His. The angels guarding the wind ensure the people are secure even when the destructive winds begin to blow. There are 144,000 marked for God. Before we get nervous about whether we are part of the 144,000, read verse 9: “After this I looked, and a vast host appeared which no one could count, [gathered out] of every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages. These stood before the throne and the Lamb; they were attired in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.” One possible explanation is that the 144,000 are part of the Jewish nation that God set aside for Himself, and the host of people are the Gentiles. Either way, we can rest assured that Jesus died to save us, and we are His.
Then we read about the heavenly beings, including the angels, praising God. Everyone will praise the Lord. May we give Him our praise today!
Verses 18 and 19 are precious promises of God and say, “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun smite them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to the springs of the waters of life; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” We can write these promises on notecards and keep them for daily reading. They are promises we can hold onto when life is full of difficulty.
Let’s see what Ezekiel is writing in chapter 41!
Ezekiel is still with the angel, who is showing him more dimensions, specifications, and materials for the Temple. We read about the Holy of Holies and other rooms in the Temple. My takeaway is that God is a God of details. He gave similar specifications when they made the Temple the first time. It will be interesting to see how these eight chapters will be fulfilled.
We continue reading about the dimensions of the Temple in chapter 42. Verses 13 and 14 give instructions about the priests offering and their clothes. The angel tells Ezekiel about the holy chambers “where the priests who approach the Lord shall eat the most holy offerings; there shall they lay the most holy things – the meal offering, the sin offering, and the trespass or guilt offering – for the place is holy.” Then in verse 14, he says, “When priests enter the Holy Place, they shall not go out of it into the outer court unless they lay aside there the garments in which they minister, for these are holy, separate, and set apart.” We should take note that these instructions contain the word holy many times. The Lord is holy, and those who serve Him have to be separated for their holy work in a specific way. May we honor and revere the Most High God, for He is Holy.
Let’s see what we can learn from Psalm 146!
Psalm 146 is a psalm of praise. Verse 2 says, “While I live will I praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have any being.” May our hearts praise God as long as we have life and breath in us.
This psalm is also filled with wisdom. Verse 3 tells us not to put our trust in princes – maybe better put these days is don’t put our trust in people. God is the only One we should trust. He writes that the one who has God as his help and whose hope is in the Lord is blessed.
God is the Maker of everything. He offers justice to the oppressed, food for the hungry, sets prisoners free, protects strangers, and helps the fatherless and widows. These are things the Lord does and the things He cares about. Let us be the heart and hands of the Lord and offer the help He desires us to give.
Let us pray:
O Lord, thank You for teaching us more about You. Help us stay true to You, honor You, and worship You. May our hearts be soft and always turned to You. Keep us seeking You, Father. In Jesus’ name, amen.