SUNDAY
Leviticus 20:22-22:16
John 6:1-21
Psalm 35:1-10
MONDAY
Leviticus 22:17-23:44
John 6:22-42
Psalm 35:11-18
TUESDAY
Leviticus 24:1-25:46
John 6:43-71
Psalm 35:19-28
WEDNESDAY
Leviticus 25:47-27:13
John 7:1-30
Psalm 36:1-12
BIBLE PROJECT OVERVIEW: NUMBERS
THURSDAY
Lev 27:14- Num 1:54
John 7:31-53
Psalm 37:1-9
FRIDAY
Numbers 2:1-3:51
John 8:1-20
Psalm 37:10-20
SATURDAY
Numbers 4:1-5:31
John 8:21-30
Psalm 37:21-31
Today's Reading:
Leviticus 15:1-17:16
John 5:1-30
Psalm 33:12-22
Click on Text Link to Read Online
Focus Verses: Leviticus 16:20-22
20
"When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place,
the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live
goat. 21
He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over
it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their
sins—and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into
the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. 22 The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.
Insight:
The
Day of Atonement was an annual ritual of cleansing and forgiveness
that foreshadowed the ultimate and eternal cleansing that would be
accomplished by Christ's sacrificial death. What they did year after
year was a picture that anticipated what Jesus would one day do once for
all (Hebrews 10:11-13).
The
goat sacrificed on the Day of Atonement, along with the other
sacrificed animals, symbolized the death and sacrifice of Jesus, the
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. There is much
discussion and speculation about the meaning of the scapegoat driven
away. Some think it represents the physical suffering and hardship
Christ endured in bearing our sins. I think it may represent the
believer's part in casting sin aside. Christ died for sin, but the
believer must also participate in Christ’s work by turning away from and
dying to sin (Rom. 12:1-2).
Response and Action:
I
will look to Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, renewal, and
the hope of eternal life. I will put my faith in his saving sacrifice
on my behalf. I will also make every effort to drive out the sins in
my life. Christ not only died to atone for my sin, but also gives me
the power of his Spirit to be made new and to find freedom from sin.
By the power and grace of Christ, I will make every effort to put
aside the sins that entangle me. Beyond forgiveness, I will pursue
holiness.
O God, by the power
and grace of your Holy Spirit, lead, teach, transform, shape, and
strengthen me, that I might delight in your will and walk in your ways
to the glory of your Name. Thank you for the forgiveness you have
given through Jesus. Help me to drive sin and unfaithfulness out of
my life. Help me to offer myself as a living sacrifice, holy and
pleasing to you. By your grace, strengthen and bless my efforts to
turn away from sin. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: Hebrews 10:1-4
1
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the
realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same
sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who
draw near to worship. 2 If
it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the
worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer
have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Resources:
The Nature of the Atonement: Four Views
by Thomas R. Schreiner
Today's Reading:
Leviticus 14:1-57
John 4:4-54
Psalm 33:1-11
Click on Text Link to Read Online
Focus Verses: John 4:31-34
31
Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something." 32 But he
said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." 33 Then
his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?"
34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to
finish his work."
Insight:
Jesus
put the needs and interests of others before his own. He was able to
defer or put aside his own needs because he found such satisfaction
in ministering to others. Jesus was a hungry and tired man as he sat
down by a well in Sychar and asked the Samaritan woman for a drink. He
became a satisfied and energized man once he saw the woman's response
to God's truth and grace. Jesus' disciples, confused as they were by
his words on this occasion, would eventually learn and experience the
same satisfaction of ministry and selflessness Jesus spoke about.
Response and Action:
There
is a satisfaction and joy in serving the interests of others. I want
to understand and experience that satisfaction. I want to be more
concerned with the Kingdom of God than in the gratifying of self. I
want to know how much more blessed it is to give than to receive. I
want my desire to bless others to far surpass the desire to bless
myself.
O God, grant that I
might not so much seek to be consoled, as to console. To be loved, as
to love. To be understood, as to understand. To be satisfied, as to
satisfy. Give me food that the self-centered person I am today cannot
comprehend. Thank you for the power and grace of your Holy Spirit who
is able to transform me and renew my mind as I offer myself to you as a
living sacrifice. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: Philippians 2:3-5
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus...
Resources:
The Hole in Our Gospel: What does God expect of Us?
by Richard Stearns
Today's Reading:
Leviticus 13:1-59
John 3:22-4:3
Psalm 32:1-11
Click on Text Link to Read Online
Focus Verses: Psalm 32:1-5
1 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. 5
Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I
said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "— and you
forgave the guilt of my sin.
Insight:
Failure
to acknowledge my sin before God will result in guilt and depression.
How much better for me to admit my failures, uncover my sins, and
confess my need for God's forgiveness and grace. The blessing of
forgiveness and relief from guilt comes from being humble and honest
before God. If I confess my sins, God is faithful and just and he will
forgive me my sins and purify me from all unrighteousness.
Response and Action:
I
will be humble and honest before God and admit my sins and weaknesses.
God knows all about them anyway, so covering them up is only
self-deception. I want the peace and freedom from guilt that comes with
confession and honesty to God. I will openly acknowledge my weakness
and transgressions to God. I will look to God for the grace and
guidance I need to overcome sin. I will give God my thanks and praise
for his mercy and faithfulness to forgive and restore.
Thank
you, Almighty God, for your mercy and grace. Thank you for your
faithfulness and your forgiveness that blesses all who confess their
sins and look to you for salvation. Lead me away from temptation, and
deliver me from evil. Help me to love you with all my heart, soul,
mind, and strength. Give me a humble heart and a readiness to repent,
and as I do, restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me
with your free Spirit. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 John 1:8-9
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Resources:
Reflection and Confession
by Janet L. Johnson
Today's Reading:
Leviticus 11:1-12:8
John 3:1-21
Psalm 31:19-24
Click on Text Link to Read Online
Focus Verses: John 3:16-19
16 "For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not
believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the
name of God's one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil."
Insight:
Jesus'
words to Nicodemus are very straightforward. "The Son" is God's plan
for saving the world. Salvation comes through believing in the Son.
Condemnation is not the penalty for rejecting the Son. Rather,
condemnation is where we are until we are saved by the Son. Jesus, God's
Son, is the one who rescues us from darkness and condemnation.
Response and Action:
I
want to take hold of God's gift of salvation. I believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of the Living God. My faith in Jesus draws me
into his light. I want to turn away from evil and do what is right. I
want to reflect the light of Christ in my world so that others can
believe in Him too.
O
Lord, help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.
Help me to walk in the light and to recognize Jesus as the true
light. Help my life to be a light and witness of Jesus' power to save
and transform. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 John 5:11-12
11
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life
is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the
Son of God does not have life.
Resources:
Becoming a Christian
by John Stott
Today's Reading:
Leviticus 9:7-10:20
John 2:1-25
Psalm 31:9-18
Click on Text Link to Read Online
Focus Verses: John 2:7-11
7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, 9
and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned
into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the
servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom
aside 10
and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the
cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have
saved the best till now." 11
This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of
Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith
in him.
Insight:
There
are some unusual things about Jesus' first miracle. To begin with,
the supply of wine at a wedding doesn't seem like it really warrants
supernatural intervention. There also seems to be reluctance on Jesus'
part. His mother wants him to do something, but he doesn't want to get
involved; he doesn't think it's the right time. When he does get
involved, it seems to be at Mary's insistence. And though he performs a
miracle, he does so in an anonymous way. Only Mary and the servants
seem to know what has happened.
All of these
peculiarities make fertile ground for both speculation and question.
We ask “why this” and wonder “why that?” John jumps beyond our
questions about this specific miracle and gets to a bigger question:
Why miracles at all? His answer: To reveal Jesus' glory and to foster his disciples' faith in him (v. 11).
Response and Action:
As
I encounter Jesus' miracles while reading the gospels of Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John, I will remember what John said at the conclusion
of his account of Jesus' first miracle. I will ask myself, "What does
this miracle reveal to me about Jesus' glory?" and "What does this
miracle call me or cause me to believe about Jesus?" I will look for
his glory and consider my faith in him.
O
God, help me to recognize Jesus as your Son, the Christ, the Savior,
and Lord. Help me to grow in my knowledge and experience of who he is
and what that means. Increase my faith and do a miraculous work in my
life. Take my bondage to sin and transform it into freedom and
righteousness. Help me to live by the miraculous power of resurrection.
Change my heart from stone to flesh. Turn the tepid and bitter waters
of my life into the rich new wine of your Spirit. Take my death and
give me life. In Jesus transforming and powerful Name, I pray. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: Hebrews 11:6
6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who
comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who
earnestly seek him.
Resources:
Miracles
by C. S.Lewis
Today's Reading:
Leviticus 7:28-9:6
John 1:29-51
Psalm 31:1-8
Click on Text Link to Read Online
Focus Verses: John 1:32-34
32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33
I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize
with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and
remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
Insight:
John
the Baptist was born to parents of advanced age. The angelic visits
and miracles that accompanied his conception and birth (Luke 1) were
signs that John was a special voice—a prophet who would announce the
coming of Messiah. At his birth, John's father, Zechariah, exclaimed,
"You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will
go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people
the knowledge of salvation, through the forgiveness of their sins..."
(Luke 1:76-77).
John the Baptist, was the fulfillment
of Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 40:3). He was "A voice of one calling: 'In
the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the
wilderness a highway for our God." He was also the fulfillment of
God's promise through the prophet Malachi: "See, I will send you the
prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He
will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts
of the children to their fathers..." (Malachi 4:5-6).
All
this adds tremendous force to John's declaration that Jesus was the
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. John was giving
prophetic notice that Jesus was the one who would fulfill God's promise
to save sinners from judgment. Jesus was God's solution to humanity's
problem of sin. Jesus was the one who would be the instrument of God's
saving grace and salvation for the world.
Response and Action:
I
accept the testimony of John the Baptist. John's birth, life, and
ministry give prophetic credibility to his witness. I am putting my
faith in Christ Jesus and I look to him as the one who can save me from
sin. I believe that Jesus saves me from the penalty of sin and from bondage to
sin. As I follow Jesus, I pray that my life and my voice, as John the
Baptist's, might be a testimony and declaration of the saving and
transforming power of Jesus.
O
God, thank you for Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of
the world. Help me to recognize him, to follow him, and to trust him.
Make my life a testimony of his salvation, and use me to point others
to Christ Jesus, your Son, my Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 John 5:11-12
11
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life
is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the
Son of God does not have life.
Resources:
Jesus: Lord and Savior
by F. F. Bruce
SUNDAY
Leviticus 7:28-9:6
John 1:29-51
Psalm 31:1-8
MONDAY
Leviticus 9:7-10:20
John 2:1-25
Psalm 31:9-18
TUESDAY
Leviticus 11:1-12:8
John 3:1-21
Psalm 31:19-24
WEDNESDAY
Leviticus 13:1-59
John 3:22-4:3
Psalm 32:1-11
THURSDAY
Leviticus 14:1-57
John 4:4-54
Psalm 33:1-11
FRIDAY
Leviticus 15:1-17:16
John 5:1-30
Psalm 33:12-22
SATURDAY
Leviticus 18:1-20:21
John 5:31-47
Psalm 34:1-22
Today's Reading:
Leviticus 4:1-5:19
Luke 24:13-53
Psalm 30:1-7
Click on Text Link to Read Online
Focus Verses: Luke 24:25-27
25 He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Insight:
When
the disciples failed to recognize Jesus, he did not immediately tell
them who he was. Instead, he asked them what they were thinking and
feeling. He then turned them to the testimony of scripture. He wanted
them to see how the scriptures accurately explained who he was and what
would happen to him. He helped them see the reliability of scripture and
emphasized the importance scripture has for all who want to understand and
recognize him.
Response and Action:
Knowing
and understanding the Bible is a very important part of knowing and
understanding who Christ is. I must make time for reading and
meditating upon God's word and make it a priority in my daily life. I
want to be a person who recognizes Jesus for who the Scriptures show
him to be.
O
God, thank you for your written word. Thank you that your Spirit has
spoken through the prophets. Help me to be a person of the Word. I
want to read, study, memorize, and know the scriptures. As I hide your
word in my heart, please help me to better recognize and know Jesus. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: Proverbs 8:33-34
"Listen to my (wisdom's) instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway."
Resources:
The IVP Introduction to the Bible
by Philip S. Johnston
Today's Reading:
Leviticus 1:1-3:17
Luke 23:44-24:12
Psalm 29:1-11
Click on Text Link to Read Online
Focus Verses: Luke 24:9-12
9
When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the
Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the
mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the
apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words
seemed to them like nonsense. 12
Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the
strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to
himself what had happened.
Insight:
Bible
scholars generally agree that the gospel account of women being the
first witnesses to the resurrection gives support to the veracity of the
biblical narrative. Many a commentator has pointed out that if
overzealous male disciples had fabricated the resurrection story, they
would surely never have chosen women to be the first to know and tell
about the empty tomb.
First-century Jewish society
rejected women as legal witnesses. In fact, it's worth noting that
Luke's account shows the apostles doing just that. Even though these
women were surely well-known to them, the apostles dismissed their
story as nonsense. Because they had a bias against the testimony of
women, the apostles' first response to the resurrection message was one
of rejection.
Response and Action:
Truth
can come from very unexpected places. It's all too easy to miss the
truth when it comes from someone I have dismissed as unreliable. Just
because something seems incredible or unexpected or nonsensical to me,
it doesn't mean it is untrue. It's fine to be skeptical and to
thoroughly question and examine truth claims, but it is foolish to
reject a truth claim simply because I have a predisposition or bias
toward unbelief.
I will be a thoughtful and generous
listener. When people share personal stories, experiences, and beliefs,
I will be careful to not dismiss them without first giving their
testimony honest consideration and examination. I will remember that
God sometimes uses things that seem foolish to shame the wise.
Sometimes God works through the weak instead of the strong. Sometimes
wisdom comes from the mouths of children.
O
God, save me from arrogance that would blind me to truth. Save me from
overconfidence in myself that might cause me to reject something
authentic and good. Deliver me from any prejudice that would make me
insensitive and closed to the beautiful and redeeming things you are
doing in the world. Give me the humility, the curiosity, the patience,
and the wisdom to see truth regardless of who is speaking it. Help me
to remember that all truth is your truth. Through Christ, I pray.
Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 Corinthians 1:27-30
27
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God
chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28
He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and
the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no
one may boast before him. 30 It is
because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us
wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
Resources:
Why Should Anyone Believe Anything at All?
by James W. Sire
Today's Reading:
Exodus 39:1-40:38
Luke 23:13-43
Psalm 28:1-9
Click on Text Link to Read Online
Focus Verses: Luke 23:33-35
33
When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified
him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35
The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They
said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of
God, the Chosen One."
Insight:
The
people who sneered and mocked Jesus with the words, "He saved others,
let him save himself," were inadvertently stating the fact of the
situation. Ironically, their taunts were true. It's true that Jesus
could not save us if he saved himself from the pain of the cross. The
incarnation of Jesus and his death on the cross are necessary for my
salvation. Jesus freely chose to save humankind rather than saving
himself.
Response and Action:
My salvation and life are the
reason for Christ's incarnation and his death at the hands of sinful
men. Jesus was without sin, yet was willing to enter a sinful world
and suffer the violence of sinners. That is why God has given him all
the life needed to reverse the injustices and crimes of humanity. He
is the only human without sin, the only one worthy to receive life,
and therefore the only one able to graciously give new life to the
rest of humanity. I will put my hope and faith and confidence in him.
I am a sinner, saved by grace—a grace made possible by Jesus!
Thank
you, Jesus, for enduring the shame and suffering of the cross. You
freely laid down your life in order to save mine. Help me, now, to hold
fast to this great gift to me. Help me to lay down my life in
surrender to you. Help me to live out surrender to you in all my
choices and actions today. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: Hebrews 2:14-15
14
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their
humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power
of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Resources:
The Nature of the Atonement: Four Views
by Thomas R. Schreiner
Today's Reading:
Exodus 37:1-38:31
Luke 22:54-23:12
Psalm 27:7-14
Click on Text Link to Read Online
Focus Verses: Psalm 27:7-8
7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me. 8 My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek.
Insight:
David
was determined to seek God. It wasn't just his need or external
circumstances that caused him to seek God; his heart also told him to
"seek God's face!"
Response and Action:
I
will seek God with all my heart. I do not want to be a person who
seeks God only in times of need. I want a heart that desires to draw
near to God so that I am ready for difficult situations. I will seek
God through prayer, through the Scriptures, through fellowship with
others who seek him, and through every true and beautiful thing in the
world around me.
O
God, help me to seek you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Show yourself to me through your word, your people, your promises,
and all that is beautiful and true. Help me to desire and delight in
your will and to walk in your ways to the glory of your Name. Through
Christ, I pray. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: Colossians 3:1-3
1
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on
things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set
your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and
your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Resources:
Learning to Pray Through the Psalms
by James Sire
Today's Reading:
Exodus 34:1-35:9
Luke 22:14-34
Psalm 26:1-12
Click on Text Link to Read Online
Focus Verses: Luke 22:24-27
24 Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25
Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and
those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26
But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you
should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who
serves. 27
For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who
serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as
one who serves.
Insight:
Jesus was and is a servant. He did not serve despite his greatness, but rather, he served because
of his greatness. Servanthood is at the core of greatness. To truly
follow Jesus, I must become a servant. Unless a person learns to serve
and care for others, it is impossible to be like Jesus.
Response and Action:
I
will not pursue greatness, but rather Christ-likeness. I will look
toward the needs and interests of others, rather than concern myself
with how others think about me. I will apply my energy, time, and
creativity toward helping others more than myself. I will come
alongside and below others in an effort to lift them rather than try to
exalt myself over others. Even when I am placed in positions of
leadership and authority, I will see them as a privilege and a
responsibility. Leadership is to be exercised with humility toward self
and concern for others.
Lord
God, help me to be a servant. I want to follow in the way of Jesus.
Help me to pour out my life for others. Help me to serve my spouse, my
family, my neighbors, my co-workers, my church, and my community,
through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 Peter 5:2-3
2
Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as
overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God
wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3 not lording
it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
Resources:
Full Service: Moving from Self-Serve Christianity to Total Servanthood
by Siang-Yang Tan
SUNDAY
Exodus 34:1-35:9
Luke 22:14-34
Psalm 26:1-12
MONDAY
Exodus 35:10-36:38
Luke 22:35-53
Psalm 27:1-6
TUESDAY
Exodus 37:1-38:31
Luke 22:54-23:12
Psalm 27:7-14
WEDNESDAY
Exodus 39:1-40:38
Luke 23:13-43
Psalm 28:1-9
BIBLE PROJECT OVERVIEW: LEVITICUS
THURSDAY
Leviticus 1:1-3:17
Luke 23:44-24:12
Psalm 29:1-11
FRIDAY
Levitcus 4:1-5:19
Luke 24:13-53
Psalm 30:1-7
BIBLE PROJECT OVERVIEW: JOHN 1-12
SATURDAY
Levitcus 6:1-7:27
John 1:1-28
Psalm 30:8-12
Today's Reading:
Exodus 32:1-33:23
Luke 21:29-22:13
Psalm 25:16-22
Click on Text Link to Read Online
Focus Verses: Exodus 32:7-9
7 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8
They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have
made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed
down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your gods, O
Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.' 9 "I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people.
Insight:
The Golden Calf was not some new invention of the Israelites. During the time of the Exodus, the image of "The Bull" was an object of worship in Egypt. It was also widely worshiped among their neighboring nations in the Ancient Near East.
Moses
was on Mount Sinai for forty days and nights. That was long enough
for the people of Israel to jump to the conclusion that something had
happened to him. In his absence, they reverted to pagan idolatry and
turned back to a god-image they had learned in Egypt. Not only did
they make a calf, they celebrated the deity it represented with pagan
practices of ritualistic gluttony and sexual immorality.
This
whole event is a stark and shocking reminder of just how far the
people of Israel were from understanding or knowing the true God who
had delivered them from slavery. Moses was angry with the people, but
he begged God to forgive them.
Response and Action:
The
people of Israel were so close to God, and yet so far away from him.
Moses was in the very presence of God on Mt. Sinai, receiving God's
promises and commands, but the people of Israel were distant,
disobedient, and confused in the dark valley of their ignorance. They
needed the commands and guidance God was giving them through Moses.
They needed the truth God was revealing and to turn from their false
ideas about God.
I need to draw near to God. The truth
revealed to me in the Bible will help me to leave the darkness of my
ignorance and help me to recognize the One True God and not confuse
him with my own ideas or the false concepts of God so prevalent in the
world around me.
O God, thank
you for your Holy Word. I have hidden your Word in my heart that I
might not sin against you. Save me from my own ignorance and the
false ideas of the world that surround me. Thank you for Jesus who
has made you known to me. Help me to follow in his way and to build
my life upon the solid ground of his words. Through Christ, I pray.
Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: Colossians 1:13-14
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Resources:
Breaking the Idols of Your Heart
by Dan Allender and Tremper Longman
Today's Reading:
Exodus 30:11-31:18
Luke 21:1-28
Psalm 25:8-15
Click on Text Link to Read Online
Focus Verses: Luke 21:16-19
16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 All men will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By standing firm you will gain life.
Insight:
Jesus
warns his followers of a time when, because of their faith in him,
they will face betrayal, hate, and even death. He tells them to stand
firm in their faith because in standing firm they will gain life. Jesus
speaks these words with great confidence and authority. He even
appropriates the very words of God (Isaiah 40:8) as his own when he
says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."
Response and Action:
I have never yet faced the kind of persecution Jesus warns about in these verses, but someplace in the world today Christians are
suffering because of their faith in Jesus. I must pray for them and
prepare my heart and mind for the very real possibility of persecution
at some time in my future. The world is a volatile place where things
can shift dramatically and unexpectedly.
I must
follow Jesus with my heart, soul, and strength today—acknowledging his
lordship and authority—if I am going to be ready to stand firm in him
in times of trial and hardship. I must embrace Jesus' words and
promises with the same confidence he speaks them to me. I will hold to
the words of Jesus as the very words of God Almighty. In faith, I
must live with the conviction that if I stand firm in Christ, I will
gain life.
O God, you are my
hope, my strength, and my deliverance. The escapes from death belong
to you. You scatter your enemies and overcome the darkness with light.
You bear my burdens, you save me, and you sustain me. By your power
and grace, O Lord, help me to navigate difficult times and dark days.
Help me to stand firm in you. Give me your peace and guard my heart
and mind. Give me confidence for life through faith in Christ. Blessed
be his name! Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: Psalm 68:19-20
19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. 20 Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.
Resources:
The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance & Assurance
by Thomas R. Schreiner and Ardel B. Caneday
