Day 302 of Bible Reading Plan – There is a test that we all must go through. The test of faith. There is no fence walking there. We are either in faith or we are not. And we will bear consequences for that choice. It is pass/fail. No in-between.
Day 301 of Bible Reading Plan – Joy does not just happen. It is something we get to decide whether or not we experience it. And true joy can occur in hard or good times. Joy is chosen. And when it is, there is nothing that can steal our joy.
Day 300 of Bible Reading Plan – We have favor with God just because of his incredible kindness. But there is an expectation for this gift from God. Accepting His free gift of salvation, then living out the gift we have been given. Fearing God and doing what is right.
God can do anything and everything, but apparently, He values our obedience and cooperation.
God would rather you be faithful to what He is calling you to do than to chase after dreams and aspirations that don’t align with that calling.
“Remember that not only is God’s Word the tool of His judgment, but it was also the tool of creation.”
Instead of fostering a relationship with Jesus and embracing His truth,
the current societal focus is on personal rights, being offended, and entitlement.
We have to stand up and do what He tells us to do.
Day 276 of Bible Reading Plan – Have you ever dealt with bullies in your life and wondered why God did not deal with them already? God is just and He will deal with those who hurt us, but God also wants them to repent, too. God’s justice is perfect and His dealing with the Ninevites reveals His long-suffering and their deserved punishment. But we can trust God’s defense.
Day 275 of Bible Reading Plan – When I was in middle school (oh, the dreaded middle school years!), I remember when people wanted to beat me up. It wasn’t until I had someone bigger than my threat who stood up for me that my enemies stepped down. There is so much strife in this fallen world—so much fighting and pressure to be like everyone else. And yet the one who will stand with God and not with the world will be the most blessed.
Day 274 of Bible Reading Plan – All year long there has been a dread of the mysterious COVID-19. I pondered what it could mean for me with my autoimmune struggles. And now here I am—afflicted with this highly mysterious bug that changes daily the toll it is taking on my body. When we are not feeling well, we can long for deliverance, and yet in the midst sometimes we can see concealed blessings if we are willing to. In the struggle, we can forget that God carries us and takes care of us.
Day 273 of Bible Reading Plan – This is a challenging season. Not gonna lie. But when I feel like giving up, I remember that Jesus didn’t. He completed what God had called Him to do and set us free. Maybe someone else needs to see us being faithful when life is hard. Hold fast, friends. God is enough. The work He accomplished is still at work in us if we will just believe and stand firm!
Day 272 of Bible Reading Plan – People can follow endless new religions created by man, but there is only one faith where God chose to die on behalf of His people. Other “prophets” or “gods” or “good men” died, but you can’t keep a good man down. You cannot keep a perfect, Holy, Son of God in the grave for long. And in the book of Acts, we see the impact of the life of Christ and the Holy Spirit to work through Christ-followers to reach this world with the love of God.
Day 271 of Bible Reading Plan – The Law seems like a bummer to those who want to do things their way. And today in our country we have something I never thought I would see—defunding of police officers who maintain the law. The lawless one is at work right now in our society, but God’s Law still stands. God’s Law revealed our need of salvation when we realized that we could not meet it, but Christ fulfilled the Law on our behalf. The purpose of the Law was so we would know God’s righteous standards, so sin would not separate us from our Holy God.
Day 270 of Bible Reading Plan – There are a lot of things to be afraid of in this life and in this world right now. It is easy to cave to fear, but fear is an awful taskmaster. When fear has you in its grip, it is difficult to rise above. Having a worthy fear – the fear of God – dispels all other fears. And the truth in God’s word sets us free, enabling us to live the righteous life God requires.
Day 269 of Bible Reading Plan – God gave us clear directions on how to be in His favor and we broke them. Then life got hard. And God still made a way back to Himself. But sometimes we can be a stubborn lot and try to do things our way, right? It starts by remembering what God has done and what He will be faithful to do again. Relying on anything or anyone else will fail.
Faith is a gift from God. It is not something we create within ourselves,
Day 268 of Bible Reading Plan – Sometimes we really want to do something for God or accomplish something in our life but we can’t seem to get it done or just keep failing. Maybe we are striving in our own strength or maybe it was not God’s will for us to do it in the first place. But when we seek to do God’s will for our lives and honor God in all we do, others will notice. We are being a living testament of God’s grace when we don’t compromise and are faithful to God, whether or not our plans ever come to fruition.
Day 267 of Bible Reading Plan – It’s easy to try and do things our way. It’s what we want or what we think is best. It can feel confining to have to do something someone else’s way. But doing things God’s way is the pathway to blessing. Whereas doing things our way ends up making things more difficult on us.
Day 266 of Bible Reading Plan – Sometimes we mess up and make mistakes that seem to be beyond repair. That’s a perfect situation for God’s grace. God freely gives us grace when we confess and repent, but do we do the same for others? Living in the grace paradigm means we extend the grace we have also received.
Freak natural disasters — most with what scientists say likely have a climate change connection — seem to be everywhere in the crazy year 2020.
Day 265 of Bible Reading Plan – Friends this life is hard. What do you expect from this life? What we expect from this life can lead us away from the mission God has for us or near to Him, depending on our response to life’s curveballs.
Day 264 of Bible Reading Plan – “I ain’t nobody’s fool”. No one wants to be a fool, yet we live in a culture full of folly. And we can be naive or fooled if we are not careful. But there is a way out. As we ask God for wisdom, He promises to answer.
Day 263 of Bible Reading Plan – When people come against us, it is not us they truly hate nor is it really them who are attacking us. The enemy of our souls incites man against man, but we can take a different tactic. When we don’t take attacks against us as being about us, we are set free from the drama and let God fight our battles for us. When people attack you, love your enemies anyway.
