With My Own Eyes

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Numbers 6:1-7:89; Mark 12:38-13:13; Psalm 9:1-20; Proverbs 10:27-28.

Numbers 7:89 (NIV)
When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the Testimony. And he spoke with him.

That last sentence gives me goose bumps:  “And he spoke with him.”  Moses spoke with Almighty God.  Amazingly, you and I can do the same.  Anytime.  Anywhere.  We have been given the awesome privilege of speaking with the Creator of the universe.  Yet, we treat this gift so flippantly.  We neglect it.  Everything that we could ever want or need comes through that gift of prayer.  May we treat it like the treasure it really is.

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Numbers 4:1-5:31; Mark 12:18-37; Psalm 48:1-14; Proverbs 10:26.

Mark 12:24 (NIV)
Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?

These words of Jesus addressed to the Sadducees over 2,000 years ago could easily be for the Church today.  In our quest to be attractional, we have neglected the Scriptures and forfeited the power of God.  As a result, many churches excel at a good show on Sunday morning.  Maybe a large crowd is there.  But is God there?  Is there an outpouring of His Spirit which miraculously transforms lives with deliverance and healing?  May we excel at knowing personally the Scriptures and the power of God.

Here is today’s Bible reading: Numbers 2:1-3:51; Mark 11:27-12:17; Psalm 47:1-9; Proverbs 10:24-25.

Psalm 47:5-6 (NIV)
God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
[6] Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.

God shows up when His people praise Him.  What role does praising God play in your daily life?

Here’s today’s Bible reading:  Leviticus 27:14-Numbers 1:54; Mark 11:1-26; Psalm 46:1-11; Proverbs 10:23.

Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
“Be still, and know that I am God;

Shhhhh. Be still.  Be quiet.  God is in control.  He is good.  He is working out all things for your ultimate good.  Trust Him completely.  

Psalm 46:11 (NIV)
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Leviticus 25:47-27:13; Mark 10:32-52; Psalm 45:1-17; Proverbs 10:22.

Mark 10:35 (NIV)
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

Sounds terrible, doesn’t it?  Yet, I treat God that way–as if He exists to do my will rather than I exist to do His will.  As if He is to serve me rather than me serve Him.  May I get these roles straight once and for all.

Yesterday was quite odd without a through the Bible in a year scheduled reading.  Glad to be back on course today.  We are now two months in!  Great job.

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Leviticus 24:1-25:46; Mark 10:13-31; Psalm 44:9-26; Proverbs 10:20-21.

Mark 10:23 (NIV)
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

Mark 10:24-25 (NIV)
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! [25] It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

These verses ought to get our attention, because if you are reading this in the United States on a computer, you are certainly rich by the world’s standard.  We can whine about gas prices, but we are still the envy of the world because of our material prosperity.  Unfortunately, it is that same material prosperity that makes true faith in God and single-minded devotion to His Kingdom very difficult.  Our pursuit of comfort and amusement don’t square so well with “take up your cross, deny yourself, and follow Me.”  God has blessed us, but that blessing is ultimately for us to be a blessing to others.  How to apply this in our culture is one of the greatest challenges of the Christian faith.

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Leviticus 22:17-23:44; Mark 9:30-10:12; Psalm 44:1-8; Proverbs 10:19.

Proverbs 10:19 (NIV)
When words are many, sin is not absent,
but he who holds his tongue is wise.

This may come across harsh…If you want to eliminate a lot of sin from your life…stop talking so much.  The more we talk the greater the opportunity that we are going to say things that are not honoring to God (speech marked by gossip, slander, negativity, carelessness, hurt).  The more we talk, the less we measure our words.  Plus, the more we talk the less impact our words have.  Remember those old E.F. Hutton commercials?  “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.”  A wise person once said that God gave us two ears and one mouth so that we would listen twice as much as we speak.  May God give us the grace to listen more, talk less, and speak words that matter.

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Leviticus 20:22-22:16; Mark 9:2-29; Psalm 43:1-5; Proverbs 10:18.

Mark 9:28-29 (NIV)
After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
[29] He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Some manuscripts read “prayer and fasting.”  This reading seems to make the most sense.  Wouldn’t the disciples have prayed in the original efforts to drive out this demon? Jesus seems to be indicating that there is a special outpouring of His presence and power that accompanies biblical fasting.  Some things will only happen in response to God’s people obediently practicing this spiritual discipline.  Is fasting a vital part of your relationship with Jesus?

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Leviticus 19:1-20:21; Mark 8:11-9:1; Psalm 42:1-11; Proverbs 10:17.

Leviticus 19:17 (NIV)
” ‘Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.

Way back in Genesis Cain asked the question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  The answer is a resounding, “Yes.”  As the Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 12 and other passages, we are members of a Body and all the members belong to each other.  Therefore, we have a God-given responsibility to confront each other about sin.  To fail to do so is described as hate and the consequence is that we are just as guilty as the one actually committing the sin.  This is a hard teaching in our “It’s none of your business” culture.  May God give us the courage to be the Body.

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Leviticus 16:29-18:30; Mark 7:24-8:10; Psalm 41:1-13; Proverbs 10:15-16.

Mark 8:5 (NIV)
“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

Seven loaves by themselves is not very much.  But seven loaves surrendered to Jesus fed a multitude.  How many “loaves” do you have?  I have so little to offer to Jesus.  I am weak, unreliable, and sinful.  But Scripture tells me that when I give what I do have to Jesus, all things are possible.  The key is to surrender what I do have–all of it–to Him.