by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Psalm 100-102
How do you start your day? Do you drag out of bed and head for the coffee pot with a grumpy look on your face? Or do you jump out of bed and start praising your God for the glorious opportunities which are set before you?
When we look at certain psalms, we see David acting out the second example. In fact, there were times when he would be considered raucous in his praise. Yet this king knew the heart of God and he knew the power of exuberant praise.
When I read Psalm 100, I think of Smith Wigglesworth, a legendary man of God who lived during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Smith would start every day by dancing in praise to God for at least 10 minutes. He said that he often started in the flesh, but would always wind up in the spirit. He would force his flesh to worship God, and in so doing would reap the benefits.
Psalm 100 begins by telling us to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Shout unto Him. Think ball game, and you’ll get the picture. The psalmist is telling us to shout and cheer for our God – as we would our favorite team.
If you are accustomed to a quiet, reserved service of worship, this admonition might seem strange. But if that’s so, why don’t you try it? Try it all by yourself, when no one is looking or listening. Shout, clap, and cheer your God. Be exuberant in your praise of your mighty God.
Angels gather around to hear the praises of God’s people. And your heart will be remarkably energized.
I Corinthians 1
We are about to hear many great lessons as we read the two letters to the Corinthians.
The city of Corinth was where Aphrodite (the love goddess) was worshiped. Thousands of prostitutes thronged her temple, so needless to say, liscentiousness was rampant. As Paul approached the city overwhelmed by the unruliness of its inhabitants, he had to be dismayed. Yet he stayed there for a year and a half, teaching and discipling all of those who would listen. And many did.
In this first letter, as we read through the lines, we can see the problems arising for such a bold city. First, Paul has to rebuke the believers for their strife and contentions over doctrine. “I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, of I am of Cephas.” (V. 12).
Already, before the New Testament was even complete, the believers were arguing over who was the better preacher, and which message was the best. Wow! Human nature!
Then we can see another problem which had arisen. The “wise ” people were trying to say that believing in Jesus was foolish. The believers were being mocked and ridiculed.
Paul quickly addresses that attitude. “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (V. 18) In the following verses, Paul shows the uselessness of worldly wisdom in establishing a relationship with God. People may think that they are wise in this world – and they may be in worldly matters, but without God, they are not wise. Only God gives true wisdom to His people. And you have to believe to receive.
This wise versus foolish argument is one which still hangs around today. There are those who don’t believe, who have an arrogant approach to those who do. That’s just one of the bits of persecution which true believers have to endure.
Yet we should never let that attitude sway us as believers. Worldly wisdom doesn’t lead to God. Only godly wisdom does that. So we continue in the faith, convinced in our hearts of our beliefs. Our God will remain faithful to us as we remain faithful to Him.
In the meantime, we will pray for those who don’t believe. Perhaps they will find the truth.
Hold up the light, and don’t stop believing. Today let your light shine for all to see.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Psalm 94-99
“Today if you hear His voice; do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, when your fathers tested Him.” (Psalm 95:7-8).
God is speaking to us all the time. Sometimes He speaks through that quiet gentle nudging we know so well. Other times His voice can be stronger – even on rare occasions audible. Yet most of His speaking is through His Word. Day in and day out, as we read the Bible, we know that God is speaking to us.
I like to ask Him to open my eyes to anything He wants me to hear or see as I read my daily passages. Then I want to incorporate the new revelation into my life.
Let Him speak to you personally – right where you are. His Word will lead you little by little. One step at a time.
The main thing is not to ignore it. When the Lord speaks to you, take it seriously. If it’s correction, take it. If it’s a promise, believe it.
Life with the lord can be so exciting if we believe and receive His Word.
Romans 15-16
One of my favorite scriptures to pray over our family and our church is found in chapter 15. “Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus. That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (15:5).
He wants us to learn to appreciate each other – with our differences and our likenesses. When we are “like-minded” toward each other, we do just that. We realize that we need each other. There are many aspects of God’s plan – with multiple gifts and callings. As we honor the different gifts we become focused on God’s plan and not our own.
And we get along. Instead of bickering over the different gifts, we know that all the gifts are important to God and we salute them. Then we see the many workings of the Kingdom accomplished.
Paul shows his appreciation for those delivering his letter. As he introduces each one, he remarks on their special contribution to him and the gospel. Paul doesn’t see himself as the only important minister on the planet; he honors those who have worked with him.
Paul is a good role model. Let’s salute the many flavors of personalities and gifts which God has designed, and work together to get His plans achieved.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Psalm 92-93
Are you planted? Is your foundation sure?
Throughout the scriptures there are references to those who are planted versus the ones who are “like the wave of the sea, tossed about to and fro.” The latter ones are told that they cannot expect anything from God, but the former ones are blessed. In Psalm 92 we see the privileges which come to those who are planted.
First of all, where are they planted? They are planted in the house of the Lord. Under the Abrahamic covenant the house of the Lord meant the presence of God.
When you are planted in the house of the Lord, you are planted in His presence. You are in constant contact with Him – listening, obeying, and walking with your God all the time. You are growing spiritually as you heed His instruction. Your faith grows as you see Him carry out His plans.
So what might you expect from such a life? You shall flourish like a Palm Tree. You shall bear fruit even in old age. You shall be fresh and flourishing – declaring that the Lord is good.
You shall be declaring that He is your rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
What a life! You can see that it rises above the norm. Productivity and blessing all of your days.
It pays to get planted!
Romans 13
There is power in humility. Honor from God comes from that attitude.
There are those who try to buck authorities in everything that they do. They try to twist the truth and take shortcuts as they pay taxes or observe other laws of the land. But that attitude doesn’t pay.
We are to have an attitude of respect for our laws and our leaders. As long as the laws don’t violate our walk with our God, we are to respect them and obey them.
So we render taxes to whom taxes are due, custom to whom customs, fear to whom fear, and honor to whom honor. (V. 7)
In this day, when we see so many leaders who are opposed to God, we have to navigate these waters very carefully. We stand up for the truth, but we still must respect the offices in which they stand. We must be honorable in our disagreement with laws. We must give honor where honor is due.
As we give honor to others, our God returns honor to us. It’s something to think about.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Psalm 90-91
Do you expect God to be big in your life? Do you expect supernatural favor? Supernatural protection? Abundant grace and mercy? If you are not expecting much from Him, these psalms are for you.
Our God is not only able – as almost every Christian knows. He is willing and eager to be a part of our lives.
So what does that look like when we engage with our Creator as we live our daily lives? Psalm 91 is a perfect picture of that engagement.
He is our refuge and protector.
He hides us in His shadow, so that we are not afraid of anything. We’re not afraid of the terror by night, nor the arrow by day, nor the plagues, nor any destruction. Even when we see others falling around us, we have continued faith that our God is protecting us.
His angels watch over us diligently.
We know that He is with us in trouble. He rescues us and honors us. And He will satisfy us with long life.
Think of all of those benefits and reach out for them. Our God will bring us through in every event we encounter.
To receive these benefits, we must believe and receive what He has promised. And that’s really believe these promises. That kind of belief only comes to us as we meditate on His word until it becomes part of us.
So meditate on these scriptures. Repeat them to yourself as you go about your day. They are real to those who believe.
Romans 12
That Word meditation carries over into this Romans chapter.
The world is trying to press us into a mold – a mold which looks like everyone else. What does this mold look like? Just the opposite of the faith-filled life. This worldly mold presses us into lack, depression, self-centeredness, and a nothing-we-do-seems-to-work mentality.
If there is any success in this mold, it is a climb over everyone type of success. But that’s not the success our God is talking about.
He wants us to represent Him to the world. He wants us to signify to the world that there is indeed a God in heaven who loves them as well as us, and who is reaching out to them also.
So we present our bodies as a living sacrifice – not to be beat up, but to show His glory to the world. When we live our lives for Him, we will be signposts pointing to the One True God. We will also be willing to share with others His goodness when He so guides us.
We are ambassadors of God’s kingdom, showing those around us that there is a way of life and truth available to them also.
So let’s renew our minds to God’s way and practice the life He has designed for us. It’s truly the greatest life there could ever be!
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Psalm 84-89
A day in your courts is better than a thousand (Psalm 84:10)
There is nothing which will take the place of the presence of God in our lives. In the time of the psalms, God’s manifested presence was in His house. The ark of the covenant – in the Holy of Holies – was the place of His presence.
Today is different. God’s presence is within the hearts of believers. Now don’t get me wrong; God is everywhere. But we are talking about His manifested presence – the presence which we are aware of. The presence which gives us those ah-ha moments – sometimes correcting us and sometimes showering us with His love.
What isn’t different, however, is that His manifested presence is still the greatest experience we can have. There have been times when I would be having some “down” opportunities, and God’s presence would “show up.” Suddenly, I would go from near depression to the mountaintop with lightening speed. His presence, when encountered, is like a touch of heaven – where there is nothing negative at all. Complete peace. Complete joy. Amazing!
Today we have that opportunity to spend time with our Lord and experience Him in new ways. If you have never experienced what I am talking about, I want you to ask Him for it. Ask the Lord to speak to your heart and show you His thoughts. Ask Him to let you experience His closeness. He will do it for you, as He has for me.
Today as you read His Word, listen for His voice behind the words. He desires a close walk with you.
Romans 11
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out. (V. 33)
As we move through these epistles (letters) of Paul, if we scan them too quickly, we could seem to be bogging down in theology. However, I would like to encourage you to slow down and reread any passages which are confusing. These letters give us insight which we can’t find anywhere else. There are hints and clues in the Old Testament and the four gospels, but understanding only comes through the letters.
Why is that? The new birth, with Holy Spirit actually living within the hearts of man, was a mystery only to be revealed after the fact. Before we received the new birth, we couldn’t understand it or embrace it.
Paul was the apostle chosen by God to understand and explain to the rest of us just what we are experiencing and how we are to walk in it. If we can allow ourselves to truly tap into this new revelation, we will be living extraordinary lives with our Lord. If we don’t, we will never rise above the Old Testament concepts of our God.
In the Old Testament, God established a covenant with the descendants of Abraham. This was a natural covenant, in that these natural men were to follow the plans of God and walk according to His ordinances. In that manner, they were to keep their part of the covenant, and they were to be blessed by God – in great provision and protection.
Always they were looking for a Messiah which would one day come and be their King. They thought that this King would establish a more perfect Israel. Yet that is not what God meant.
The Messiah was Jesus, and He did indeed come as expected. However, instead of coming with obvious power, He came as a carpenter, with an insignificant birth, and grew up among the Jews as a regular boy. Obviously, the shepherds in the field who heard the angels announce His birth and the wisemen from Egypt who saw the star in the east knew that something extraordinary was happening. Yet years passed and Jesus seemed to be just another boy, although He was indeed wise.
As an adult, Jesus demonstrated God’s plan, but still people found it hard to understand. He was actually showing what a person, filled with God’s Spirit was capable of. Every healing, every word, every miracle was a demonstration of a gift of the Spirit which would come to the Christians once they were transformed. (Just remember that He had all of the gifts and all of the knowledge. No one human since has had it all; each has had a part).
Only born-again believers, with the Spirit of God living on the inside could truly understand what God’s plan was all about. It surpassed the human mind. Indeed today, those who just want their minds to grasp God’s plan can never understand it. It’s super-human and exceeds the realm of the intellect.
Paul was a chosen vessel God used to receive the revelation and to give it to us through his letters. The message is not only for the Jews, but for the gentiles who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior. When we are born again, we literally become new people, with God’s Spirit residing within us. As we continue in His plan for our lives, we see more and more of the depths of his plan. He reveals these things to us by His Spirit.
Today let’s meditate on these things and ask God to show us more. We want to receive all the revelation He has for us. It’s all in the Word, but we have to have it revealed to us to really “get it.” My prayer for you and for me is that we truly receive all that He has for us.
