I just reread my notes from the past three days on reading through the Bible. Y’all, God is faithful! I hope the these bullet points will encourage you to read God’s word, and to find hope in hopeless situations, to always turn your eyes to God for guidance, and to be mindful of what you do and say. God will bless, and He will judge. It all comes from Him. Taste and see for yourself God’s goodness.
DAY 23 of 2020:
GENESIS 46:1-47:31
- Family is important.
MATTHEW 15:1-28
- Be careful not to put traditions above God.
- Be careful of what words come out of your mouth.
- Read this from the Message translation and ponder on it: Jesus replied, “You, too? Are you being willfully stupid? Don’t you know that anything that is swallowed works its way through the intestines and is finally defecated? But what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart. It’s from the heart that we vomit up evil arguments, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, lies, and cussing. That’s what pollutes. Eating or not eating certain foods, washing or not washing your hands—that’s neither here nor there.” Matthew 15:16 (emphasis mine)
- In verses 21-28, we can learn that even when we are annoyed by others, be mindful of the opportunity to share Jesus with others. Show compassion like Jesus. I’m thinking that Jesus used the words he did and had the result he had with the woman, not only for her benefit in the end, but for the disciples benefit as an example. Jesus was always the master at weaving lessons into daily life. We can do the same. (Just my thoughts.)
PSALM 19:1-14
- Look up. Look to the sky and see the beautiful craftsmanship of the LORD. The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
- Oh how precious God’s word is! It is perfect, revives the soul, is trustworthy, makes you wise, is right, and. brings joy to your heart. God’s word is clear, gives you insight for living, pure, last forever, true, and fair. His words are desirable, sweet, a warning, and is rewarding.
- Talk about desiring…Verse 14 needs to be words we aspire to each morning: May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
PROVERBS 4:14-19
- Reading verses 14 and 15 made me think about how many people think that becoming a Christian requires a lot of “don’t”s in life. I really don’t recall as numerous “don’t”s as I do “do”s. Yet, these two verses contain four. We are reminded to keep moving when temptation comes our way, whether it is physically in front of us or in our minds, and not follow/do/think as evildoers. Our thoughts and minds originate our actions. We need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds(Romans 12:2), thinking about the “whatever”s listed in Philippians 4:8, and recalling that the Spirit of God gives us power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7).
- Y’all, shine bright for Jesus (verse 18)
- When you are “left in the dark” about something, that means that you don’t have all the 4-1-1 on whatever is happening or being planned. Well…here’s the 4-1-1 on something…don’t get left in the darkness of this world, stumbling over life. Get a clue on God and stick with Him. (Verse 19)
DAY 24 of 2020:
GENESIS 48:1-49:33
- Jacob was once hopeless in ever seeing his favored son Jacob again, but God…God turned that hopeless situation into precious joy. Jacob not only saw his son again yet his grandsons as well. Never give up. Have hope in God, even in hopeless situations.
- When you do wrong, you will pay a price. (49:3-4)
- While reading Jacob’s last words to his sons (the 12 tribes of Israel), I’m reminded that what we speak into our children is important. It can set their character and path in life. Teach your children, and anyone your speak into, wisdom and love. Be an encourager. Raise them to be godly, kind, forgiven, respectful, strong in faith, and loving.
MATTHEW 15:29-16:12
- Jesus was the ultimate rockstar. Everywhere He went, a multitude of folks surrounded Him.
- Verses 32-37 tell us of the second time Jesus fed thousands of people with very little. We aren’t so different from the disciples really…we all need to be mindful of how Jesus has saved us and provided for us in the past. He will not fail you. Jesus will supply all your needs. Don’t forget it.
- Have faith. Don’t wait on some miraculous sign inorder to believe in Jesus. First of all, YOU are a miracle. Each day you wake is a gift. Have faith in God.
- Don’t you just want to slap the disciples upside their head and knock some sense into them? Wait…we are often the same way. Believe. Trust. Have faith. Don’t forget His goodness and faithfulness.
PSALM 20:1-9
- Rise up and stand firm in God. Be confident, grateful, and humble in knowing that you will succeed not by your own strength, but God’s. Brag on Him, not yourself.
PROVERBS 4:20-27
- Proverbs is filled with such insight and warnings and guidance as to how we need to live. Guard your heart. Keep your eyes focused on God. Like blinders on a horse, stay focused on the path that God has for you, and not on the distractions around you.
DAY 25 of 2020:
GENESIS 50:1-26
EXODUS 1:1-2:10
- Grieving is a process.
- What man intends for harm, God intends it all for good (verse 20). Don’t doubt God.
- I’m grateful that the women/midwives chose to obey God instead of the king. Good example for us…obey God, not man for his own benefit. God will bless you when you obey Him.
- Moses was born. Faith…a brave action by a mother…blessings fall…God is good.
MATTHEW 16:13-17:9
- Do you know that Jesus is the Son of the Living God? Believe. Get to know Him, truly know, not just know of Him.
- Verse 21, Jesus predicts and tells his disciples about His death.
- Turn from sin and self, and follow Christ instead.
- Care more about how Christ sees you, not the world.
- When I read 17:1-9 I couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of Peter interrupting Jesus,while He was in deep conversation with…hellooo…Moses and Elijah…as if this was an everyday occurrence. Then, it was as if God stepped in, interrupting Peter, and shutting him up. I had to read it in a few translations, and I giggled each time. Here’s the message translation for you: Six days later, three of them saw that glory. Jesus took Peter and the brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes were filled with light. Then they realized that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with him. Peter broke in, “Master, this is a great moment! What would you think if I built three memorials here on the mountain—one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah?” While he was going on like this, babbling, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and sounding from deep in the cloud a voice: “This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to him.” Matthew 17:1,4-5
PSALM 21:1-13
- God wins. Evil loses. Live for God.
PROVERBS 5:1-6
- Need discernment? Listen to God’s wise words. How do you listen? Open your bible and get. In His word. He speaks. He reveals.
Have a beautiful day. Always remember to soak up The Son in the sun. Shine bright for Jesus.
Blessings to you and yours,
Stephanie
(On a recent trip to Key West, we participated in a food tour. I highly recommend it! One stop on our tour was Old Town Bakery. My niece, Ashley, who used to live in KW because her husband was stationed there with the Coast Guard, told me that she use to get a cookie from their all the time and I had to have the chocolate chip cookie…a little crunchy on the outside yet soft on the inside. Delicious!)