Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 59: With God, Nothing is Impossible

Good afternoon, everyone!

So, today I read Deuteronomy 3-4. It begins with a reminder of Israel's conquests. Any nation who came up against Israel, while they were serving God and obeying Him, failed. Catastrophically.

For me, that's a good reminder.

Even when the Israelites were outnumbered, even when it looked bad, when they trusted in God, they succeeded.

When we serve God, when we seek Him with all our hearts, and when we are obedient to Him, there is nothing we can't do. Nothing He won't help us through.

It reminds me of Psalm 37, which talks of trusting in God, and committing our ways to Him. How He will help us. 

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Deuteronomy 5-7.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 58: The Israelites' Exodus Retold

Good afternoon, everyone!

Today I read Deuteronomy 1-2. 

And Deuteronomy begins with a recap of the Israelites' journey. It talks of how God delivered them from slavery and took them safely across the wilderness and through the Red Sea. How they complained, yet He still took care of them. And finally how they rebelled and lost their inheritance.

But we are finally coming up on the Promised Land. Probably not in Deuteronomy, if my memory serves, but definitely in Joshua.

So, stick with me through Deuteronomy, and we'll see what we can learn. And then we'll begin the book of Joshua, which is one of my favorites.

Tomorrow, I'll read Deuteronomy 3-4. I hope you'll join me.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 57: Refuge

Good afternoon, everyone!

Today I read Numbers 35-36.

Something interesting I want to talk about today is the cities of refuge.

So, basically, if a man accidentally kills someone, with no malice intended, he can seek refuge in the cities of the Levites, and no one is allowed to come after him for revenge as long as he is there. He must stay until the priest who gave him refuge dies, however, then he is free to go back to his home. Before that time, if he ventures outside the city, vengeance can be taken upon him.

And this made me think of something interesting.

The main part of the church is called a sanctuary. Someone who has been abused or who is fleeing someone intent on harming them might seek sanctuary in a church.

The church is a sanctuary. A refuge. For everyone. We can go there to seek God. To find refuge in Him, and to find comfort in His Word.

But God is with us wherever we go, so if something bad is happening, we don't have to go to church to find Him. When we cry out to Him, He will meet us where we are.

We can seek sanctuary in Him, and in His Word anywhere we are.

And that's my connection today.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I begin the book of Deuteronomy.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 56: Recap

Good evening, everyone!

Today I read Numbers 33-35.

For me, there wasn't anything riveting to talk about.

However, in these chapters we do get a recap of everything that's happened to the Israelites so far, beginning with their exodus from Egypt.

And in this recap, we get the names of all the places they've traveled through.

Now, to me, this isn't very exciting; but to someone who knows where these places are, or who has a cultural and historical connection to these places, it's much more personal. It might even be exciting.

For me, exciting is not how I would describe these chapters.

Well, I did say that I might not have something to say about the reading every day.

So, I hope you'll still join me tomorrow when I read Numbers 35-36!

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 55: Gilead

Good afternoon, everyone!

Today I read Numbers 31-32.

In today's reading, the Israelites conquered Midian, and the sons of Gad and Reuben decided to remain in Gilead rather than continuing on. Moses agreed to let them stay as long as they would send men to fight with their brothers when the time came.

Side note: Gilead is the name of the new-world city in A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I am not recommending the book. I read it. It's weird. It was also interesting. In a weird way.

I'm still not sure why the author chose Gilead for the city's name. If you know, please leave a comment below!

Anyway, I don't have anything to say about today's reading.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Numbers 33-34.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 54: Vows

Good evening, everyone!

Today I read Numbers 28-30.

And in today's reading, God gives Moses some more laws for the people.

But today, we get to read laws about parties!

That's right. Did you know God made provisions for feasts and parties? Because He did.

He gave the Israelites laws about Sabbath days, months, and years, and feast days to have as well. During this time, the people are expected to make sacrifices, rest, and worship God.

In chapter 20, we get to the Law of Vows.

And this one is really important.

It says that if you make a vow (oath or promise) to God, it is binding, and you must not break it. If you vow to do something, you must honor that promise, every word you spoke.

What are some vows people make before God?

Marriage vows for a start.

So, yes. We aren't supposed to break our marriage vows. This includes adultery and divorce.

But there are exceptions for divorce. Abuse, for one. But that's in the New Testament, so I won't go into all of that today.

Vows are sacred to God, and He expects us to honor them.

As we learned the other day, God does not lie, and He never breaks His word. He expects the same from us.

Naturally, it's harder for us, because our flesh often gets in the way, but we have to be careful not to break promises, especially vows to God.

If you even think you might break a vow, or not be able to keep your promise, don't even make it in the first place.

I made a vow to God. It's very serious business and I don't take it lightly.

I purchased a purity ring for myself and made a vow that not only would I wait until marriage to have sex, but that I would save my first kiss for my husband as well.

I made this vow for myself, but also for my husband. And I take this vow very seriously.

It isn't always easy, but the ring is a wonderful reminder of my vow.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Numbers 31-32.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 53: Joshua

Good morning, everyone!

So today, I read Numbers 26-27.

And in today's reading, Moses takes another census of the people.

Which isn't terribly interesting to me, so I'll skip on to the last bit of chapter 27.

God tells Moses that it's time for him to join his brother Aaron (who died, if you remember).

Moses does not get to see the promised land because he hit that rock with his rod instead of speaking to it - disobedience to God.

So, Moses asks God to appoint a new leader before he goes, and God agrees.

God has Moses and Eleazar (Aaron's son) anoint Joshua, the son of Nun, as Moses' successor. And some of Moses' spirit rests on Joshua so that the people will obey him.

Now, if you remember, Joshua was one of the men sent to spy out the land they were supposed to conquer. But Joshua and Caleb were the only two who actually believed it could be conquered with God's help.

The rest of the Israelites rebelled. Literally. And then tried to take it anyway, after God said they wouldn't have favor there, and some of them died.

But anyway...Joshua is still a man of faith, and a great warrior, so he's God's choice for leading the people.

He's also going to do something awesome. Maybe you already know what it is. If not, I won't spoil it for you. You'll just have to keep reading.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Numbers 28-30.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 52: God is...

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Numbers 23-25.

And in today's reading, Balaam goes with Balak to look at the Israelite camp. There, God gives him the words to speak to Balak.

Balak is furious because, rather than cursing the Israelites as he'd wanted, Balaam blesses them. Three times. According to God's instructions.

But Balaam says something that I want to share with you today, as a reminder of who God is.

Numbers 23:19 - "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make good?"

And paraphrasing verse 8 and 20: No man can curse whom God has not cursed. No man can revoke the blessings of God.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Numbers 26-27!

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 51: Listen to Your Donkey!

Good afternoon everyone!

The Internet quit working this morning at our house, so we ran errands today. But we're back and it's fixed, so here we go!

Today I read Numbers 21-22.

And here we find one of my favorite stories in the Bible.

The Israelites, even though they have been disobedient, are still God's people, and He doesn't want to see them destroyed. So, when armies rise up against them to destroy them, He intervenes.

Balak, in Moab, hears about the Israelites, how strong they are, how numerous they are, and sends for Balaam, who serves the Lord God, asking him to speak to his God, to see if the Israelites can be cursed and overtaken.

Balaam speaks to God, who tells him that the Israelites will not be cursed because they are His special people, protected, and that he is to have nothing to do with the Moabite army, which is planning to rise up against them.

So, Balaam responds to Balak and refuses.

But Balak begs, and Balaam, heedless of God's words, begs Him to allow him to assist the Moabites in overtaking the Israelites.

So God tells him to go to the king but to speak only what He says.

But God was angry, because Balaam did not heed His words the first time, and begged to go, so He sends an angel to block Balaam's path.

And this angel has a fiery sword.

Balaam doesn't see the angel, but his donkey does. And she turns off the path.

And Balaam strikes his donkey.

Three times.

And then the donkey speaks.

Numbers 22:28-29 - And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" Then Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a mockery of me!"

And on.

But get this: The donkey speaks!

And Balaam responds.

So, finally Balaam's eyes are opened to see the angel who speaks to him and tells him how the donkey saved his life by turning off the path.

And Balaam is given the same instructions, to speak to Balak only what God tells him.

But let's go back to the donkey.

That donkey could see the angel standing there blocking Balaam's way when Balaam could not.

Sometimes God blocks our way so that we don't go somewhere we aren't supposed to. Probably not with an angel with a fiery sword prepared to kill us if we choose to do what God told us not to, but sometimes our way is blocked. By God. For a purpose.

If God said no, don't take it as a yes.

Remember to listen to your donkey.

If something keeps diverting you from the path you're on, seek God's counsel. See if He is preventing you from going that way because a disaster might befall you, or because it's simply not time for you to walk that path.

Not every roadblock is from Satan. Remember, Satan can't be everywhere at once, and he's not all-powerful; he can only plant ideas. So if you're going through a trial, it may be God's way of teaching you something, or it could be that He has placed a block in your path for a purpose.

Just ask Him.

Listen to your donkey.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Numbers 23-25.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 50: Wanderers

Good morning, everyone!

Where we left off last time, the Israelites were in big trouble. They had complained for 40 days, and even openly rebelled, so their punishment was to wander the desert for 40 years, and the adults in the group, except for Joshua and Caleb, including Moses, would not see the promised land.

But God is faithful, and their children will.

So, today, I read Numbers 18-20.

And in these chapters, both Miriam and Aaron die.

But in chapter 20, I learned why Moses won't get to see the promised land.

He gets so frustrated by the grumblings of the Israelites (Yep. They're at it again.) that he disobeys God.

See, the Israelites are complaining about not having water.

"Did you bring us to the wilderness to die?"

As though it's not completely their fault anyway.

"We should have died with our brothers."

The ones the ground swallowed. When Moses had pleaded with God to spare all but the instigators.

Seriously?

So, amid this complaining, God tells Moses to raise his rod and speak to this rock. And then the rock will produce water.

So Moses raises his rod high....and strikes the rock. Twice.

The rock still produces water, but God tells Moses that he won't get to see the promised land because he did not treat God as holy in the sight of the people, by disobeying Him.

So, everyone can mess up. The Bible is full of righteous people who are not perfect, but who serve God to the best of their ability. Most of the time.

So, when God tells us to do something, we should do it exactly as He told us to do it. There is always a reason for what He says. And it's always for our own good.

Moses let his frustration out on that rock, and got in trouble.

The Israelites continued to complain, and lost their inheritance.

Then, they wanted to pass through Edom, and were turned away by armed forces.

And they couldn't just take the land because God said "No." It was part of their punishment for complaining.

Remember Esau, Jacob's brother? His descendants are called Edomites. Just as Jacob's descendants are called Israelites.

But what really gets me is that they are still complaining. You'd think they would have learned their lesson, but they didn't. And I don't think they ever do, but we'll find out more later.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Numbers 21-22.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 49: Rebellion

So, I just did a post that has been a long time coming, and I really don't have a lot to say about the book of Numbers today, so I won't bog you down with two long posts to read, or two lessons to remember.

Today I read Numbers 16-17. And I made a mistake yesterday. I got so excited about my Bible reading that I read ahead, and I posted my reflections on chapter 16 yesterday.

So, if I had just read through chapter 15, my post on Israel's rebellion would have been today.

But I read ahead, which turned out to be good because I had to do my other post today.

I'll stop talking now, and let you go read my other post. I hope it ministers to you, teaches you, and inspires you as well.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Numbers 18-20!

Pretty Packaging

Hello everyone!

Today I'm going to talk about a topic that is very difficult for me, but it has been on my heart for a while. Please bear with me.

So, if you've read the book of Revelation (or even if you haven't) you've probably heard of the Mark of the Beast.

This is a mark, or number, or microchip (let's face it, our technology is advancing) that everyone on earth will be required to have otherwise they won't be able to buy or sell anything, which could make life very difficult.

However, if you take that Mark, there will be no redemption for you. All those who accept the Mark will have a one-way ticket to the Lake of Fire, along with Satan and his buddies.

Revelation 14:9-11 - Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.
Now, during the time of the Mark there will be great pressure to accept the mark, and also great persecution for those who refuse.

And now you may be thinking, as I once did: "Why would anyone accept that if it means eternal separation from God?"

Well, I finally have the answer to my own question.

Pretty Packaging.

The Mark will not be presented the way it is in the Bible, with a warning.

It will be dressed up really nice, and people will think "Oh. This isn't a bad idea."

Let me give you an example.

I watched the movie The Circle starring Tom Hanks and Emma Watson. If you haven't seen it, please do.

Anyway, in this movie, technology is very advanced, but not as far off from where we are now as it would have been twenty, ten, or even five years ago.

Basically, there are cameras everywhere, and people can post their lives online and share their "memories" with everyone, and it's sort of dressed up nice. But there is a dark side. As always.

Anyway, I won't spoil the whole movie.

Except this one part.

When the main character joins this social media company called The Circle, she attends a mixer, and there she talks to people about the different technologies they are developing.

One of them is microchips for kids. And it's packaged really nice. It's designed to be a way to track them in case they are kidnapped or attacked by a predator.

Sounds like a good idea at first, doesn't it?

But my spirit recoiled. Remember what I said about the Mark?

It won't be a sudden thing. It will be introduced gradually, perhaps even after something like this.

But as Christians, we must not accept the Mark. No matter how pretty the packaging. Believe me, it won't be worth it.

We already have microchips in our cell phones and our pets, and our livestock.

And that's not a bad thing in and of itself.

I'm not hating on technology chips. As long as they aren't in people.

And I'm not hating on technology. Sometimes it can be a really good thing.

And technology that saves people's lives is a good thing.

Until it's not.

Remember, just because we can, doesn't mean we should.

Just like all of Satan's lies, the Mark will be dressed in pretty packaging.

It's our duty as Christians to read God's Word, so that we know the truth, so we will be ready. We also have to tell other people the truth, but we don't have to beat them over the head with it. Remember that everyone has a choice, just like we do.

Now, I didn't say any of this to scare you. Or freak you out.

I've had a lot of time to think about this. I urge you to watch The Circle and read Revelation (do not start reading the Bible with the book of Revelation. Start with Genesis or with the first books of the New Testament that introduce you to Jesus), and do your own comparisons.

But don't panic. And don't worry.

The Bible says it will get worse for Christians here on earth, as it has been for centuries. But in the Bible, we also find God's promise: "I will be with you always, no matter what you're going through; even through the destruction of the world" (Matthew 28:20, paraphrased).

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 48: Big Trouble

Good evening, everyone.

Today I read Numbers 14-15.

And the whining is over.

But now the real trouble begins.

The Israelites rebel.

Yep. You read that right.

They rebel.

Against...
Moses! And God!

Who thinks that's a good idea? Anyone?

It's not.

It's really, really not.

Because now they are in big trouble.

In fact, because of what they've done, only Joshua and Caleb (who believed that God would help them overcome their enemies and take back the promised land) out of all the adult Israelites will even see the promised land.

Yep.

Two adults, plus all the children who will grow up.

Out of thousands of people.

Only 2 adults out of this entire group will even set eyes on the promised land.

I felt that needed to be repeated.

But wait, that's their blessing from God, right?

Well, did you know that you can mess that up?

Because you can.

This is a lesson to be taken from today's reading.

You can mess up, delay, or even forfeit, a blessing from God.

But you have to really mess up.

Like grumbling over and over, and then turning on God's chosen leaders and God.

Think about even just these things that the Israelites have done since being rescued from Egypt:

Doubt.

Worshiping the golden calf. (This is a big one)

Grumbling.

Complaining.

Open rebellion.

So they messed up big. And they lost their inheritance. Some of them even died for their attack against Moses. The ground literally opened up and swallowed them.

But because God is faithful to keep His promises, and because of Moses' pleading, their children still get to go into the land He promised them.

Let's all take a lesson from this and make a conscious effort to reduce the amount of complaining we do. And remember that there is a difference between talking to God about a problem and complaining about it. Talking to Him involves asking His direction about the situation.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Numbers 16-17.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 47: Much Whining

Good evening, everyone!

It was extremely busy at work today, but also fun! I am really tired, but I remembered that I still had to do my blog post today, so here we go.

Let me just double-check my reading from this morning...

Oh yes.

That's what I wanted to talk about.

The people begin to complain. Again. This time because, even with all the food they have, there is no meat. And they start to reminisce about the food they used to have. While they were in slavery.

Now, I've been known to complain a little when I can't find the food I want (usually chocolate) but I like to think that if I were in a desert after escaping slavery, I wouldn't complain about not having meat. At least, not when there are herds of animals around.

Now, that's what I like to think.

In all likelihood, I would complain.

Because I complain through my desert seasons about not having something I need (or want) when I think I should have it.

If none of this sounds familiar to you, please teach me how you do it!

So, the Israelites complain. And they get in trouble. Again.

God gives them so much meat they get sick of it.

And Moses actually tells God that he's sick of their whining and wants God to kill him, rather than having to deal with it another day.

Well, this cools God's anger somewhat, and He has Moses choose people out of the Israelite elders to help him corral the people.

After these complaints, there are more complaints.

This time, it's from Aaron and Miriam.

And what are they complaining about?

Moses' wife.

Numbers 12:1-1 : Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); and they said, "Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?" And the Lord heard it.

Uh oh.

So God always hears our complaints. We have to be careful what we say, though carrying it in our hearts can be just as bad.

But let's find out what they were complaining about, and why they got in trouble.

So, from everything I've ever heard, but also through research into this topic, a Cushite is from Cush, in Ethiopia.

So, the Israelites didn't like that he married an outsider, first of all, but he'd already married a Midianite when he was sojourning there.

But because she's from Cush, she's dark complected. Either fully black or from a mixed race.

And this, according to what I've learned, is what Miriam and Aaron were complaining about.

And so they are in trouble.

But they dig the hole even deeper when they speak out against Moses being God's spokesman.

Because God chose Moses Himself as such. The only reason Aaron ever got to talk to the people is because Moses didn't like public speaking. Moses was God's messenger and Aaron was Moses'.

So God gets angry and says this:

Numbers 12:6-8 - He said, "Hear now My words. If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, shall make myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all my household; With him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses?"

Whew. Big trouble.

Not only has Moses been chosen by God as His prophet, Moses is the only prophet among the Israelites at this time to have seen God's form.

Remember? Moses asked to see God's face, but was informed that to see God's face is to see all of His glory and die. So God covered Moses' face as He passed and all Moses saw was His back. But he beheld the form of God.

So, Moses wasn't just a prophet. He was special to God.

And Miriam and Aaron just messed up.

So, I'm not sure what happened to Aaron. This part of the Bible is unclear. But Miriam becomes leprous. Aaron begs for her life, and God agrees not to kill her, but she is to bear the leprosy for seven days, as punishment for her grumbling.

Now, I'm thinking, and I could be wrong....but I'm thinking that she gets punished worse because she instigated it. Notice how Miriam's name is mentioned first during the complaints against Moses and his wife?

It's possible.

And it's also a good reminder.

It's normal to doubt leadership sometimes. It's normal to question where they are leading, or where God is taking His church through them.

Sometimes it's even normal to question God.

But questioning, even discussing something that is frustrating, and grumbling are different things.

And we must be careful not to speak against God's chosen leaders. Or to let arrogance into our hearts.

Did you notice the other thing Miriam said?

"Has not God spoken through us also?"

"Aren't we as good as Moses?" "Look at his wife. Aren't we actually better than Moses?" 

And this kind of talk eventually becomes "Couldn't we lead better than Moses? Wouldn't we be better off without Moses? What has Moses ever done for us?"

Opening that door to grumbling only lets in a flood of bad thoughts.

And make no mistake. Attempting to usurp God's chosen leadership has consequences.

And that's the lesson I took from today's reading.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Numbers 14-15.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 46: Let God's Enemies be Scattered

Hello everyone!

Today I read Numbers 8-10.

Unfortunately, almost all of the things that I would normally talk about are repetitions, which means I've already talked about them.

So, instead I want to share my favorite verse from today's reading:

Numbers 10:35 - Then it came about when the ark set out that Moses said, "Rise up, O Lord! And let Your enemies be scattered, And let those who hate You flee before You."

This has become part of a song too.

But I just love this verse.

It doesn't say "Lord let my enemies be scattered." Because someone I consider an enemy might not be God's enemy.

It says "Lord, let Your enemies be scattered."

This is Moses' plea for the safety of the Israelites. But how powerful!

Now, the Israelites were in a dangerous place, and they were going to have to fight to take back the Promised Land. So, Moses' prayer for them is especially appropriate.

But just because their circumstances were different from ours doesn't mean the prayer can't be applied to our lives too.

Think about it for a moment. What if we prayed this way?

What if we prayed this way every time we were going through a rough time? Every time we were walking through our desert?

When we knew we had to do something difficult, whether it's preaching, teaching, or meetings at work.

"Rise up, O Lord, and help me! Let Your enemies be scattered. Let those who would oppose You fail. Let Your will prevail, and let Your Word touch someone's life. Move in this situation, Lord."

What if we prayed like that?

I pray that for you today. 

Rise up, O Lord, and let Your enemies scatter before You. Let the works of the righteous succeed as they serve and obey You. Give Your people favor today wherever they go, and let Your will prevail. I ask this in the name of Your precious Son, Jesus. Amen.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Numbers 11-13.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 45: Everyone Does Their Part

Good morning, everyone! Happy Valentine's Day!

Today I read Numbers 7.

In today's chapter, the Israelites were commanded to bring specific offerings to God so that His tabernacle and altar could be furnished. Each tribe offered some of each thing, and each leader of each tribe brought it to the Tabernacle.

In this way, Israel worked together to furnish God's house. The responsibility was not placed on any one person or tribe. Rather, each had their own responsibility, and because each did what they were supposed to do, God's Tabernacle was furnished in no time.

I think this is a good lesson to take.

When each of us does what we are called to do, the work of the ministry can run smoothly, and God's house will function as it should.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Numbers 8-10.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 44: Wait and See

Good morning, everyone!

I actually read Numbers 5-6 early this morning, but I wanted to take some time to reflect on what I read. After careful consideration, however, I still don't have anything to talk about this morning.

Chapter 5 begins with God reiterating the law about having lepers go outside the camp. Again, this prevented the spread of diseases.

So, I don't have anything to say about these chapters today, though I do have some questions I hope will be answered in future.

Instead, today I'm going to recommend a book for you. My dear friend recommended Wait and See and it is really good.

No matter what you're waiting for, or how long you've been in your season of waiting, this book is encouraging. Also convicting. We've all been guilty of not trusting God as much as we should, and this book offers real-life examples of people who struggle too, and how they handled their seasons of waiting. The author encourages us to find God's peace even in the rough seasons of waiting.

I hope you also find the book to be an encouragement.

Tomorrow I'll be reading Numbers 7.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 43: Detailed

Good afternoon, everyone!

Today I read Numbers 3-4.

And in today's reading, God is very specific about the order in which the tabernacle is to be taken down and put up, and who is supposed to do what.

And that reminded me of something.

God's Word is very detailed. God's laws are never vague.

They may be confusing sometimes if we don't have the whole historical and cultural context.

There is never a reason to say "I don't know" about how God expects us to live our lives. He is very specific about that.

He is very specific about what He has called us to do, and how we are expected to behave.

Now, I imagine you're forming the word "but," because it just formed in my mind.

I do that far more often than I should. 

"But Lord, I don't know what to do!"

"But Lord, I don't know what You expect of me."

"But Lord, what did You say about..."

"But Lord, surely just this once is okay."

And on and on.

And really, there's no excuse for it. Because God is very clear about what He expects from us. Just as He was for the Israelites.

So that's what I learned today.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Numbers 5-6.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 42: Numbering the Nation

Good afternoon, everyone!

Today, I read Numbers 1-2.

In today's reading, God tells Moses to take a census of all the fighting men of Israel, except the Levites, who are His priests.

And I have to admit, reading all those names was pretty boring. For me.

Until I realized, that for an Israelite, hearing the name of an ancestor read from the book of Numbers would be a source of pride, and a reminder of where they came from.

So, for me, the numbering of the people is boring. But God has a purpose for everything written in the Bible.

So, that's what I learned today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Numbers 3-4.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 41: The End of Leviticus

Good afternoon, everyone!

Today I read Leviticus 26-27. I finished the whole book of Leviticus! Yay!

So, in today's chapters, God details His promise to the Israelites of blessings of obedience.

When the Israelites serve God and follow His commandments, He can bless them.

And then He details His punishments if they disobey.

And that list is as long as the blessings.

But He also promises to forgive them if they repent and turn from wickedness.

And that is a promise I hold to.

Even when I turn from God, even when I mess up, He will forgive me if I repent and turn from sin.

As I was reading this today, I kept thinking of the state of my nation.

Let's all keep our nations in prayer, so that everyone will repent and turn back to God, and seek His forgiveness so that He can not only bless us, but heal our land as well.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Numbers 1-2.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 40: Year of Jubilee

Good evening, everyone!

Today, I read Leviticus 24-25.

And in today's reading, we learn about something interesting: The Year of Jubilee. This occurs once every 50 years.

There is so much to the Year of Jubilee that I could not cover it all in one post. If I hadn't heard a teaching on it at my church, I probably wouldn't understand it very well.

But I did, so I'll try to explain it.

Basically, this year is one for resting (the land), forgiveness (of debts), and restoration (of property).

Imagine this: 

All of the land is rested. There are no crops planted. Instead, for a whole year, you eat what you have stored. So, not only does the land rest, but you do too.

All debts are forgiven, or wiped away. Any debt. Any kind at all. It's like it never existed. It does not recur even after the Year of Jubilee.

Land that once belonged to your family is restored to you, even if you had to sell it to pay debts or because of drought or famine.

This is something God commanded, for the sake of His people, and for the sake of resting the earth.

Can you imagine if the whole world followed God's plan?

How amazing would that be? Do you think it would change the world?

How about this:

What if we, as Christians, chose to follow God's laws? All of them, including observing the Sabbath and the Year of Jubilee? Including loving our neighbor as ourselves? Including forgiving debts that cannot be paid, as Jesus did for us?

Do you think that could change the world? Do you think we  could change the world?

I hope you will join me tomorrow when I read Leviticus 26-27.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 39: Sacrifices

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Leviticus 22-23.

And today I want to talk about something that I don't quite understand.

As a gentile living in the New Testament world, the concept of animal sacrifices confuses me.

As someone who grew up in a world where wildlife conservation is very important, the concept of using animals in this way frankly makes me more than a little uncomfortable.

But that was expected in the Old Testament.

I'm very grateful that Jesus came and offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice so that we don't have to do that anymore. So that we can have a closer relationship with God.

And in today's reading, there were specific laws about the amount of blemishes allowed on the animals: for the most part, the amount was zero.

And this I understand. Because God wants us to give Him nothing less than our best.

Our best offering. Our best effort. Our best attitude.

He wants the first fruits of our labors, not what is left over or damaged. Our best.

Sometimes that is really difficult to do, but this was a good reminder for me today to at least try. Because God deserves our best.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Leviticus 24-25.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 38: Be Holy

Good afternoon, everyone!

Today I read Leviticus 19-21.

And the first thing God says is to command His people to be holy, as He is holy.

This is an important reminder for all of us. We are called to be holy, because He is also holy.

Don't disregard the Old Testament just because it's "Old." It is still extremely relevant to our lives.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Leviticus 22-23.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 37: The Same Laws for Everyone

Good morning, everyone!

Today, I read Leviticus 16-18.

I have many questions again, but today I did notice something.

I've seen this before in some of the previous laws, but I didn't really take notice until I'd read it three times. That's normal, right?

Anyway, what I noticed was that when God gave the Israelites laws, particularly about the Sabbath, He expected people who visited them to obey the laws too.

And I found that very interesting.

Let's think about this for a moment and then apply it to modern day.

If someone comes over to your house, especially if they are "sojourning," or staying for a while, you expect them to follow the rules. If they don't know the rules, you tell them. Right?

It could be simple: Please don't leave the door open so the cats don't get out.

Or it could be big: We don't do any work on Sunday, because we observe the Sabbath.

And while this person is visiting you, you expect them to follow the rules and be a polite guest.

Well, let's apply that to the church, which is God's house.

When someone visits God's house, they are expected to obey God's rules. Now, someone may not know all the rules, and that's understandable. But if someone wants to continue going to God's house, they are expected to learn God's rules, and follow them.

You wouldn't want someone to come over to your house and continuously make trouble by not following your rules, right?

It's only right that we extend that same courtesy, or more, to God.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Leviticus 19-21.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 36: So Many Questions, No Answers

Good evening, everyone!

It was a long day! I went in to work today and picked up some overtime, which was great! But Mondays are so busy, and I am tired.

Today I read Leviticus 14-15. I ruminated on it all day, and actually, I have nothing to say about it. I had hoped I would be able to come up with something by now, but I just don't have anything today.

It's possible that if I read it again in a year, I'll have something to say about it, but this year I don't.

I have a lot of questions, and no answers, and I don't feel comfortable sharing speculations about the Old Testament laws without any research to back them up.

So, this is my post for today. Sorry if that's disappointing.

I hope you'll still join me tomorrow when I read Leviticus 16-18.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 35: Sanitation Policies

Good afternoon, everyone!

So, in today's reading of Leviticus 11-13, I learned about God's original sanitation policies.

Today, we have a greater knowledge of diseases and illnesses. 

But when you read some of the laws of Leviticus, particularly the ones about isolation during sickness, or after childbirth, you have to remember the historical context.

They didn't have the same kinds of medicine that we do today. There was no CDC.

And yes, God is the ultimate Healer.

But He also gives us common sense. And so He put laws into place so the Israelites would know how to prevent the spread of diseases, such as isolation and burning infected clothing and blankets.

Even some of the laws about not eating certain animals were for their protection. Can you imagine eating an animal that is known to carry diseases without having any way to clean that animal properly or how to treat or prevent the disease?

That would be awful.

So, God wasn't oppressing His people, as I used to think. Rules, rules, and more rules!

He was protecting them.

That's what I learned from today's reading. I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Leviticus 14-15.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 34: Good in My Sight

Good afternoon, everyone!

Today I read Leviticus 8-10.

And boy, do some interesting things happen!

I'm going to start with Aaron's sons.

Now, if you did the reading with me, you'll know that they did a very bad thing.

They took it upon themselves to change the way offerings were made to God, adding incense to it, and thus causing an unpleasant smell to waft up to God.

And they did so in God's most holy place. And they lost their lives for it.

And then Aaron does something bad too. He disobeys God.

Now, in the chapters we read today, the Bible doesn't explicitly say that what Aaron did was bad, but just wait.

So, part of the offering was left for the priests, so that they would be taken care of. And they were supposed to eat their part of the sin offering, they and their families.

But Aaron refuses, instead burning the offering, and he explains that he could not eat a sin offering because of what happened to his sons.

Leviticus 10:19-20 - But Aaron spoke to Moses, "Behold, this very day they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD. When things like these happened to me, if I had eaten a sin offering today, would it have been good in the sight of the LORD?" When Moses heard that it seemed good in his sight.

Uh oh.

Now it turns out okay. Aaron doesn't want to eat the offering that was offered when his sons were killed for their sin on that day, and Moses understands. But usually, whenever you see something like "it seemed good in his sight," and it's not talking about God, especially when the word seemed is in there, it means trouble.

I found some research that pointed out that Aaron didn't want to offer God less than his best worship/offering and so, because he couldn't do his part with the right heart, he didn't do it at all.

And that's fine. God is understanding. And merciful. Sometimes, to human thinking, it doesn't always seem that way, but He is.

Now, the reason I pointed that out, and made a point of contradicting myself even though I didn't have to is to point this out:

The wording.

"It seemed good in his sight."

When you read something like that in the Bible and it's referring to anyone who isn't God, it's usually bad.

It seemed good in the sight of Aaron's sons to disobey God and get a little creative with their offerings.

Sometimes that happens to us, doesn't it?

It does to me, anyway.

Sometimes something seems good to me, but it isn't good to God.

So, the wording of the last verse of the last chapter was important to me today because it reminded me of that.

There are a lot of things that people consider good, but if it isn't good according to God's Word, and His laws, it's bad.

Every time.

And yes, there is a wrong way to make offerings to God.

Doing it with a wrong heart, or the wrong mindset is one of them. We can even offer the wrong sacrifices to God.

I know we don't use animals anymore. But we use our worship, our praise, our prayers, our tithes, our time, our gifts. And we can do it wrong.

Thankfully, God is merciful, compassionate, and understanding. And the Holy Spirit will teach us what is right and good in His sight, so that we don't have to rely on our own judgement. We can't always use our own judgment, but we can always rely on God's wisdom.

So, that's what was impressed upon me today. If you have any questions or comments, leave them below!

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Leviticus 11-13.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 33: Sin vs Guilt

Good afternoon, everyone!

Today I read Leviticus 5-7.

So, I don't have a lot to say about the reading today, but I did have a question.

What is the difference between a sin offering and a guilt offering?

I did some research, and there is a lot of information out there. You could spend years researching any given topic in the Bible and never learn everything.

For today, I found this link that answers my question simply, and straightforwardly.

Basically, a sin offering is an offering made in atonement of sin, and a guilt offering (also called a trespass offering) is an offering made for unintentional transgressions, or errors made against other people.

If you have any further comments or questions, please leave them down below!

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Leviticus 8-10.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 32: Unintentional Sin

Good morning, everyone!

Today I'm reading Leviticus 1-4. Now, just a quick disclaimer: Leviticus is the book of laws, and I can't promise to always have something to say about them.


But today I do.

I don't understand most of this.

No. Really. As a New Testament Christian, I don't understand the rules and laws for offerings of sacrificial animals. It doesn't completely make sense to me.

Now, that said, God's laws are very detailed. It's amazing.

And reading through these, He even has laws for the disposal of the ashes and the parts of the animal that weren't to be burned (if that was the case).

And something we'll learn later in Leviticus is that God does not make laws without a purpose. He even has laws that they needed for sanitation and health that we don't need today because of the way medicine has changed. But we'll get into that later.

One thing I did find interesting in chapter 4 was that God included laws for unintentional sins. And if I read it correctly, it basically said that once someone pointed it out to the person, they, or the priests, were to sacrifice the sin offering to God.

But first, someone had to point it out to them.

And isn't that an interesting thought?

We may not always know when we sin. We may have done something all of our lives, and then someone, lovingly and with compassion, points out that God has named it a sin, and we have to stop and repent.

But there's a sacrifice for that. In our case, Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we don't have to. All we have to do is repent, ask forgiveness sincerely, and stop committing the sin.

Now...let me be clear about this. Nowadays, God has sent His Spirit to dwell among all people, so that we may learn His laws and keep His commandments. So, we are not excused from a sin just because we didn't know it was a sin. Which is why He will send someone to point it out, or He will do it Himself through His Spirit, and then we have to repent and stop doing it.

There is no excuse for sin. Just because we didn't know doesn't excuse us. Once we do know, we must repent. And we know. We know when we do something wrong. That little voice inside of us, our conscience, tells us when we do something wrong. Sometimes we ignore it - sometimes on purpose, sometimes out of ignorance - but it's still there, trying to get us to do the right thing.

Romans 3:23 - ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...

Now, there's a lot more to that verse, and I encourage you to read the whole chapter, but the rest of the chapter does not change the meaning. This verse can stand alone.

Everyone has sinned. Even me. Even you. Everyone. Intentionally or unintentionally. Big or small. And while there was a distinction in the Old Testament, for the sake of a different kind of offering, all sin is the same to God.

So, I know I repeated myself a few times, but this is important. Just because we don't know it's a sin, doesn't change the fact that it's a sin. And it doesn't excuse us from repentance once we learn it's a sin.

And really, we know. Even if we don't know, we know. In our spirits. We get that little twinge of guilt, like we've gotten away with something we shouldn't have.

Or that's how it's worked for me in the past.

Let me give you an example from my life:

There's a person I know who is extremely annoying. I don't think it's intentional; it's part of their personality, and it may have something to do with mental health issues as well.

Either way, this person is annoying. And when other people would talk about this person in a negative way, I didn't see anything wrong with it, because everything they were saying was true. Sometimes I would even join in.

"Well, this person did this or that." "And then did you see?"

And so it went on and on.

And I kept getting this twinge in my spirit, but I ignored it, because I felt as long as I was speaking what was true, it was okay.

And then I guess God got really annoyed about it, because I got what I call a God-slap upside my spirit. Ever have one of those? It hurts. I don't recommend it.

And God pointed out this verse to me:

Ephesians 4:29-31 - Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Uh oh.

Unwholesome words.

Slander.

Bitterness.

Malice.

I was in so much trouble.

Slander. Wasn't that what I was doing? I was slandering someone. And sometimes it may have been true, but sometimes I wasn't sure it was true. I had only what other people said to go on, after all.

And wasn't that gossip?

Double uh oh.

Gossip is bad.

Proverbs 20:19 says not to associate with a gossip.

Triple uh oh.

I had sinned unintentionally. I had grieved God by my sin. Was I still responsible for the sin even though I hadn't meant to sin? Yes. 

Why?

Because I knew it was wrong. Even though I didn't have the Bible verses to prove it, I still knew in my spirit that it was wrong. And so I had to repent. And ask forgiveness. I also had to ask God for help, because sometimes I am still tempted to talk about this person. It's even harder when other people do it.

So, I'm still trying to see this person through God's eyes instead of my own. It's hard, but it's a start.

Do you have any unintentional sin in your life? Something that has been making your spirit twinge? Something you've been ignoring?

I encourage you to ask God to reveal any unintentional sins in your life, to repent, and to ask God to help you in those areas.

Well, that's all for today friends. I guess I did learn something after all.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Leviticus 5-7.