Skip to main content

April 29 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 119

We are taking 6 days to read Psalm 119.  Yes, it has that many verses!  If you want to know how to read the Bible, take in all the words of Psalm 119.  It's not about reading for reading's sake.  It's about pursuing the heart of God.

Today's Bible Project video talks about the way Jesus announced and spreads the news of God's kingdom.


DAILY READINGS

Isaiah 42-44 & Psalm 119:1-32

DAILY NOTES

Isaiah 42
  • A servant of God is announced.  This chosen one of God will have God's spirit and bring justice to the world.  
    • This is one of several "servant songs" written in Isaiah.
  • His arrival is a part of God's redemption plan.
  • A hymn of praise springs forth as a result.  
  • God's redemption comes even though Israel has been disobedient.
Isaiah 43
  • God promises that the people who have been scattered will return.
    • What about those taken by Assyria?
  • This new thing of God will take the place of the suffering and punishment the people have endured.  
  • According the Verse 21, this is done so that the people may praise God again.
Isaiah 44
  • The people will take delight in being called God's people.  I would hope so!
  • Of course, there will be some whose dependence on idols will keep them from knowing this freedom of God.  According verses 18-19, those people don't even realize how silly they are being by creating worshiped idols from the same tree they cook and get heat from.
Psalm 119
  • We're going to be talking about lot about God's precepts and following those commandments.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

Have you wondered why we keep hearing many of the same things?

In Isaiah, we've heard again and again that God is our Creator.  God has done much for us.  We've heard about the futility of idols.  Repeatedly, we've heard about idols.  We've heard many times about how we turned from God.

We've also heard, and will hear much more, about the promise of our future.

You know why we repeat things.  One, so we don't forget.  But also because sometimes people aren't paying attention the first time.  And, of course, some things are that important they should be repeated.

Since these themes will continue to be repeated, my suggestion is that we take time to consider what they mean to our faith today.  Yes, they mean something for our faith today!

Stay blessed...john

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

March 24 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 83 The relationship between Saul and David worsens.  David is now Saul's enemy.   DAILY READINGS 1 Samuel 18-20 & Psalm 83 DAILY NOTES 1 Samuel 18 Saul's delight for David quickly turns.  Saul is jealous of David's success and the fact that everyone else seems to like David more than him. Of course, we have to think about what this evil spirit from the Lord might mean. Saul tries to kill David.  He even devises a plan to have him married into the royal family so that he can create a snare for him. What does it say about David that, even after Saul has tried to kill him, he still finds it an honor to be married to the family? David escapes Saul's traps.  So, from here on out, the text says that Saul considered David an enemy.  Think he knows what it means to love your enemies? 1 Samuel 19 Verse 5 reminds us of David's fight with Goliath.  At this point, David has fought other times.  What makes that ...
Post a Comment
Read more

May 14 + Daily readings & notes

DAY 134 We're reading another prophet today.  Here's t he Bible Project video that describes what the book is about. DAILY READINGS Jonah 1-4 & Psalm 129 DAILY NOTES Jonah 1 Notice the simple, direct message God gave Jonah.  There's no explanation for why Jonah doesn't follow through (yet).  As quickly as the word from God comes, he goes away. The mariners have their own god to cry out to for help.  They ask Jonah to cry out to his God.  Did you notice he never did?  He only told them that he worships the Lord.   The mariners feared the Lord after this.   Jonah 2 When he and the others were in trouble, Jonah didn't cry out to God.  Now that he's sitting inside a big fish, he offers a prayer to God.   And notice even the fish listens to God! Jonah 3 The word of God comes to Jonah again.  This time Jonah responds.  And the people of Nineveh respond with faith in God. Up to this p...
Post a Comment
Read more

March 17 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 76 We're finishing the book of Judges today.  The judges have ruled over Israel, but the people have strayed from God.  Things are not as they should be.  By the book, the tribes of Israel have been fighting against one of their own. DAILY READINGS Judges 19-21 & Psalm 76 DAILY NOTES Judges 19 No one is given a name in this chapter.   A Levite takes a concubine for a wife.  She gets angry and leaves to go back to her father's house. The Levite goes to her and the father-in-law and he enjoy several days of eating and drinking together. The Levite eventually leaves with his wife and they travel to Gibeah; they get no help from anyone else along the way. They stay at the home of a man from Gibeah.  While they are there, the men of Gibeah rise against the Levite.   The man of the house refuses their attack and offers both his daughter and the Levite's wife instead.   The men "wantonly" rape the wife.  ...
Post a Comment
Read more