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  Bible reading for Oct 18 -- 19 Oct 18 -- Daniel 3 and Psalm 107 Oct 19 -- Daniel 4 and Psalms 108-109 ================   "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble." (Daniel 4:37) THE DANIEL DIET (ch 1). The book opens with an introduction to Daniel, chronicling his arrival in Babylon after deportation from Jerusalem in 605 BC, along with three friends. As a young man, an exile in an alien culture, he enters Babylonian royal training. There are many parallels between Daniel and Joseph (Gen 39-50), who both served foreign powers while faithfully serving God at the same time. Regarding the diet, Daniel's abstaining was not because he was fastidious about healthy food, but he was an observant Jew, being faithful to the Mosaic covenant. Jews recognized that all of life -- food, clothing, work, marriage, child-rearing, agriculture, ethics, business...

Bible reading for September 13 -- 14 Sep 13 -- Ezekiel 16 and Psalms 58-59 Sep 14 -- Ezekiel 17 and Psalms 60-61 ================   "I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD..." (Ezekiel 16:62) YOUR CHEATING HEART (ch 16). Israel's physical ancestry traced back to Abraham who lived in Ur of the Chaldees. But their spiritual culture, their pedigree once settled in the land, was more like the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites (vv 3, 45), and even like the city of Sodom. This chapter is a poignant parable of God's longsuffering care for his people, being like a loving husband rejected by his wife. Israel's beauty and wealth, given to her by her Lord, lifts her up in pride and immorality (v 15; cf Lucifer in 28:17). Idols are allowed on every street (v 23) and the blood of their children ran down in the pagan sacrifices (vv 20, 36). The blessings from their glorious Lord were turned to self-glory. Like Sodom (v 49; cf Gen 19; Lev 18:...

Bible reading for Nov 18.  1 Chronicles 11-12. "All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with full intent to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king." (12:38)  HEROES. These chapters look back to 2 Sam 23 and the list of David's "mighty men" (Heb., ha-gibborim ). As postmodern as we may be, most of us still long for heroes, whether it be a political figure, athlete, soldier, scientist, or artist. It may only be imaginary, like Iron Man or Wonder Woman, but we still cheer for men and women of courage and strength who accomplish great things. King David attracted a wide assortment of people from various tribes (both within and outside of Israel) to be his inner guard or to serve as military commanders. They had various skills and abilities, for example, ambidexterity with weapons (12:2) or the gift of wisdom (12:32). Many of them had followed David in the wilderness while in e...

Bible reading for Nov 17.  1 Chronicles 9-10. "...besides their kinsmen, heads of their fathers' houses, 1,760, mighty men for the work of the service of the house of God." (9:13)  NAMES AND NUMBERS (ch 9). We now come to the people who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. Central in this list are the priests, gatekeepers and singers who served at the temple. The focus of Chronicles is upon the worship of God at the temple in Jerusalem. We notice that, instead of the phrase "mighty men for war", we read "mighty men of the service of the house of God" (v 13). Israel had a tendency to rest upon its military strength (or on alliances with other strong nations) instead of being faithful to dedicated worship of the Lord their God. A sidebar: reading genealogies can be tedious. A professor once said to us in seminary, "All of the Bible is equally inspired, but not all of it is equally profitable." That is, God has fully inspired both ...

Bible reading for Aug 28.  I Samuel 20. "And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul." (1 Samuel 20:17)  DAVID AND JONATHAN. In this chapter we see Jonathan make a break from unquestioned loyalty to his father, King Saul, to make a covenant with David, his closest friend (vv 14-16). Today's hyper-sexualized culture would see some kind of sexual aspect to this relationship, but in the Hebrew world for men to kiss one another's beard was a common sign of respect and honor (2 Sam 20:9; Matt 26:49; Luke 7:45). This kind of "holy kiss" was practiced in the early church, as well (e.g., Rom 16:16). What was going on was more remarkable than even strong male friendship: Jonathan, son and heir of King Saul, was giving up his right to the throne in order to serve David. Notice the words, "my house" (v 15) and "house of David" (v 16). This covenant of loyalty, or fealty, to David woul...

Bible reading for weekend Aug 8.  Ruth 1-2. "But Ruth said, 'Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.'" (Ruth 1:16-17) A ROMANCE. What a beautiful story, full of nobility and kindness in unexpected places! The Moabite woman Ruth pledges faithfulness to her mother-in-law after Naomi had told her to go back to her gods in Moab. There are seven poetic statements Ruth makes, and the central phrase is, "your God [shall be] my God" (v 16; cf Exodus 6:7). Here a Moabite woman is declaring her faith in the one true God, the Lord, a faith that should have been shared also by the people of Israel at that time, but largely wasn't. The scene of the story is Bethlehem, birthplace of the futu...

Does a holy life consist of one or two noble deeds,  some remarkable specimens of doing or enduring or suffering? A holy life is made up of a multitude of small things.   It's the little things of the hour,  and not the great things of the age,  that fill up a holy life.  Little words, not eloquent speeches or sermons,  little deeds, not miracles, nor battles,  nor one great heroic act or mighty martyrdom,  make up the true Christian life.   The constant sunbeam, not the lightning --   the gentle waters which bring refreshment,  not the noisy torrent of a flood --  are true symbols of a holy life (Isa 8:6, 8).  It is the avoidance of little evils...   -- little sins, little inconsistencies,  -- little indiscretions and foibles,  -- little indulgences of self and of the flesh,  -- little acts of indolence or indecision or cowardice,  -- little departu...

"Do the Next Thing" was an anonymous poem that was  one of Elisabeth Elliot's favorites.  It's a good word for today as we often become overwhelmed with details or paralyzed with too many options.  We may want to see the outcome more clearly before we act.  Yet this poem reminds us there is a place for simple, faithful duty.  We need to act upon God's clearly-given will. "Just do the next thing..."  At an old English parsonage down by the sea, there came in the twilight a message to me. Its quaint Saxon legend deeply engraven that, as it seems to me, teaching from heaven. And all through the hours the quiet words ring, like a low inspiration, ‘Do the next thing.’ Many a questioning, many a fear, many a doubt hath its quieting here. Moment by moment, let down from heaven, time, opportunity, guidance are given. Fear not tomorrow, child of the King, trust that with Jesus, do the next thing. Do it immediately, do it with pr...

Here's a couple of quotes... "A little thing is a little thing, but faithfulness in little things is a great thing." (Hudson Taylor) "[ God's ] measurement of our success does not lie in our spectacular activities.  It lies in our quiet steadfastness for Him. He does not expect us to fully understand His management of our lives, but He does ask us to stay true to Him today."  (Phillip Keller, Lessons from a Sheep Dog , p. 44)