Today’s readings are: 2 Samuel 22:1 to 23:23, Acts 2:1-47, Psalm 122:1-9, &
Proverbs 16:19-20

24 But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to
life, for death could not keep him in its grip.
Acts 2:24 (NLT)

32 “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 33 Now
he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand.
And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out
upon us, just as you see and hear today.
Acts 2:32-33 (NLT)

Praise the Lord! Jesus is alive! Death could not hold Him!

Praise the Lord! Jesus is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven!

Praise the Lord! He has sent the Holy Spirit in to our hearts!

You and I have never known a time when these things were not so. We are not
like all those in the Old Testament who are looking forward to the Lord’s
redemption. We have been redeemed.

They had to wait upon the Lord to come to them or to fall upon a prophet. We
have the Holy Spirit inside us.

God is continually with us! We are the privileged ones.

Thank you God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Dave

Today’s readings are: 2 Samuel 20:14 to 21:22, Acts 1:1-26, Psalm 121:1-8, &
Proverbs 16:18

1 I look up to the mountains- does my help come from there? 2 My help comes
from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! 3 He will not let you stumble; the
one who watches over you will not slumber. 4 Indeed, he who watches over
Israel never slumbers or sleeps. 5 The Lord himself watches over you! The
Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. 6 The sun will not harm you
by day, nor the moon at night. 7 The Lord keeps you from all harm and
watches over your life. 8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever. Psalms 121:1-8 (NLT)

This is a beautiful psalm. It brings us an assurance that God watches over
us. However, this psalm can be easily misquoted.

We can pull out the verses we like and ignore the ones that we don’t or we
don’t understand. For instance we can say this psalm says that God will
never let us stumble. I am a Christian who has stumbled many times. It does
not matter if you take it literally (falling down, skinning my knee) or if
you take it spiritually (sinning). I have stumbled many times.

We can incorrectly pull out the verse 7 and say that it promises we will
never be harmed. Again I am a Christian who has been harmed many times both
physically and spiritually.

No one would pull verse 5 & 6 out and go stand in the sun for 12 hours and
not expect to get harmed. Yet if you try to literally apply any of this
psalm to your life you would need to apply these verses as well.

When you look at scripture you have to look at the entire Bible and at God’s
nature and character. You have to look at who the book or verses were
written to and what the book or verses were trying to address.

So what does this psalm mean.

In our “The One Year Bible” it has a title over the verses (This title was
not in the original manuscript). This title was given by Scripture
interpreters. It says: A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

This is a psalm of thanksgiving and praise for those going to Jerusalem. It
was never written as a theological treatise on the nature and character of
God. It was not intended for us to take literal promises from but to remind
us of the greatness and majesty of God.

God does watch over us night and day. He is the source of our help. We are
to cry out to Him.

Mostly we are to cry out to Him in thanksgiving and praise for who He is and
what He has done.

As a Christian, I have stumbled many times and I have been harmed many
times. However, I have no doubt that God has watched over me. He has
protected me. He has kept me from harm and from stumbling many, many times.
Do I have cause to thank Him for these things? I sure do. Does the fact that
I have made dumb choices that have caused me to stumble and fall or to get
harmed, change who God is or what He can do? Absolutely not!

Thank you God for watching over me. Thank you for protecting me time and
time again. Thank you for the times I have actually seen your protection,
and thank you for the many times I am sure you protected me and I didn’t
even notice. You are great. And worthy of all praise and glory. Thank you
for the privilege of allowing me to be your child.

Dave

Today’s readings are: 2 Samuel 20:14 to 21:22, Acts 1:1-26, Psalm 121:1-8, &
Proverbs 16:18

1 I look up to the mountains- does my help come from there? 2 My help comes
from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! 3 He will not let you stumble; the
one who watches over you will not slumber. 4 Indeed, he who watches over
Israel never slumbers or sleeps. 5 The Lord himself watches over you! The
Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. 6 The sun will not harm you
by day, nor the moon at night. 7 The Lord keeps you from all harm and
watches over your life. 8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever. Psalms 121:1-8 (NLT)

This is a beautiful psalm. It brings us an assurance that God watches over
us. However, this psalm can be easily misquoted.

We can pull out the verses we like and ignore the ones that we don’t or we
don’t understand. For instance we can say this psalm says that God will
never let us stumble. I am a Christian who has stumbled many times. It does
not matter if you take it literally (falling down, skinning my knee) or if
you take it spiritually (sinning). I have stumbled many times.

We can incorrectly pull out the verse 7 and say that it promises we will
never be harmed. Again I am a Christian who has been harmed many times both
physically and spiritually.

No one would pull verse 5 & 6 out and go stand in the sun for 12 hours and
not expect to get harmed. Yet if you try to literally apply any of this
psalm to your life you would need to apply these verses as well.

When you look at scripture you have to look at the entire Bible and at God’s
nature and character. You have to look at who the book or verses were
written to and what the book or verses were trying to address.

So what does this psalm mean.

In our “The One Year Bible” it has a title over the verses (This title was
not in the original manuscript). This title was given by Scripture
interpreters. It says: A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

This is a psalm of thanksgiving and praise for those going to Jerusalem. It
was never written as a theological treatise on the nature and character of
God. It was not intended for us to take literal promises from but to remind
us of the greatness and majesty of God.

God does watch over us night and day. He is the source of our help. We are
to cry out to Him.

Mostly we are to cry out to Him in thanksgiving and praise for who He is and
what He has done.

As a Christian, I have stumbled many times and I have been harmed many
times. However, I have no doubt that God has watched over me. He has
protected me. He has kept me from harm and from stumbling many, many times.
Do I have cause to thank Him for these things? I sure do. Does the fact that
I have made dumb choices that have caused me to stumble and fall or to get
harmed, change who God is or what He can do? Absolutely not!

Thank you God for watching over me. Thank you for protecting me time and
time again. Thank you for the times I have actually seen your protection,
and thank you for the many times I am sure you protected me and I didn’t
even notice. You are great. And worthy of all praise and glory. Thank you
for the privilege of allowing me to be your child.

Dave

Today’s readings are: 2 Samuel 19:11 to 20:13, John 21:1-25, Psalm 120:1-7,
& Proverbs 16:16-17

In today’s reading the psalmist cries out to God:

I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my
prayer. 2 Rescue me, O Lord, from liars and from all deceitful people.
Psalm 120:1-2 (NLT)

As we read through the Bible, we see over and over again prayers of people
who tell it like it is. They just pour out their hearts to God, even if it
is God that they are unhappy with.

I don’t know about your prayers, but I find in mine I am usually much more
reserved. I don’t think I have ever told God I was unhappy with Him or
anything He has done or not done.

If you read very many of the psalms you also find prayers for not only
deliverance but for justice, bold prayers for destruction of an enemy.

I don’t pray that way.

If your prayers are more like mine than the psalmists, why do you suppose
that is?

Maybe our relationship with God and others have changed from Old Testament
times.

When the God of all the universe is hanging on a cross and praying for the
Father to forgive the ones who put Him there, it sets a new, and pretty bold
example.

Jesus said:

But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
Matthew 5:44 (NLT)

If you have time today, read this passage in Matthew 5 about our
interpersonal relations with those that we do not get along with.

We, God’s children, have been given the privilege of not only knowing God,
but of having Him live in our hearts. We not only walk with Him and talk
with Him, He leads and directs us moment by moment, if we get out of the way
and allow Him to.

We do not need to be afraid or hesitate to talk to God about anything. We
can really pour our hearts out to Him. (let’s face it, He already knows what
is going on anyway)

However, the way we pray for others, I think has either changed or perhaps
we have just become more educated in how God wants us to pray for them. We
are educated by the example of Jesus.

May we continue to be educated by the supreme example set by our Lord and
Savior, Jesus!

Dave

Today’s readings are: 2 Samuel 18:1 to 19:10, John 20:1-31, Psalm
119:153-176, & Proverbs 16:14-15

Jesus says we are blessed:

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed
are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:29 (NIV)

We have not seen yet we believe. We are blessed.

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples,
which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you
may have life in his name. John 20:30-31 (NIV)

The book of John records the things it does so that we might believe Jesus
is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing we might have life in
his name.

That should make us very glad that we read the book of John. If we have
doubts about who Jesus is or what Jesus was like or what Jesus did, we can
go back and read it again.

Dave

Today’s readings are: 2 Samuel 17:1-29, John 19:23-42, Psalm 119:129-152, &
Proverbs 16:12-13

Think how hopeless life would be if the gospel account ended at John 19:42.
“Since the tomb was close they laid Jesus there.”

Our sins would have been paid for, but there would be no hope for
resurrection.

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the
firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the
supremacy.
Colossians 1:18 (NIV)

Jesus is first in everything. He was the firstborn from the dead. Because of
His resurrection we can have the hope of our resurrection into heaven.
Because He was not abandoned in the grave, we can have the hope of eternal
life.

Our hope is in Jesus. Our salvation is in Jesus. Everything revolves around
Jesus!

Tomorrow we will read about His resurrection, but praise God we can
experience it today!

Dave

Today’s readings are: 2 Samuel 15:23 to 16:23, John 18:25 to 19:22, Psalm
119:113-128, & Proverbs 16:10-11

I hate those with divided loyalties, but I love your instructions. 114 You
are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope. 115 Get out of
my life, you evil-minded people, for I intend to obey the commands of my
God. 116 Lord, sustain me as you promised, that I may live! Do not let my
hope be crushed. 117 Sustain me, and I will be rescued; then I will meditate
continually on your decrees. Psalm 119:113-117 (NLT)

I found these verses in today’s readings meaningful. We cannot have divided
loyalties. We either serve God or we do not. Yet we all struggle with sin
and temptation. Praise God for his forgiveness and cleansing power.

I must daily pray for the Lord to sustain me. He promises He will.

One way He sustains us is through the Bible. As it says in verse 117, I need
to continually (I think that means all the time) be thinking about the truth
and wisdom found only in the Bible.

As I pray for God to sustain me, then remember the truth set out before me
in the Bible, then when temptation comes, I can declare like verse 115, “Get
out of my life! For I intend to obey the commands of my God.”

Let’s obey God,

Dave

Today’s readings are: 2 Samuel 14:1 to 15:22, John 18:1-24, Psalm
119:97-112, & Proverbs 16:8-9

Today’s reading about David and Absalom is in my opinion one of the saddest
stories in the Bible. The truth is David messed up. In today’s terms, He had
a very dysfunctional family. David should have carried out justice when
Tamar was raped. David should have done .. So much more. And before all of
that we could list a whole list of things that David should not have done.
God’s prophecy through Nathan was truly being fulfilled.

Out of this tragic story comes this wonderful verse:

All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the
ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life
away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated
from him. 2 Samuel 14:14 (NLT)

Ultimately this was foretelling our salvation through the Blood of Jesus.
God devised a way for us to be brought back to Him. And it was a way He
planned before He ever created Adam.

But I think it also talks about daily life. For we are daily sinners living
with daily consequences of our sin. God devises ways to bring us back to
Him. And God’s primary way is to use His children. We are His ambassadors,
not only for the Gospel, but for His daily redeeming love. We are called to
be peacemakers to restore peaceful relationships.

Are there relationships that you can bring peace to? David surrendered
Jerusalem to Absalom in order to spare it the ravages of war. What would it
take to restore peace to the relationships in your life. What would you be
willing to give up, to spare ____________ the ravages of war.

Are you a peacemaker?

Dave

Today’s readings are: 2 Samuel 13:1-39, John 17:1-26, Psalm 119:81-96, &
Proverbs 16:6-7

Unity

“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.
I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that
the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you
love me. John 17:22-23 (NLT)

Imagine the influence Christians would have on the world if we had unity. If
all the Christians in the USA could unite, we would be a powerful force. We
would determine the course of our nation.

But alas, unity is not found. Christians are divided.

Let unity start in our homes and our churches, then perhaps unity can be
found amongst the churches within our denominations. Then perhaps churches
can begin to unite together to reach the world around us.

These verses were a part of a prayer Jesus prayed before He was arrested.

May they be a part of our prayers too,

Dave

Today’s readings are: 2 Samuel 12:1-31, John 16:1-33, Psalm 119:65-80, &
Proverbs 16:4-5

Your instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver.
Psalms 119:72 (NLT)

You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands.
Psalms 119:73 (NLT)

May I be blameless in keeping your decrees; then I will never be ashamed.
Psalms 119:80 (NLT)

Dear Lord,

You created me, please give me the sense to follow your commands. May I be
blameless in keeping your commands, then I will never be ashamed. Amen

These scriptures make a wonderful prayer. A prayer that we all can and
should pray. A prayer that we will want to pray if we really believe vs. 72:
“Your instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold or silver.”

Thank you, God for the Bible,

Dave