September 15th One Year Bible Readings

Isaiah 19:1-21:17 ~ Galatians 2:1-16 ~ Psalm 59:1-17 ~ Proverbs 23:13-14
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~ Listen to today's Scripture on DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) or OneYearAudioBible.org ~

Old Testament - Today in Isaiah chapter 19 we read the message concerning Egypt!  You can gain further context on this chapter today by reading Jeremiah chapter 46 and Ezekiel chapters 29-32.  Both of these books we will be reading later this year, just after Isaiah.  Below is an image of the Egyptians in dismay, seeking counsel from their idolatrous priests per verse 3: "The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will confuse their plans. They will plead with their idols for wisdom. They will call on spirits, mediums, and psychics to show them which way to turn."

There are some really interesting verses at the end of chapter 19, beginning in verse 18 and going through the end of the chapter.  Verses 19 & 20 are awesome: "In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and there will be a monument to the LORD at its border. It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD Almighty in the land of Egypt. When the people cry to the LORD for help against those who oppress them, he will send them a savior who will rescue them."  This reminds me of Joseph & Mary's flight to Egypt with Jesus as an infant to be safe from Herod's decree to kill all boys under the age of 2!  (see Matthew 2:13-21)  Our Savior was sent into Egypt for a brief period of His life!

New Testament - We have great readings today in Galatians chapter 2 as Paul confronts Peter!  I think this is a powerful lesson for us to learn.  It is okay - in fact good - to confront other Christians when they are out of line.  We should do so in the spirit of love.  Speak the truth in love to our brothers and sisters who step out of line.  But let us not be too meek in this area and let somebody we love slide by because we're too scared to say anything.  Is there anybody in your life today that you are being led by God to speak the truth in love to?  (there is someone in my life I'm being led to do this... and I confess that I have been dragging my feet...)  Let us learn today from the example of Paul confronting Peter!

I have to tell you, for some reason the parenthetical point from Paul in verse 6 today really stood out to me - "(By the way, their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has no favorites.)"  This is really a profound thing for each of us to realize!  No one is above you!  No one is below you!  God has no favorites!  I really really love thinking about this.  This means we should respect all, but fear none.  God is the only one we should fear.  You, your pastor, your president, the homeless person on the street corner are no more or no less favored by God comparatively.  God has no favorites!  And - if God has no favorites, what do you think this should mean to us.  Should we have favorites?  Should we give more respect to those who we think are in better social standing than others?  Should we love the pastor more than the homeless person?  Should we love the celebrity over the waiter?  This really is something for us to think about...  Paul said people's reputation as great leaders made NO difference to him.  Should people's reputations in our world today make any difference to us?

 

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Galatians titled "Was Paul a Man-Pleaser?" is at this link and "Peter's Capitulation and Paul's Correction" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 59 has some powerful imagery of the "night of danger" in verse 14 and the "morning of deliverance" in verse 16 - "But as for me, I will sing about your power. I will shout with joy each morning because of your unfailing love."  I like that thought - shouting for joy each morning because of God's unfailing love.  I pray that in some way I "shout" for joy each morning because of God's love.  How about you?  Do you in some way "shout" for joy each morning because of God?

Proverbs - We have a powerful Proverb in chapter 23 verses 13 & 14 today: "Don't fail to correct your children. They won't die if you spank them. Physical discipline may well save them from death."  I can see how this Proverb applies to our own children, as long as we are disciplining in a godly manner with love - "tough love" though it may be at times.  (Actually, I'm not sure how I feel about spanking kids personally - I'm a big softie.  But I don't have kids yet, so maybe this changes w/ real kids?  Any parents want to weigh in on this one?? :)   I can also see how this Proverb applies to you and me from our Heavenly Father.  I honestly believe that God does not fail to correct us!  :)  Really....  He'll "spank" us if he needs to.  Because He loves us.  And when He disciplines us, he may very well be saving us from death...   Do you believe there is such a thing as positive discipline?  One of the best books I read on this concept of God disciplining us is Bruce Wilkinson's "Secrets of the Vine."  This book does a great job of explaining how God "prunes" off the sin in our life.  And while the pruning can hurt, it is critically important for us to stay under the Godly pruning!  And not try to run from it!  Plus this book goes deeper into John chapter 15, which is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible.  Oh - and it's a quick read too, which is nice.  Check this book out if you haven't ever really thought about the concept of God disciplining you on occasion as a parent might discipline a child.

Worship God:  I have to admit that I'm posting up these 2 videos because I woke up singing this song yesterday and sung it to myself for a good chunk of the morning!  Which is a great sign.  :)  It's a great song to have stuck in your head.  I think it stuck because I had the good fortune to get lost in worship to this song at my church last weekend.  It was the opening song to the service, and it is an amazing song to worship to.  To tie it into today's readings, I do think this song works well for Psalm 59 verse 16.  I found 2 versions of this song on YouTube, and really liked both, so I hope you don't mind me sharing both with you.  The first video below shows Chris talking about how the song got written, along with him playing it acoustic.  The second video is the full band version of the song at Passion 2006.  Here's Chris Tomlin's "Made to Worship!"  Twice!  :)

Are you made to worship?  Not sure?  Click here and be made to worship!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

Comments

[Jan]

Oh yes, I have had a "few" (ha ha) spankings from my Abba & He is so loving when He does it; but firm also. I praise God for those spankings, cause I would not grow without them!!! :)

jan

[Douglas]

Just got a "HARD" spanking last October (2005)! My good freind fell asleep at the wheel of his Honda motor vehicle and hit a bridge abutment head on. No braking was involved, so you probably can imagine the impact. He escaped serious injury(by the Grace of GOD), but there was (1) problem.... I was in the passenger seat! Both of my legs were broken, broken right hip, broken Clavicle on my left side and broken bones in both my left foot and my right hand.

Take my words to heart. This has been the toughest year in my life, But I never once blamed GOD...I THANKED HIM! It surely has strengthened my faith in GOD.

I stopped going to church reguarly back in the early 80's. I went back to the church of my youth 0n Feb. 26 2006 and have not missed a sermon since! Praise GOD!!!!!

Through the Mercy and Grace of the most Holy Lord I was given another chance(choice) to follow the one and only living GOD.

When I pray, Instead of me,me,me, I tend to put others ahead myself(God gets his first). And when I pray for myself, I ask only for wisdom and for GOD to keep my face toward him (so I will never turn my back on him again)!

God Bless All!
D.L.L.

[R]

Ummm--Douglas you might want to rethink the accident as being from God. A spanking by the very essence doesn't break bones, that would be abusive behavior. I don't think God is an abusive God with His children.

Your friend chose to drive will impaired and being to tired to drive is a form of impairment, just like driving under the influence. Then you either not knowing how tired he was or knowing, made a decision to get into the car with him. The mercy of God protected your life but we do live in a cause and effect world. Except for miraculous events, God doing for us what we are unable to do for ourselves because of crises, and Divine intervention, which are not everyday events, I think the laws of physics had more to do with your condition then God “spanking” you.

[Jan]

Douglas, perhaps it was more of a Job thing - Job got more than he bargained for in his testing - some very awful things like happened to you - both of you were spared your lives by a loving God. I do think that God allows things to happen to us to get our attention & that all things that happen to his children are first sifted through His hands; with God's blood bought saints nothing can touch us unles God allows it.

I praise God that He got your attention & brought you home & to your senses - He knew what would do the trick. There is no coincidence with God.

He just used a very big paddle this time; a sleeping friend.

[Sue]

Douglas, I am on the same page with you.

God knew what it would take. He said to thank Him for ALL THINGS. We think we need to have "feelings" to back up our thankfulness, but that is not what He says. He says to thank Him, and He says in Romans 8:28 that ALL things work together toward good for those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose.

God bless you.

I believe when we thank Him in circumstances that others consider catastrophic, we have acknowledged His Sovereignty. He could prevent things from happening as well as allowing them to happen.

Another thing I have learned about the "sacrifice" of thanksgiving is: It neutralizes the enemy. The adversary wants all the glory that belongs to God. All the praise and honor belong to God, and when we thank Him, even when we do not feel thankful, but we do it out of obedience (the "sacrifice of thanksgiving"), the enemy does not get the attention he seeks and cannot distract us from our allegiance to God. Instead we give God the glory and honor and praise.

So many times I have experienced first hand, that He reveals to us the "reason" it had to occur.

I will share one of those times: In 1992 I ran out of gas on the way to work (I commuted one hour each way from home to work). I thanked God. I managed to get a ride to get a 5-gallon gas can, got gas, had enough put in it to get to work (figuring I would fill it after work as I was already late). When I got off work at 11PM my vehicle was gone. (I am giving you the short story--much more occurred). My coworker offered to take me home, but I asked her instead to drive me to my the store my brother managed so she would not have so far to go, and on the way there I prayed: "God, you know I do not FEEL thankful, but out of obedience, I am thanking you that my vehicle was stolen." This was my only means of transportation to and from work, and I couldn't take a bus from the rural area where I lived.

My brother closed up his store at 1AM and drove me home a different route from what I always drove to go to work as his store was in a different area of the city.

On the way home, about 20 minutes from my home, my vehicle was parked alongside the road! Apparently they RAN OUT OF GAS! hahaha.

As I said, this is the short version; there is much more that transpired.

I just want to share with you that I understand why you are expressing such thankfulness; when we recognize His sovereignty, we recognize how much for which we need to be thankful.

I am so pleased to see your response to His working in your life, and I pray that God will bless you richly.

God's love and blessings.

[R]

Isaiah 19-21:17

God is in control no matter how much we bully others to get what we want; no matter how aggressive we pursuer our wants or how many people we get to join our posse to demand by intimidation, God is still in charge. And the things we hold dear, the things that make us think we are powerful, God has this funny way of sweeping them away. Egypt relied on the Nile but God created the Nile so God controls its headwaters.

Of the nations that Isaiah is given messages about, most will not be completely destroyed, God seems to always leave a remnant. There are always a few left how have never “bowed their knew to Baal” (1 Kings 19:8) no matter how much we may think we are the only righteous ones left.

Galatians 2:1-16

I don’t know why, but as I read verse 15-16 [We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:15-16 NET.)] the following thoughts came in my head and I wrote them down.

People loot and steal because they think and fear they will not get anything except by thievery. In truth they believe they are cursed and have been denied access to the God of grace and mercy so they demand and take from others the things they feel and believe they are locked out of. With a right relationship and fellowship with the God of mercy, through Jesus Christ all their needs would be met by asking, seeking and knocking.

Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom!
(Luke 12:32 AMP)

[Vance]

Isaiah 19 (NKJV)
23
In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will
come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with
the Assyrians.
24
In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the
midst of the land,
25
whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and
Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

NOTE:
Only through the Lord will there be peace in the world. This is God’s Word, and
it cannot fail. We have a great honor given to us through Christ, through
prayer and intercession, to join God in His work in the world.

Pray for peace! Pray for the peace of Israel! Pray for Truth and Righteousness
to rule!

Galatians 2 (NKJV)
12
for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when
they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the
circumcision.
13
And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even
Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
15
We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
16
knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in
Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified
by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law
no flesh shall be justified.

NOTE:
We cannot separate from one another because we think we are “better” because of
our obedience and others are “not as good” or “bad” because we perceive them to
be disobedient.

We are all on the same level before God: Before Christ as humans, we are all
sinners. After Christ, all Christians are all equally made righteous before
God—never based on works (this can never be).

Since works or “acts of obedience” are not the basis of salvation, how can they
be the basis of determining who is “better” than another?

If we picture faith being like a “coin”, on the other side of the “coin of
faith”, Martin Luther said it well: “We are not justified (declared righteous)
by faith plus works. We are justified (declared righteous) by A FAITH THAT
WORKS”.

Faith without works is dead. Obedience will naturally issue out of a heart of a
person who wants to show extreme gratitude to God for saving him or her from sin
and death.

May we encourage one another by seeing where the other obeys, and pray for them?

Of course, if someone truly disobeys God’s Word, then we need to speak to them
in love, being careful that we do not fall because of pride.

Galatians 5 (NKJV)
1
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore
such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be
tempted.
2
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
~~~

Psalm 59 (NKJV)
8
But You, O LORD, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in
derision.
9
I will wait for You, O You his Strength [or my Strength]; for God is my defense.
10
My God of mercy [or… My God, His mercy / O God, my mercy / O God, Your mercy]
shall come to meet me; God shall let me see my desire on my enemies.
11
Do not slay them, lest my people forget; scatter them by Your power, and bring
them down, O Lord our shield.
12
For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, let them even be taken
in their pride, and for the cursing and lying which they speak.
13
Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be; and let them know
that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth. Selah

NOTE:
May we pray God’s Word to be fulfilled: that all may know that God will not
tolerate persistent sin. May we walk humbly before our God with fear and
trembling in joy that Jesus can work through us in our prayers and witness.

May the authority of Christ to rule over the nations find its expression through
our prayers. Truly, may those delight in wrongdoing and sin, and who delight in
terrorizing others come to know they are accountable to the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob!

May we pray for all leaders of nations and all countries.

I Timothy 2 (NKJV)
1
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
giving of thanks be made for all men,
2
for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable
life in all godliness and reverence.
3
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires
all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
~~~

Psalm 2 (NKJV)
10
Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12
Kiss the Son, [Receive instruction] lest He [the Lord] be angry, and you perish
in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who
put their trust in Him.
~~~

Psalm 59 (NKJV)
16
But I will sing of Your power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the
morning; for You have been my defense
And refuge in the day of my trouble.
17
To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my defense, my God of
mercy.

NOTE:
Praise is an excellent way to use our time and our minds. It is an excellent
spiritual discipline. Praise allows us to enter into God’s Presence. As we do
so, our sins become more evident, so they can be cleansed.

As we walk, live, and praise in the light, the Blood of Jesus continually
cleanses us from all our sins, and we have fellowship with one another.

Vance

[Lindy]

Hi Mike,

I have been trying to follow your blog for a while but now Praise the Lord, finally have the opportunity to do so properly! What stood out for me is Psalm 59: v 9 & 10 - You are my strength, I wait for you to rescue me, for you O God are my fortress. In his unfailing love my God will stand with me. He will let me look down in triumph over all my enemies.

What an awesome God we serve.

Thanks for the good work. God Bless

Lindy

[Debi]

I know it isn't fashionable now to discipline children...we might damage their self esteem! I was raised with heavy-duty discipline by two God fearing parents, and it didn't kill me. My own children thought they were born into Marine Corps boot camp, and it didn't hurt them. I really think that a lack of rules, limits and consistent correction is one of the biggest reasons so many young people are "lost" today. They are not given a foundation in God, nor any path to follow, and the total anarchy we are seeing in schools and in the world is the result. I have watched as my own grandchildren try to deal with the challenges of growing up without Jesus as their "backup", and it simply doesn't work!!! How can you face the terrors of this world without the wonderful, all-powerful God we serve???
Thank you for this site you work so diligently on...it has helped me tremendously! we live "on the road" in our motorhome, and go where the work takes us, which sometimes means we miss church...this is my lifeline to the Christian community every morning. If we can't get a signal where we park at night, we keep driving till we do!God bless you real good!
Debi