2 Chronicles 30:1-31:21 ~ Romans 15:1-22 ~ Psalm 25:1-15 ~ Proverbs 20:13-15
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on Bible Gateway ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture with Tom Dooley’s terrific NLT 1996 readings at this link The ESV Bible: OT + NT + Psalms + Proverbs or Daily Audio Bible ~
Old Testament - We have great readings today in Second Chronicles chapter 30 about King Hezekiah inviting all of Israel and Judah to celebrate the Passover of the Lord! Yeah, sure, they ended up celebrating it a month later than normal because not enough priests had been purified, nor enough folks gathered in Jerusalem at the original time. But, in light of the Passover not being widely celebrated in many years, this was huge. I love Hezekiah's letter that he wrote - and verse 9 in particular: "For if you return to the LORD, your relatives and your children will be treated mercifully by their captors, and they will be able to return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful. If you return to him, he will not continue to turn his face from you." Think these words of Hezekiah's could apply to us in our lives today as well? Do you need to return to the Lord in any area of your life? Is there a sin that you are still indulging in that is hampering your relationship with God? Will you confess and repent of that sin? Will you return to the Lord? For the Lord your God is indeed gracious and merciful...

New Testament - Romans 15 verses 2 and 3 definitely give us much to think about: "We should please others. If we do what helps them, we will build them up in the Lord. For even Christ didn't please himself." That's a bit of a counter-intuitive statement compared to what our culture preaches. We should please others? I think our culture would say instead, "We should please ourselves! It's all about you! You are #1!" and so on. This is the beauty of the Gospel. It is counter-cultural in so many beautiful ways. It's the great revolution. It turns the world upside down. The last shall be first. Blessed are the peacemakers. Rejoice when you are persecuted. We should please others. So, are you living your life to please others? Are you doing what helps them? Are you building them up in the Lord?

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "Pleasing Others and Praising God" is at this link. Below is a great image for Romans 15:5 -

Psalms - Psalm 25 has some amazing verses today! I think I could write some reflections and questions on each of the verses today... Maybe a good thing for each of us to do is to re-read this Psalm today and really reflect on what the verses are saying to our hearts. David wrote this Psalm as a prayer for God's mercies when he was suffering affliction for his sins and when enemies were seizing this occasion to attack him. It's a very penitential Psalm. One that we might need to pray to God from time to time as David did. I do like verse 5 a lot and I believe it will speak to each of you going through the One Year Bible this year - "Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you." Do you believe that reading God's Word each day is allowing you to be led by God's truth? Are you being taught each day? Then - that last sentence in verse 5 is amazing. I cannot honestly say that all day long I put my hope in God. I pray that I do... but I think sometimes I drift away from putting my hope in God and I put my hope in myself - or maybe even sometimes I lose hope! I get discouraged about a situation. I get stressed. I worry. If we put our hope all day long in God, do you think we would get discouraged, stressed, or worried? I don't think we would...

Psalm 25 verse 15 really stood out to me today - "My eyes are always looking to the LORD for help, for he alone can rescue me from the traps of my enemies." I have come to realize more and more lately that the Enemy is indeed constantly setting traps for us. I don't mean to scare anyone here - but I think this is something very important for us to realize. It has been said that the greatest trick the Devil can play on us is to make us think that he does not exist. If we don't think the Devil exists, then we logically won't think that he's setting any traps for us. Let me assure you - this is clearly Biblical - the Devil exists. Evil exists in this world. Temptation exists. And evil does not rest. However - the good news - God is so much bigger and stronger and brighter (and this list can go on) than the Devil - the Enemy. David says in this Psalm that his eyes are ALWAYS looking to the Lord for help. Why? Because God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit alone can rescue us from the traps of the Enemy. Again, the traps are out there for us in this modern world. The temptations and dark alleys and wrong turns call to us unceasingly. But - again, great news here - we can be saved from all of that nonsense; all of that darkness; indeed all of that death, through a relationship with Jesus. Jesus saves. Jesus saves us from ourselves. From our sin. And from the Enemy that sets traps for us. Like David in this Psalm, are your eyes always looking to the Lord for help? Please don't ever take your eyes off God and His mercies, power, and strength.

Proverbs - Proverbs 20 verse 15 is so true for our modern world: "Wise speech is rarer and more valuable than gold and rubies." I hope I don't come off sounding too critical or judgmental here, but I seem to notice that people today talk more and more about "nothing." I mean, I guess it just seems to me that so many of us - myself included - major in minor things. Meaning, we will know every single statistic about our local sports team and talk about these stats all the time. Which then makes me wonder - do we invest as much time into know God's Word, knowing God's Will, as we do in knowing stats? Or knowing gossip on celebrities? Or knowing what's going on with the latest TV reality show? I guess this Proverb today just rings so true for me - Wise speech is rarer and more valuable than gold and rubies. It is rare. And it is valuable. What type of words are coming out of your mouth these days? Is it wise speech? Or is it perhaps on occasion a whole lot of nothing? Let us invest our words thoughtfully each day in wise speech. Let us share with others that which is more valuable than gold and rubies.

Worship Video: Today's readings in Second Chronicles reminded me of Britt Nicole's song "You:"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iduL7r_8sWs
Are you coming back to You? Click here to make your heart more like the ultimate You!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today: "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." Romans 15:1-2 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you are bearing with the failings of the weak every days. Pray that you are building up your neighbor. Pray for strength - to serve.
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
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
II Chronicles 30-31:21
There were six passages in today’s readings that really struck me, four are in the thirtieth chapter.
1) 4 This plan for keeping the Passover seemed right to the king and all the people.
Interesting how when we don’t know what to do, the first place we have a tendency to go is our sense of fairness of right and wrong. However, as we’ve learned in reading through the book of Judges (17:16; 21:25), what seems right could be deadly wrong. However, this time it turned out good.-- There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death. (Pro 14:12 AMP)
2) 10 The messengers went from town to town throughout Ephraim and Manasseh and as far as the territory of Zebulun. But most of the people just laughed at the messengers and made fun of them. 11However, some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem.
When we make a decision to submit to the Will of God and walk the narrow path, we must be prepared to face ridicule and isolation. That old gang of ours probably won’t be as supportive as they were when we were on our way to hell.
3) 18 Most of those who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not purified themselves. But King Hezekiah prayed for them, and they were allowed to eat the Passover meal anyway, even though this was contrary to God's laws. For Hezekiah said, "May the LORD, who is good, pardon those 19 who decide to follow the LORD, the God of their ancestors, even though they are not properly cleansed for the ceremony." 20 And the LORD listened to Hezekiah's prayer and healed the people.
We can mess up and be wrong, wrong, wrong; however, earnest heartfelt prayer for those in error can bring those who are out of step with God’s commands, back into favor. God is Good!
4) 25 The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, including the priests, the Levites, all who came from the land of Israel, the foreigners who came to the festival, and all those who lived in Judah. 26 There was great joy in the city, for Jerusalem had not seen a celebration like this one since the days of Solomon, King David's son. 27 Then the Levitical priests stood and blessed the people, and God heard them from his holy dwelling in heaven.
“God heard them…” Why did God hear them? Sometimes we think that we must do all kinds of jumping through hoops for God to hear us. I’ve heard people asking for others to join in with them to pray for a situation because they want to “Storm the Gates of Heaven,” as if we have to force the Grace of God in order for God to act. Grace by its very nature cannot be earned or merited; the Grace of God is free. He hears us because we are His. I believe God heard them from his holy dwelling in heaven because there was joy in the city. --- He said to them, "Go and eat delicacies and drink sweet drinks and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Neh 8:10 NET.)
5) 1 Now when the festival ended, the Israelites who attended went to all the towns of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, and they smashed the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and removed the pagan shrines and altars. After this, the Israelites returned to their own towns and homes.
Society today tells us that we must be tolerant of the religious practices of others, and I believe we should. However, these idols and sacred pillars and Asherath poles that were smashed and cut down did not belong to foreigners, but to fellow Jews who considered the Holy One of Israel, just one of the many gods. How much tolerance should I show, if any, to those who call themselves Christians, yet worship at the alters of idols, both things and people that are placed above God.
6) 21 In all that he did in the service of the Temple of God and in his efforts to follow the law and the commands, Hezekiah sought his God wholeheartedly. As a result, he was very successful.
Our success, true success does not come from following the latest marketing trends and business models discussed in Forbes or Business Week and the Wharton School of Business, but in following the Word of God. That is the only success that will last and satisfy.
Romans 15:1-22
I seem to be really focusing on specific scriptures in today’s reading. The fourth verse states, Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. They give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises.
We are on this journey, reading through the Bible in one year, to not only form a relationship with God, God and His Word are One (John 1:1), but to find out about God. We are journeying to discover the patterns and principals He desires us to adhere to so that we can be a success, and to encourage us by reading how God dealt with His people in the past and to truly know in our very fiber of being that God is Love.
Psalm 25:1-15
3
No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,
but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.
Wow! We can find ourselves so tied up in knots because we are in bondage to what other people think.. We tremble in our beds, in the midst of a crowded room, on our jobs because we are afraid that our mouths, our actions may cause us to be disgraced. And if we do put our size ten feet in our mouths, we allow that “shame” to hound our every waking moment, and that ain’t good. But this word says, only those who try to deceive others will be disgraced.
Here is some free advice, if embarrassments come because of missteps which come to anyone and everyone, then laugh it off and live a life free of the shame that can totally paralyze you. Now, if disgrace came because of deception and deceit, repent and go ask for forgiveness and do not do it again.
Proverbs 20:13-15
13 If you love sleep, you will end in poverty. Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat!
I got this feeling this verse is talking about spiritual sleep, and not the forty winks and eight hours of rest kind of sleep. There are many different Hebrew words translated poor or poverty and they all don’t mean, lacking resources.
Decided to do a quick “Word Study” by seeking out my friend, Mr. Strong and in his dictionary I get confirmation that this sleep and poverty has more to do with one’s spiritual condition then sleeping too long in one’s bed:
H3423 (Strong’s Number)
ירשׁ ירשׁ
yârash yârêsh
yaw-rash', yaw-raysh'
A primitive root; to occupy (be driving out previous tenants, and possessing in their place); by implication to seize, to rob, to inherit; also to expel, to impoverish, to ruin: - cast out, consume, destroy, disinherit, dispossess, drive (-ing) out, enjoy, expel, X without fail, (give to, leave for) inherit (-ance, -or), + magistrate, be (make) poor, come to poverty, (give to, make to) possess, get (have) in (take) possession, seize upon, succeed, X utterly.
This poverty comes by not taking care of business.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
Posted by: Ramona | July 31, 2021 at 08:19 PM
2 Chronicles 30 - 32
For some reason I enjoyed reading this chronicle about Hezekiah today. Some things that stood out were the invitation letter to the people in 30: 6-10 that is comparable to what God said to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14. It’s all sort of a template of what we do in church and a similar action we see in vs. 19, the forgiveness we receive during a sacrament, like the Lord’s Supper.
In Chapter 31 we see all the people named, even kids, everyone was important enough to be named and made special. Imagine your name in the Bible! The best part of all this is the result of doing right and the chapter ends….And so he prospered.
Romans 15:14-22
Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles reminded me of a good friend’s similar compelling passion to speak the Gospel and do a ministry to the people in Liberia. Karen founded a wonderful organization called THE PROVISION OF HOPE in 2000 when things were in chaos after a devastating war in Liberia. She continues her loving outreach and gives hope to thousands of people.
https://www.provisionofhope.com/
Psalm 25:15
My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.
I think this scripture lines up nicely with what the Lord taught us in his prayer, “and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil”.
Posted by: Robert Bieberdorf | August 01, 2021 at 09:16 AM