Friday, August 31st: Psalms 76-78; 1 Corinthians 7 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 76-78; 1 Corinthians 7

“God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.” - 1 Corinthians‬ ‭7:23‬

This is a good reminder that even though we are forgiven, we shouldn’t use that as an excuse to live however we want. We need to always strive to give glory to God, and love Him through all we do.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Psalms 79-81; 1 Corinthians 8

Thursday, August 30th: Psalms 73-75, 1 Corinthians 6 ~ Nathan

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 73-75, 1 Corinthians 6

Psalm 73 

vs 7-8

From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits. [8] They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression

vs 14
All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.

vs 23
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.

vs 28
But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

How often don't we feel that it's unfair that the sinners aren't being punished immediately, and justice isn't carried out quick enough? The wrongdoers are in fact gaining earthly rewards, and we are stuck struggling.

These verses in Psalm 73 reminded me that God is always with us and helping us, life can seem unfair and unjust at times. The reward we will gain one day in Heaven far out ways the earthly rewards that some are getting now.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Psalms 76-78, 1 Corinthians 7

Wednesday, August 29th: Psalms 70-72, 1 Corinthians 5 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 70-72, 1 Corinthians 5

"Judge not" is a pretty popular verse people like to pull out of context in order to excuse their sin.
Another popular saying that sounds accurate at first glance, but isn't so much when you look at it further is "Don't judge people who sin differently than you do".

Yes, we need to be people of grace.
Yes, we need to deal with our own sin before we hold someone else accountable for theirs.
No, we shouldn't point our fingers at someone else in order to justify our own sinful habit.

But we cannot be cavalier when it comes to sin.
We cannot allow sin to reign unchecked when the sinner claims to be a believer.
We must judge when a believer's actions are continually habitually unrepentantly sinful.
God takes sin seriously, and we need to too!

9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. 10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. 11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer[j] yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.

12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”[k]
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Psalms 73-75, 1 Corinthians 6

Tuesday, August 28: Psalms 67-69, 1 Corinthians 4 ~ Danae

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 67-69, 1 Corinthians 4

1 Corinthians 4:12-
“We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly.

When we are cursed, we bless...when we are persecuted, we endure it...when we are slandered, we answer kindly...

We bless...we endure...we answer kindly

We bless...we endure...we answer kindly

What can be said? These 3 things need to be repeated in our hearts until this becomes part of us & our responses follow.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Psalms 70-72, 1 Corinthians 5

Monday, August 27th: Psalm 64-66, 1 Corinthians 3 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalm 64-66, 1 Corinthians 3

Psalm 66
Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!
2 Sing about the glory of his name!
Tell the world how glorious he is.
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
Your enemies cringe before your mighty power.
4 Everything on earth will worship you;
they will sing your praises,
shouting your name in glorious songs.”
We are commanded to sing.  God doesn't care what our voices sound like - whether we can sing beautifully or whether we are completely monotone.  He cares about our hearts and He commands us to worship Him through singing.  So, next time you're in church - don't worry about what your voice sounds like - sing His praises!

Saturday, August 25th: Psalms 62-63, 1 Corinthians 2 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 62-63, 1 Corinthians 2

I love the word pictures painted by the psalmists.

God is....
my rock
my fortress
my salvation
my refuge
my rest


I want to thirst for God the way David did in Psalm 63...
You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.

and to realize that God alone is enough...
Because your love is better than life,
    my lips will glorify you.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Psalms 64-66, 1 Corinthians 3

Friday, August 24th: Psalms 58-61, 1 Corinthians 1 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 58-61, 1 Corinthians 1

“I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.)”

1 Corinthians 1:14-16 NLT

If you read the bible everyday, there are days you’re reading it just for the sake of getting your daily reading in. Well, this day was one of those days for me.

As I was telling myself to pay attention (or, probably more accurately, God was telling me to pay attention) to what I was reading, I noticed the brackets in this section. And it reminded me that this was a personal letter from Paul to the church. The simple “oh yes” of Paul remembering something and writing it down just shows how personal and “unedited” this is. It also reminded me of how God wants to hear every detail of what we have to say. He doesn’t want us to write a speech and edit it and have that be our prayer. He wants it to be genuine, like talking to a friend.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Psalms 62-63, 1 Corinthians 2

Thursday, August 23rd: Psalm 55-57, Matthew 28 ~ Nathan

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is  Psalms 55-57, Matthew 28

Matthew 28: 5-6
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. [6] He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.

These verses stand out to me because they say almost everything we need to know.

"do not be afraid..." a warning from the angel to not worry because everything is as it is supposed to be. Jesus rose from the dead and is alive, just as He said.

".... he has risen...." Jesus died then made a complete comeback and is alive. He beat what the world tried doing to Him, and is far stronger then we could even imagine.

He's still alive and wanting to help us, we need to answer Him back with confirmation that we want to live for Him and do as He wants, and He will take complete care of us.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Psalms 58-61, 1 Corinthians 1

Wednesday, August 22nd: Psalms 52-54, Matthew 27:32-66 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 52-54, Matthew 27:32-66

51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[c] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
Those were some amazing miracles!

The ripping of the temple curtain doesn't sound miraculous - but it was so thick and heavy that the fact that it was torn in two was truly astounding.  And the symbolism is beautiful too.

And then rocks splitting, tombs opening, and dead people rising from the dead?!

There was no doubt that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus was an earth shattering event that changed the course of history forever.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Psalms 55-57, Matthew 28

Tuesday, August 21st: Psalms 49-51, Matthew 27:1-37 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 49-51, Matthew 27:1-37

I thought the transition from our Psalms passage to our  Matthew passage was glaring.

Both David and Judas sinned against God in major ways. 

But when David was confronted with his sin, he reacted in true repentance and called out to God in order to restore relationship with Him.

Judas, on the other hand, ran from God.

What is my reaction when I am confronted with my sin?


Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:

Monday, August 20th: Psalms 46-48, Matthew 26:47-75 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 46-48, Matthew 26:47-75

Psalm 46[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.[b] A song.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]

Every year when we do this blog I read something that hits me in a new way, or sometimes it even seems like something I've never read before (which can't be, since I've read through the Bible numerous times now), but it just serves to remind me that the Word of God is living and active and it teaches us different things at different times.

Today's passage reminded me of something I discovered last year and I immediately thought of it again when I read our passage today.

Last year I found a commentary that pointed out a detail I had never connected to this psalm before.......
Every so often these psalms of Korah’s sons take an autobiographical turn that leaves me breathless with wonder at the profound gratitude rising from the image itself. I discovered one of these treasures just recently. I was reflecting on Psalm 46, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way…”

A strong metaphor…for anyone except the sons of Korah. For them, the earth actually once had given way. The earth moved so decisively that it swallowed up their entire disaffected family. In writing Psalm 46, might they have been living in the memory of their familial rescue? In some dramatic fashion that remains veiled in this family’s history, God had been their refuge and strength on a day when the earth really did open up. So now, when I hear the Sons of Korah say there is no cause to fear—even in the midst of unprecedented human trauma—I listen with different ears.


Truly there is no cause to fear, even in the midst of unprecedented human trauma!

Click here for more about the story of the sons of Korah. 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Psalms 49-51, Matthew 27:1-31

Tuesday, August 21: Psalms 49-51, Matthew 27:1-31 ~ Danae

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 49-51, Matthew 27:1-31

Two things stood out to me in today’s reading:

1). The religious leaders acknowledged that their plan was in fact murder.

Vs 6- The chief priests picked up the coins & said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.”

In their self-righteousness, they completely lost sight of right & wrong. Or maybe, they had fallen so far that they knew what they were doing & justified it (being so determined that they knew what was right-better than God-that they adjusted the commandments to suit their needs/desires)

How does this resonate? It’s easy to justify our own actions to either make ourselves feel better or to make the Bible work for us.

2). “Washing your hands” of a situation or “turning a blind eye” to something does not free you of the responsibility, it’s just taking the cowardly way out.

Vs 24- When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water & washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility.”

For us, it boils down to trust. Trusting that God will remain faithful when we remain faithful. When we choose to stand up for what’s right in the face of evil, maintain our integrity in the midst of corruption, or speak out when it goes against the crowd we may be risking a lot (a job, social standings, family relationships, etc). We need to trust God that when we “step out” for him, he will provide for our needs. Whether we simply need the strength or words to handle the situation or if we should actually lose everything, he will meet our needs. We need to be accountable for our actions, that one day when we stand before him, he will be able to say “well done, good & faithful servant.”

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Psalms 52-54, Matthew 27:32-66

Saturday, August 18th: Psalms 43-45, Matthew 26:1-46 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 43-45, Matthew 26:1-46

In today’s bible reading, Matthew 26:6-13 talks about the woman who poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ head. The disciples thought it was a waste of money, money that could’ve been used for the poor or many other things. But Jesus reminded the disciples that “good deeds” (like giving money to the poor) are done to glorify God, and this woman had done just that by pouring the perfume on His head. There are many different ways to glorify God, our desire to glorify God is what's important, not necessarily the action itself.

We often forget that everything in this world boils down to giving God glory. It’s so simple, yet we make it so complicated. Giving money to the poor is, of course, a wonderful thing that we should be doing, and it does glorify God. But let’s not overlook the simplicity of glorifying God in other ways, like this woman pouring the perfume on Jesus’ head.

Let’s make a point today to not make it so complicated, and simply glorify God in all we do.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Psalms 46-48, Matthew 26:47-75

Friday, August 17th: Psalms 40-42, Matthew 25 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 40-42, Matthew 25

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
This.  This is what every believer looks forward to hearing when they leave this earthly life and enter the glory of eternity.

I want to be faithful with the things God has given me to do, in the place He has put me to do them.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Psalms 43-45, Matthew 26:1-46

Thursday, August 16th: Psalm 37-39, Matthew 24: 32-51 ~ Nathan

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 37-39, Matthew 24:32-51

Today's reading I found had many portions that stood out to me, many verses that gave encouragement.

Psalm 37: 3-4
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. [4] Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart

Seems simple, trust in the Lord and you will be rewarded. What often leads us astray is thinking that we will rewarded right away. We will be rewarded for trusting in the Lord, but that may come later in life, or even when we get to Heaven.

Psalm 39: 6-7
“Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be. [7] “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.

A good reminder that we need to look and focus on God, and not get carried away with worldly desires and making them our priority.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Psalms 40-42, Matthew 25

Wednesday, August 15th: Psalms 34-36, Matthew 24:1-31 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 34-36, Matthew 24:1-31

Psalm 36:5-6

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you save, O Lord.
I love recognizing songs that we sing when reading through the psalms.

Truly, His love, faithfulness, and righteousness are never ending.

A reminder for me to take the time to stop and meditate on God and Who He is.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Psalms 37-39, Matthew 24:32-51

Tuesday, August 14: Psalms 31-33, Matthew 23 ~ Danae

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 31-33, Matthew 23

“Woe to you, teachers of the law & Pharisees, you hypocrites!”

Jesus condemns the religious leaders in chapter 23. He not only gives them a serious tongue lashing but goes on to say that they won’t enter heaven & neither will those who follow them.

Vs 13 - “You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.”

This is a pretty serious consequence. What did they do to deserve this?

They did not murder, lie, cheat, steal....they were hypocrites.

They didn’t care about being holy, they only acted holy in order to receive the admiration & praise of the people. Their hearts weren’t changed by God.

You see, it’s not just the “big” sins that are the “bad” ones. God know our hearts & that’s what matters to him.

We need to be genuine in our faith.  Not only for our sakes but also for those around us. How can we lead someone to Christ if we don’t really know him ourselves?

Let’s not just act committed to Christ but really be committed to him.


Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Psalms 34-36, Matthew 24:1-31

Monday, August 13th: Psalms 28-30, Matthew 22:23-46 ~ Kaden

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is: Psalms 28-30, Matthew 22:23-46

Right at the end of Matthew chapter 23 in verse 46 it says, "46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions." and through this single verse it shows how Jesus always knows exactly what to say to give everyone and anyone what they need to hear. Recently my manager at Smittys was asking me questions about my faith and about Christianity, and every answer I came up with I felt like it fell short of what he wanted to hear, and once I prayed about it, when I gave him the answer, that very clearly came from God, he told me I had just  answered 85% of the questions he had ever had. So as we walk in our every day routines, remember that God is always willing to provide the words and answers others, or ourselves need.



Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Psalms 31-33, Matthew 23

Saturday, August 11th: Psalms 25-27, Matthew 22:1-22 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 25-27, Matthew 22:1-22

I appreciated this take on the tax portion of our Matthew passage.....

When Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,” He was drawing a sharp distinction between two kingdoms. There is a kingdom of this world, and Caesar holds power over it. But there is another kingdom, not of this world, and Jesus is King of that (John 18:36). Christians are part of both kingdoms, at least temporarily. Under Caesar, we have certain obligations that involve material things. Under Christ, we have other obligations that involve things eternal. If Caesar demands money, give it to him—it’s only mammon. But make sure you also give God what He demands.

Caesar minted coins, as he had a right to do, and he demanded some coins in return, as was his right. After all, his image was stamped on what he had made. God has “minted” the human soul, and He has stamped His image on every one (Genesis 1:27). So give Caesar his due—the temporary stuff of this world—but make sure to give God His due: “Offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness” (Romans 6:13).
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Psalms 28-30, Matthew 22:23-46

Friday, August 10th: Psalms 22-24, Matthew 21:28-46 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 22-24, Matthew 21:28-46

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.”

Psalms 23:4 NLT

Psalm 23 is the only chapter of the bible that I have been able to keep memorized.  Fear being my biggest struggle, I often recite this chapter over and over in my head (and sometimes out loud) whenever I feel afraid. This verse in particular has always stood out to me. He is always there, always comforting, and always providing peace. In the midst of fear, or anything else you might be struggling with, God is there beside you, walking with you through it. Rest in His peace today.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Psalms 25-27, Matthew 22:1-22

Thursday, August 9th: Psalm 19-21, Matthew 21: 1-27.~ Nathan

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 19-21, Matthew 21:1-27

Psalm 20:7
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

To me, this verse is a reminder that I need to trust and rely on God, and not in worldly power. 

Worldly might will fail at some point, God's might  will never fail.

Matthew 21:9
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord !”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

These crowds put everything aside and praised Jesus. Do I focus on Him only, ever throughout the day? He is awesome, He is everything, why wouldn't I take more time to spend with Him?

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:   Psalms 22-24, Matthew 21:28-46

Wednesday, August 8th: Psalms 16-18, Matthew 20 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalms 16-18, Matthew 20

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard is a convicting one to me.  I've been a Christian my entire life, and can relate to the workers who worked all day long only to find out that the workers who came late in the day earned the same wage as they had after their long day's worth of work.  "Not fair!"

But the fact is, eternal life is granted to every believer, whether they've been a Christian all their lives or whether they become a believer on their death bed.  The thief on the cross received the same reward of eternal life as Moses or the apostle Paul.

God's gift of salvation is an incredible act of grace and we need to remember to be grateful for the grace we have received, and not begrudge anyone else their own gift of grace.

Yes, there are different rewards in heaven, but the reward of eternal life is given to every believer.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Psalms 19-21, Matthew 21:1-27

Tuesday, August 7th: Psalm 13-15, Matthew 19 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalm 13-15, Matthew 19

Psalm 13:5 But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
6 I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.

This chapter is an excellent reminder that even though our circumstances may be bleak, and we may feel like God has forgotten us, we can look past our circumstances and our feelings and instead choose to trust God and His promises.

Monday, August 6: Psalm 10-12, Matthew 18 by Pamela

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalm 10-12, Matthew 18

Yesterday my son and I caught the matinee showing of the movie Skyscraper. It's an action packed movie and I couldn't help but have these verses jump out at me during today's reading:

Psalm 10:6 He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”
    He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”

The all powerful builder of the amazing building in the movie believed that he had done everything humanly possible to safeguard against any possible disaster. He believed his efforts would keep his building safe and secure. He hired the best people, thought of every possible scenario, and spent an unbelievable amount of money. What things do we do ourselves to believe that we are unshakeable?

1 Psalm 12:1 & 2 Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore;
    those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
2 Everyone lies to their neighbor;
    they flatter with their lips
    but harbor deception in their hearts.

Of course, like all good thriller movies, there is a plot twist where someone who was trusted is discovered to be a liar. In the movie, Dwayne Johnson's character is backstabbed by a friend in the opening few minutes. The builder has let an intruder into his inner circle. Lies abound as the destruction begins and more lies are told to cover them up. We struggle with this too as we look for people we can trust. People who will be honest with us and walk with us during hard times. We deceive and we are deceived every day. What do we choose the share on social media? What lies behind those news stories? Has money voided truth? When did black and white turn to grey?

Our pastor shared some good thoughts during his message yesterday that also applied to the theme of this movie. Our pastor said that we are to be people who are Holy and godly. When we store up those treasures, they cannot be destroyed and they will live on. All the money and the expense that goes into material goods does not last. In the movie the building is all but an empty shell of what it was supposed to be. When we pour into things that do not have eternal value we too become just a hollow shell of what God intended us to be. 

Matthew 18:3 “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Kids are simple. They don't need much to be happy or to survive. They don't need lavish things. They forgive and forget freely. They love deeply and with abandon. They are brutally honest. They need protection. We could learn so much from them. 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Psalms 16-18, Matthew 20

Saturday, August 4th: Psalm 7-9, Matthew 17 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalm 7-9, Matthew 17

Psalm 8 is a beautiful picture of God's amazing creative power.  I was just in Calgary and Banff this past week and marvelled at the beauty of God's creation.  The mountains, the valleys, the sunsets, the trees - it was breathtakingly beautiful!  And as I stood in awe of the beauty around me it struck me as impossible to not believe in a Creator.

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
The vastness of God's creation is humbling, and it makes us ask the same question as the psalmist.  But that is what is so incredible.  God is mindful of us, and He does care for us.  We, who destroy the beauty He created, who hurt each other, and who disrespect our Creator.  He loves us.  He sent His Son to die for us so that we might be saved and He would be glorified.

Let us not get so caught up in the beauty of creation that we miss out on the Creator.

All glory to Him!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Psalm 10-12, Matthew 18

Friday, August 3rd: Psalm 4-6, Matthew 16 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalm 4-6, Matthew 16

Psalm 4:8
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.  

Having anxiety, I often struggle with peace, especially when I sleep. This verse reminds me that God is watching over me always, and it's in Him alone that I will find peace.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Psalm 7-9, Matthew 17

Thursday, August 2nd: Psalm 1-3, Matthew 15 ~ Nathan

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Psalm 1-3, Matthew 15

Matthew 15: 17-20
“Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? [18] But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. [19] For out of the heart come evil thoughts---murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. [20] These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

Earlier in this chapter the Pharisees complained about the disciples not washing their hands when they ate, they broke tradition and custom by doing this. 

I too like things clean, but need to see the big picture... here we see that their are more important things to consider, like what's inside and then what comes out of us in thought and speach, is it clean or dirty? Are we willing and wanting to make a change if things aren't coming out clean? 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Psalm 4-6, Matthew 16

Wednesday, August 1st: Nahum 1-3, Matthew 14 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Nahum 1-3, Matthew 14

The death of John the Baptist must have been a blow to Jesus.  John was the only one who knew at least some of what Jesus was going through and would go through. John knew who Jesus was.  John was Jesus' forerunner, and he was a loyal friend right to the end.

And so it comes as no surprise that when Jesus received word of the death of His friend, He withdrew by Himself.  He wanted to be alone to grieve His friend, and perhaps process His own death that He knew would not be too far off.

But this time, this precious time to mourn His friend, was not to be.  The crowds figured out where He went and they followed Him.  And what did Jesus do?  I know what I would've liked to do (and probably would've done!) - I would've told them to get lost. But Jesus didn't.  In the midst of His own grief and pain, He saw the grief and pain of the crowd and He had compassion on them.

In what turned out to be an extremely busy (and certainly draining) day, Jesus healed the sick, fed the crowd of thousands, finally got time by Himself to pray, walked on water, and calmed the sea.

Sometimes we can best heal by giving of ourselves to others.  But even then, Jesus did eventually take time to be by Himself and pray.  We need to make sure we don't give of ourselves without replenishing ourselves by spending time with Him.


Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Psalm 1-3, Matthew 15