Wednesday, December 12th: Nehemiah 10-11, Revelation 11:15-19 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Nehemiah 10-11, Revelation 11:15-19


Revelation 11:17 “We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who always was,

The concept of eternity is a hard one for us to grasp.  I find it easier to grasp the concept of eternity future (living forever with God in heaven), than it is to grasp the concept of eternity past.  Our finite minds have a hard time wrapping our head around that one.  How could God have always existed? It's an amazing mystery.  But it's a much more believable one than the idea that the universe just spontaneously burst into being, with all it's complexity and laws of gravity and whatnot.

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is and always was.

As our pastor said this past Sunday, one moment Jesus was enjoying heaven and the next He was on earth in the form of man, or actually in the form of a zygote.  God Almighty, Creator of the universe, willingly became a tiny speck of humanity in Mary's womb.  Mind boggling! And an apt thought with the Christmas season upon us.  How thankful I am that He willing came to earth that long ago Christmas day.  What a reason to celebrate!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Nehemiah 12-13, Revelation 12

Tuesday, December 11th: Nehemiah 7-9, Revelation 11:1-14 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Nehemiah 7-9, Revelation 11:1-14

Our passage in Nehemiah reminds me the importance of recounting God's goodness to us, His promises to us, and His faithfulness in keeping those promises.  As well as the importance of confessing our sin in order to restore relationship with God.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Nehemiah 10-11, Revelation 11:15-19

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is: Nehemiah 4-6, Revelation 10

Revelation 10:10 says, "And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter." Here the Apostle is being told to eat the scroll, which is sweet to the mouth but bitter in the stomach, this could refer to how when we hear the word of the Lord, we too must eat what we hear in order to digest it thoroughly, in the way we are intended to hear it. 



Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Nehemiah 7-9, Revelation 11:1-14

Saturday, December 8th: Nehemiah 1-3; Revelation 9:13-21 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Nehemiah 1-3; Revelation 9:13-21

Revelation 9:20 But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk!
Sin is so blinding that even when truth is totally obvious, there are still people who cannot or will not see it, even to the point of ridiculousness.

Truly the Holy Spirit is necessary for salvation.  We cannot resurrect our own dead hearts.  We need the Holy Spirit to remove our blindness to our own sin and to accept the amazing gift of salvation.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:

Friday, December 7th: Ezra 9-10; Revelation 9:1-12 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Ezra 9-10; Revelation 9:1-12

“For we were slaves, but in his unfailing love our God did not abandon us in our slavery.”

‭‭Ezra‬ ‭9:9‬a

Just like God did not abandon His people in their slavery, He will not abandon us in our troubled times either. We fully deserve the hard times we go through, and we deserve even worse. But in His unfailing love, though we don’t deserve it, God walks with us through our trials, and saves us from them, like He did for His people in this passage.

What a merciful and loving God we serve, let’s take a moment to thank Him for all He has done for us, today. 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Nehemiah 1-3; Revelation 9:13-21

Thursday, December 6th: Ezra 7-8, Revelation 8 ~ Nathan

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Ezra 7-8, Revelation 8

Ezra 8: 22-23
I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him .” [23] So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

Ezra 8:31
On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. 

What stood out to me from today's reading was the faith the Israelites had that God would protect them. They thought about asking the king for help but remembered that they had told the king that God would protect - and God did keep them safe on their journey!

Do we have faith that God will look out for us too? Do we ask Him for help and then trust Him? It may not be the way we think or want, but God knows best and will take care of us. 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Ezra 9-10, Revelation 9:1-12

Wednesday, December 5th: Esther 9-10, Revelation 7:9-17 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Esther 9-10, Revelation 7:9-17

Even though the name of God does not appear anywhere in the book of Esther, His sovereignty is clear to see.  God would not allow the Jews to be wiped out in order to fulfill His promises about the coming of Jesus through the line of David.

In this particular case, He used a woman in order to do so.

She so easily could've missed out in being used by God.  She was afraid, and rightfully so. But Mordecai encouraged her, saying that she was placed in the position of Queen at that very time likely for the purpose of saving her people.  Mordecai had faith that God would rescue the Jews and that if she didn't come through, He would use someone else, and he encouraged her to be the woman God had created her to be and to fulfill the purpose He had given her to fulfill.

Though likely not in nearly as dramatic fashion, we have that same choice every day.  God has placed us where He wants us, and He has purposes for us to fulfill, opportunities for us to be used in ways we cannot even know.  Some of those could very well impact someone's eternity.

Are we looking for those opportunities?  Are we taking them when we see them?  Are we living the blessing of being used by God?

The story of Esther turned out so different from Haman's (and Satan's) plans and Esther had the privilege of being the instrument of God in order to do so.

How will things turn out differently in our lives and the lives of those around us when we do the same?  Right now, we can only imagine.  In eternity, we will see the fruit of those choices!


Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Ezra 7-8, Revelation 8

Tuesday, December 4th: Esther 7-8, Revelation 7:1-8

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Esther 7-8, Revelation 7:1-8

I love the story of Esther and the courage she displayed by going to the King and asking him to save her people.  I always think it's important to note that courage is not the lack of fear, but the ability to act despite our fear - something that is a lot easier to do when we rely on God's power instead of on our own!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Esther 9-10, Revelation 7:9-17

Monday, December 3: Esther 4-6, Revelation 6~ by Pamela

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Esther 4-6, Revelation 6

Scripture: 14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

Observation: Some times God may place us in situations, in His perfect timing, for the purpose he has planned for us.

Application: If Esther had not been made queen at this exact time, there could have been a mass destruction of the Jewish people. If she had not used her position and her bravery to approach the king the future of her people may have been very different. What positions in our lives, our communities, our social circles, our jobs, our daily interactions does God put us in "for just such a time as this?" May we seek to recognize the opportunities that we have in our positions and use them for God's glory.

Prayer: Creator God, You are the divine planner. You have opened up opportunities in our lives that we can use to further Your kingdom. Nudge us. Allow others to speak into our lives to help us realize these opportunities and act on them. Let us hear and be moved to action. Guide us and use us in your great plan. Amen.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Esther 7-8, Revelation 7:1-8

Saturday, December 1st: Esther 1-3, Revelation 5 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is  Esther 1-3, Revelation 5

Revelation 5:2 And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it.

4 Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. 5 But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne,[b] has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”......

9 And they sang a new song with these words:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and break its seals and open it.
For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 And you have caused them to become
a Kingdom of priests for our God.
And they will reign[d] on the earth.”

The parts in bold jumped out at me as I was reading this passage.

Who is worthy?
No one but the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God, the only perfect sacrifice who was slaughtered to purchase our ransom.

Only He is worthy.

Praise His name forever!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Esther 4-6, Revelation 6