Monday, December 31: Job 40-42, Revelation 22 by Pamela

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Job 40-42, Revelation 22

From the OT:
Job 42:2-6
“I know that you can do all things,
    and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 ‘Hear, and I will speak;
    I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
    but now my eye sees you;
6 therefore I despise myself,
    and repent in dust and ashes.”

From the NT:
Rev 22:6&7

6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”

7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

As we come to the end of 2018, may we confess our short comings and repent just as Job did. We know that God can do all things and He does things that our limited human mind cannot comprehend. But we can be reminded that God's words and ways are trustworthy and true and that He is coming soon. Cheers to 2019 and a year ahead to seek to know God more and to wait on Christ's return with eager anticipation.

Saturday, December 29th: Job 37-39, Revelation 21 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Job 37-39, Revelation 21

God's response to Job is a powerful one. 

In a nutshell He asks Job "Who do you think you are?" and "Do you know who I am?"

Job isn't God. 

We are not God. 

We simply do not have the knowledge or even the capability to make decisions that God does, about our own lives, nevermind the entire world.

God does not ever need to justify His actions to us.  Never. 

He is God.  And I am not.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I also love the description of the New Heaven and the New Earth, and I cannot wait to see it with my own eyes!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Job 40-42, Revelation 22

Friday, December 28th: Job 34-36; Revelation 20 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Job 34-36; Revelation 20

I was having trouble finding a part of today’s passage that stood out to me, so I went to my life application bible and found some interesting notes about Revelation 20:2-4 :

I’ll shorten/paraphrase what it says, but basically there are 3 different positions that most Christians take on this “1,000 years of peace” that this passage talks about: Postmillennialism, Premillennialism and Amillennialism. What those exact stances are is not exactly what stood out to me, but it was the point that was made after which reads:

“These different views about the Millennium need not cause division and controversy in the church because each view acknowledges what is most crucial to Christianity: Christ will return, defeat Satan, and reign forever! Whatever and whenever the Millennium is, Jesus Christ will unite believers; therefore, we should not let this issue divide us.”

I thought this was an excellent point, because, while these topics can be fun to discuss with others who have the same/different view, they are not issues that make or break our salvation. It’s important to remember this so that we don’t let issues like this divide the church, or even our friendships. 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Job 37-39; Revelation 21

Thursday, December 27th: Job 31-33, Revelation 19:11-21

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Job 31-33, Revelation 19:11-21

Job 32: 2 Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned with anger. He burned with anger at Job because he justified himself rather than God. 3 He burned with anger also at Job's three friends because they had found no answer, although they had declared Job to be in the wrong. 4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. 5 And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger.
Elihu seems like a solid guy.  I appreciate his respect for his elders and his willingness to learn from their wisdom gained through age and experience.  Unfortunately, their age and experience didn't end up gaining them a lot of wisdom, at least not in this situation.  But when he saw that they were wrong, he didn't allow his age to prevent him from speaking up. 

Elihu also didn't just give Job a free pass, but also confronted him on his self-centered, rather than God-centered attitude. 

I want to be willing to wait patiently for others to speak, defer to others when they have greater wisdom, be respectful of others, and yet also be willing to speak the truth courageously.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Job 34-36, Revelation 20

Wednesday, December 26th: Job 28-30, Revelation 19:1-10 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Job 28-30, Revelation 19:1-10

Revelation 19:1b-2a

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just
Oftentimes we talk as though we are capable of judging those around us. 

And there are absolutely times when we are to judge - we can and should judge sin.  We are to hold each other accountable in love.

But we cannot judge the heart because we cannot possibly know the heart - only God can.

And even if we could know, only God can truly judge perfectly.  Our biases come in to play, and our sinfulness would disqualify us from making any sort of judgement anyway.

Indeed, salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Job 31-33, Revelation 19:11-21

Tuesday, December 25: Job 25-27, Revelation 18:9-24 ~ Danae

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Job 25-27, Revelation 18:9-24

“In one hour your doom has come!”

“In one such hour great wealth has been brought to ruin!”

“In one such hour she has been brought to ruin!”

We read these statements in Revelation 18 in reference to the fall of Babylon.  Babylon, however, is not just a city but represents the sinful nature in this world.

What a reminder for us & what we place our time & value into.

We live in a culture of self gratification, if it’s something we want we will seek to justify ourselves rather than deny ourselves. Our focus is so often our social standing (often dictated by our worldly possessions).  We put more time & effort into careers & making a large enough income that we have nothing left to invest in anything of true value.

In an hour, it will come to ruin for us too!  We won’t have any warning. Our plans to “do it later” for God won’t happen. We will put all of our efforts into things that will come to ruin & we’ll have nothing left.

Lord, help us to live our lives for you. That the time we invest will be spent into things that will not come to ruin but will bring everlasting glory to you.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Job 28-30, Revelation 19:1-10

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is: Job 22-24, Revelation 18:1-8

Job 24:25 says, "If this is not so, who can prove me false and reduce my words to nothing?" In this passage Job is talking and he is talking about how great our God is, he is saying that no one can prove him wrong and say that God doesn't exist, and he was faced with some of the harshest trials someone could face, yet he stood up for his faith and proved God is real and He is good.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Job 25-27, Revelation 18:9-24

Saturday, December 22nd: Job 19-21; Revelation 17:7-18 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Job 19-21; Revelation 17:7-18

Job 19:25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
One of my favourite verses in Job.  I love it every time I get to this portion of the book!  Job's absolute faith in a Redeemer that has not yet come (and whose birth we celebrate this week!) is unshakable even in the midst of the some of direst life circumstances we can imagine. 

So thankful for my Redeemer, and looking forward to celebrating the date of His birth in the coming days!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Job 22-24, Revelation 8:1-8

Friday, December 21st: Job 16-18; Revelation 17:1-6 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Job 16-18; Revelation 17:1-6

“My friends scorn me, but I pour out my tears to God.”

Job 16:20 NLT

Job’s friends are kind of the worst friends ever. They are definitely an example of what we should NOT be like - friends need encouragement in times of sorrow and grief, not criticism.

But like Job, we should pour out our tears to God. Whether our friends are supportive or not, God is always there to listen.

In this passage, Job is very honest as he’s talking to God. We should be more honest when we talk to God as well. I find I often express my feelings lightly to God, but I need to cry out to Him with honesty. He already knows how we feel, and He wants us to share that with Him.

No matter how you’re feeling today, tell God about it in an honest way. 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Job 19-21; Revelation 17:7-18

Thursday, December 20th: Job 13-15, Revelation 16: 12-21 ~ Nathan

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Job 13-15, Revelation 16:12-21

Job 14:7-12
“At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail.
[8] Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil,
[9] yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant.
[10] But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more.
[11] As the water of a lake dries up or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,
[12] so he lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, people will not awake or be roused from their sleep.

A tree gets a second chance at life, we as people don't. This may motivate us to do many things, but most important is a needed dedication to living for the Lord.

As Christmas is coming soon, as well as a new year, I want in the new year to be more motivated and dedicated to living for the Lord.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Job 16-18, Revelation 17:1-6