Read the Bible in a Year (05JUL19)

DAILY REMINDER – Today, July 5’s Bible reading is Psalms 108-114. 

NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, July 6’s Bible reading is Psalms 115-118. May God bless you with the reading of His WORD.

PSALMS MOMENT – (05JUL19) “…but I am a man of prayer” (Psalm 109:4b). The psalmist prayed for God to vindicate him because of the wrong that had been done to him. He complained to the Lord about the lies that had been told on him and how there was hated in exchange for his friendship. He did not want his enemies to get away with what they had done to him. He prayed a prayer of vengeance and retribution so that even their children would be left fatherless, and their wives as widows. One can possibly understand David’s dilemma with all that he had gone through. Yet, is this the type of prayer that God would have for us to pray to Him?

While speaking to a crowd, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, do not resist and evil person’ ” (Matthew 5:28). Jesus then went on to tell the crowd to love their enemies and to pray for those who persecuted them. The reward comes in being able to love the unlovable. That is a very difficult thing to do, and yet, Jesus requires that we do so. Therefore, God would not have us to pray vengeance if Jesus told us to pray “for” our enemies. God understood David’s circumstances and He turned things around on his behalf. Nevertheless, Jesus wants us to show love even to those who do not reciprocate it. Our love may be the only love that they receive and could be what wins them over to Christ. Something to ponder….

QUESTION OF THE DAY - (05JUL19) Jesus fulfilled His mission by dying on the cross and rising on the third day where we as a body of believers would have eternal life. His enemies are now under His feet, and He intercedes on our behalf as a priest forever. Nevertheless, do you sometimes feel defeated when the enemy comes at you? Many of us may experience times when we do not feel victorious because the devil throws all kinds of things at us. He reminds us of our failures and past mistakes to make us feel unworthy of Christ’s intercession and love. Yet, we can be confident in Christ because He got the victory over the enemy and nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. There’s a famous saying, “When the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future.” Your future looks bright if you keep looking up and endure to the end. Satan’s, however, is set in stone where he will be in the eternal Lake of Fire. Therefore, he is the only one who has failed, but he knows this, and there is nothing he can do about it other than to raise havoc on the saints. Something to ponder….

PSALMS MOMENT – (05JUL19) The psalmist wrote that the righteous do not fear bad news because they have their trust in God. Every day there is bad news reported on mainstream media and various social media platforms. There is so much that it can cause one to live in an unsettling state of fear. Yet, those who are in the Lord never have to fear. The Bible says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). God does not want us to live in fear regardless of whatever disheartening reports we here. Does this mean that we do not prepare as the Lord would have it? No! Also, the Lord does give us common sense. For example, we know that it is not safe to walk through a dark alley at night. The Bible says, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). We indeed live in a world full of wolves, and some, unfortunately, are in today’s pulpits. Nevertheless, The Lord would not have us to live in fear because perfect love cast out all fear (1 John 4:18). Therefore, we are to be wise in our earthly dealings, but harmless because we can rely totally on the Lord for protection and prepare for upcoming events as He leads. Something to ponder….