Read Through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 6; Proverbs 1:17-18; John 7

Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand. - John 7:2 ESV

The Feast of Booths was a festival celebrated each fall to memorialize when the Lord delivered the Israelites out of Egypt and preserved them for their years in the desert. If you want to learn more about the significance of the Feast of Booths, I suggest this article. The more you understand the Old Testament, the more you’ll understand the New. Not only is it incredibly interesting, but it grows your faith as you better understand the fulfillment of Yeshua, Jesus, the One who Saves, in the foreshadowing and prophecies of the Old Testament.

For not even his brothers believed in him. - John 7:5 ESV 

How painful it must have been for Jesus’s own brothers to not believe in Him. It makes me so grateful that my sister, too, came to faith in Christ just a few years after I did. I thank God for saving my sister and opening her eyes. How different my life would be today if she were still an opponent of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. - John 7:7 ESV

We should expect the world to hate us. We should be prepared for the battle that we are in. We need to put on the full armor of God, remembering that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the evil forces of darkness. (Ephesians 6)

In light of this kingdom battle, we need to speak the truth, and we need to believe that the truth is good. We must not be false witnesses, saying “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace. (Jeremiah 8:11). We must not be people pleasers, giving lip-service and eye-service to people who want their itching ears to be scratched. (See Ephesians 6:6, 2 Timothy 4:3) We must not pretend that God won’t judge sin, because this is in fact unloving and untrue.

The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. - John 7:18 ESV

Sometimes it’s easier to speak for yourself, to say what you think, what seems right to you, rather than to speak God’s words. But the truth is that there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25)

Let’s pray together,

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for giving us brothers and sisters in our faith, in our own cities and our own nation, as well as around the world. We pray for those brothers and sisters who are being persecuted and attacked for their faith. Help them to stand firm. Help them to shine brightly and to forgive their enemies.

We pray that we would be people of the truth, believing the truth, obeying the truth, speaking the truth. Make us truth-treasurers and truth-preservers. Protect us from loving our own comfort so much that we would lie and deceive and wander from the truth in how we live or what we speak. Father, help us to speak for Your glory and not ours. Give us strength to hold fast to the truth and to speak the truth with authority and love.

We pray that we would come to You when we are thirsty, rather than forsaking You and digging our own cisterns. We want Your rivers of living water to pour out of us, that You would be glorified in us.

In the Good and Glorious Name of Jesus,

Amen