Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 2, Deuteronomy 31
First Moses told all Israel, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV
Next, Moses immediately summoned Joshua to tell him personally, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:7-8)
Over two years ago, I logged out of my Facebook account. I don’t miss it much. I’ve gained more than I’ve lost. But one thing I do miss is reading Sunshine Meister’s beautifully written testimonies of God’s daily sustaining grace in her life after her son Nahum’s traumatic brain injury in 2021. One morning I woke up thinking about her and tried to find a way to follow her somewhere other than Facebook, and I stumbled on this testimony on YouTube.
Her words will encourage you more than mine. To God be the glory. Do not fear or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you.
Sunshine Meister – Finding Comfort in God’s Presence
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 1, Deuteronomy 29-30
And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders. But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.”
Deuteronomy 29:2-4 ESV
These people were eyewitnesses to numerous unexplainable miracles, yet they didn’t understand. Like Jesus who spoke with such wisdom, yet many didn’t understand.
Each of us need the Lord’s tender hands to circumcise our hearts (and our children’s hearts), so that we will love the LORD our God with all our heart and soul, that we may live. (Deuteronomy 30:6)
Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, I have seen You work with my own eyes, yet I am so quick to forget. I’m quick to go astray, to wander away from You. Please, open the eyes of my heart, that I might truly see and believe. Please, circumcise my heart, though it’s painful, I need it. I have grown calloused. Break my heart for what breaks Yours. Strengthen me to obey You, to love You with all my heart, soul, strength, and mind, and love my neighbor as myself. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my perfect example and my Savior, Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Proverbs 28, Deuteronomy 22-23
I’m prone to losing stuff. At least once a week, I can’t seem to find my keys, my purse, my sunglasses, or whatever. Usually the items are lost in my home, but sometimes I lose something when I’m out somewhere, most often my purse.
When I was younger (like, less than 40 ☺️), I forgot my purse in the grocery cart with remarkable regularity. I’d like to say I’m more careful than I once was, but I’m afraid that the real reason is that I rarely go shopping anymore, preferring the convenience of grocery pickup or delivery.
Well, anyway, it seems I’ve passed on my forgetful genes to my youngest son (and at least one of his siblings). For example, I remember one summer when said youngest son was playing basketball with a friend in our church parking lot. He took his wallet out of his pocket and carefully set it on the cement light pole for safe-keeping, fully intending to replace it in his pocket when the game was done.
You know how the story ends, don’t you? Several hours later, when he was getting ready to head to work, he discovered his wallet was missing, and, in fact, he couldn’t even remember where it was. Thankfully, after making some phone calls and driving around town a while, I recovered his wallet from the church parking lot without a hitch, and not even a dollar missing. 🎉🎉🎉
Which brings us to today’s passage, Deuteronomy 22:1-4,
“You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother. And if he does not live near you and you do not know who he is, you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall stay with you until your brother seeks it. Then you shall restore it to him. And you shall do the same with his donkey or with his garment, or with any lost thing of your brother’s, which he loses and you find; you may not ignore it. You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again.”
Deuteronomy 22:1-4 ESV
Join me in praying, “Heavenly Father, if I find someone’s lost wallet or purse or dog, please help me to go the extra mile to restore it to him, even if it’s inconvenient.”
And suddenly I remembered the parables that Jesus told as recorded in Luke 15, the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son.
“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15:8-10 ESV
Friends, as much as we should seek to restore our neighbor’s lost wallet, how much more should we seek to restore a lost soul. A lost human is of infinitely greater worth than a thousand lost sheep or a million lost wallets.
What is more valuable to you, your neighbor’s stuff or your neighbor’s soul?
Heavenly Father, You are my greatest treasure. You are worth more to me than all the money in the world. Help me to love my neighbor as myself. Help me to love my neighbor’s children as I love my own. Help me to be faithful to love what You love, to be about my Father’s business of seeking and saving the lost. Please forgive me, Lord, for not making the most of every opportunity because of my own selfishness. Lord, break my heart for what breaks Yours. I love You, Lord. Thank You for Your love for me, for chasing me down and running to me with open arms. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Redeemer I pray. Amen.
In the Valley (Bless the Lord) – City Alight, featuring Sandra McCracken
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Proverbs 27, Deuteronomy 20-21
And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.
Deuteronomy 21:22-23 ESV
The Hebrews understand thisnot of putting to death by hanging, but of hanging a man up after he was stoned to death; which was done more ignominiously of some heinous malefactors.
We have the examples of Rechab and Baanah, who, for murdering Ish-bosheth, were slain by David’s commandment, their hand and feet cut off, and then hanged up. 2Sa 4:12; See also Jos 8:29; Jos 10:26.
So Num 25:4; we read, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads (chief men) of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.”
Among the Romans, in after ages, they hanged, or rather fastened to the tree ALIVE; and such was the cruel death of our blessed LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ.
“Treasury of Scripture Knowledge” — accessed via Blue Letter Bible
And in reference to the phrase, “a hanged man is cursed by God,” the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge has this to say,
That is, it is the highest degree of reproach that can attach to a man, and proclaims him under the curse of God as much as any external punishment can. They that see him thus hanging between heaven and earth, will conclude him abandoned of both, and unworthy of either.
Bp. Patrick observes, that this passage is applied to the death of Christ; not onlybecause he bare our sins and was exposed to shame, as these malefactors were that were accursed of God, but because he was in the evening taken down from the cursed tree and buried, (and that by the particular care of the Jews, with an eye to this law, Jhn 19:31,) in token, that now the guilt being removed, the law was satisfied, as it was when the malefactors had hanged till sun-set: it demanded no more. Then he, and those that are his, ceased to be a curse.
And as the land of Israel was pure and clean when the body was buried, so the church is washed and cleansed by the complete satisfaction which Christ thus made.
“Treasury of Scripture Knowledge” — accessed via Blue Letter Bible
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your mercy. Thank You for Your Son’s sacrifice on my behalf, for taking on the death that I deserved, for becoming a curse for me. Thank You that You are just, and that my account has been marked “paid in full,” that it is indeed finished, that Jesus has already satisfied the penalty for my sin. And now all I can say is Thank You. Father, help me to live a grateful life, a redeemed life, the life of a death-row criminal who has been set free and given a second chance at life. I want to walk in JOY and FREEDOM. Give me the strength, please, by Your Holy Spirit at work in me. I pray in the name of Jesus who took my place. Amen.
O Praise the Name – Shane & Shane
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Proverbs 25; Deuteronomy 17
The Lord knows man’s heart, and the Lord knows the future. He knows that we are prone to be partial and selfish and unjust. He knows how easy it is for us to go astray, whether we are a common laborer or housewife or the highest leader in the land. So, in His mercy, He gave us the Law, His Word to memorize and to meditate on. Though the Israelites had never had a king, God knew that someday they would, so He made provision especially for him, saying, “Don’t get a bunch of horses and wives and stuff because then your heart will turn away from Me.” But He didn’t stop there. God didn’t only have a ‘don’t do’ list. He went on to say,
“And when [a Hebrew king] sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests.
And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn asidefrom the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.
Deuteronomy 17:18-20 ESV
This is a good word for us, too. There is great value in not only reading the Word, but also in writing it. Take the time to write down the actual words of the Bible, along with your own personal thoughts.
Read the Word daily. Meditate on what it says. And obey its commands. Remember that the Lord your God is in your midst and fear Him, that you will be humble and it will go well with you.
This spring I wrote out all six chapters of Ephesians by hand. It was truly hand-breaking, heart-blessing work. Have you ever written out a whole chapter, or book, of scripture? Have you ever kept a journal or taken notes on what you read? How did it impact you?
Heavenly Father, Thank You for giving us Your Word. We want to know it, that we may know You. We want to walk in Your ways. We want to be more like You. Help us to read, write, and meditate on Your Word that we might be merciful, humble, and just as You are. We lift our nation’s leaders before Your throne of grace. Guide and direct their steps. Open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in You. (Acts 26:18) Bless us, Lord, that we might be a blessing to other. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
God, the Uncreated One (King Forevermore) – Keith and Kristyn Getty
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Proverbs 21; Deuteronomy 10-11
Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.
Yet the LORD set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day.
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.
Deuteronomy 10:14-16 ESV
Heavenly Father, You are God and God alone. All of heaven and earth are in the palm of Your hand. You are above all things. You rule over all things. You are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the eternal and unchanging One. It is by Your will that all of the universe came into existence, and it is by Your will that all of life is sustained. What is man that You are mindful of him? Who am I that You care for me? The very thought that You know me by name, that You love me, oh, Lord, such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to understand. Thank You, Lord. I pray that I would fear You with holy reverence, that I would walk in Your ways, that I would love and serve You with all my heart and soul, keeping Your commands and loving others as You have loved me, all the days of my life. In gratitude to my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
You are God Alone – Phillips, Craig, and Dean
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Proverbs 16; Deuteronomy 3
In Deuteronomy 3, we read the words of Moses to the Lord, “Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan …” (verse 25a) and we read the Lord’s answer. Moses would be allowed to view the Promised Land from atop Mount Pisgah, but he would not be allowed to go in with the people he had led for all those years. Despite Moses’s humble plea, God chose young Joshua to lead His people across the Jordan.
Why won’t God let Moses go into the Promised Land with those people that he has served through plagues and battles and complaint after complaint? It seems mean, unfair.
Is there something you’re pleading with God for, something you’ve asked God for time and time again? Do you ever feel like God has forgotten you, that He doesn’t love you, that your requests aren’t important to Him?
Let me first say that if you are not a member of God’s family, if you haven’t been adopted as His son or daughter, then that’s the first step you need to take. Give your life over to the Lord. Repent of your sins, and ask Him to forgive you. Ask Him to put His Holy Spirit in you and turn you from darkness to light. Study His Word and get involved in a local Bible-believing, Bible-preaching body of believers.
But, if you have been born again into the family of God, then let me encourage you that God hears your prayers, but sometimes His answer is no. As His children, we can trust that God has a good purpose even when His answer is ‘no.’
Sometimes He is disciplining us for our past disobedience, like a good Father should.
Sometimes He is giving someone else a blessing, a chance to lead or receive.
Sometimes He knows that giving us what we ask would hurt us and He is protecting us in His refusal.
I may never know why God says No, but I can always trust that no matter what, He is with me, He hears me, and He is at work in my life.
Heavenly Father, Your ways are not my ways. Your thoughts are not my thoughts. Help me to trust You when I don’t understand Your ‘No.’ Help me to believe that You are at work behind the scenes, working all things together for good for I love You and You have called me for Your purposes. Whether I get to lead my people all the way into the Promised Land or I only get a glimpse of the good things to come, I want to be used by You. I trust You. In the Name of Jesus Christ who is faithful and good. Amen.
Read through the Bible: Proverbs 15; Deuteronomy 1-2
I think there’s something incredibly powerful in true stories. Reading the biographies of Christian brothers and sisters like Hudson Taylor, Gladys Aylward, and Corrie Ten Boom is both inspiring and convicting. It reminds me that God is real, that He is on His throne, that He hears and answers prayers, and that He loves His children. I would highly recommend to you and your family the Christian Heroes books written by the married team, Janet and Geoff Benge. I’ve read at least a dozen of their books and loved every one. In fact, I recently discovered that my local library has several of their Christian biographies available on audiobook. Hooray! Did you know I absolutely love listening to audiobooks?
After homeschooling for 23 years, I recognize the great value there is in learning the history of America and other countries around the world. We have been immensely blessed by all four of Linda Hobar’s Mystery of History series, as well as the Notgrass family’s fantastic series of history books.
This summer as I look toward my first year in over two decades of not reading a history book on the couch with my children, I want to remember how important it is to know the history of the Bible, not merely so my children and I might be able to answer Bible trivia questions, but that we might learn from those who went before us. May we better know who our God is, that we might love Him more, and may we remember how easy it is to go astray, like 1 Corinthians 10:11-12 says, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”
So, here are a few of my takeaways from Deuteronomy 1-2:
God made a way for His people to enter the Promised Land, but they had to take action, obeying Him, going in and taking possession of the land. (Deuteronomy 1:8) I have found in my own life that the Lord has prepared me and my circumstances to accomplish His purposes, but that doesn’t make me exempt from taking the necessary steps of obedience to achieve them.
Moses was a fabulous leader and man of God but even he needed other people to partner with him in leading the Israelites. (Deuteronomy 1:9-18)
Even when we get to see first-hand the Lord working before our very eyes, we can forget His love and provision for us. We must be careful to remind ourselves again and again of His faithfulness. Deuteronomy 2:7, “For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.”
What about you? What do you want to remember from today’s reading? Write it down in a journal, or leave a comment below. Remember: Writing helps remembering.
Heavenly Father, You are as real and powerful and faithful today as You were thousands of years ago. You cared for and provided for Your Hebrew children, and You care for and provide for me. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for Your guidance. Thank You for the nourishing food and clean water and safe shelter that You have given to me. Even when the way seems dark and I feel alone, I can trust that every day of my life You have been with me and I have lacked for nothing. I am grateful. For the glory and majesty of Your Name I pray. Amen.
All the Way my Savior Leads Me
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Proverbs 14; Philippians 4
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8 ESV
What do you fall asleep thinking about?
What is the first thing on your mind when you wake up?
Where does your mind dwell, abide, rest, live?
When you have a few quiet moments, where do your thoughts naturally run to?
Is it to things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy … Or is it to things that are anxious, rude, mean, cruel, crude, immoral, or irritable?
Dear sisters, we are caught in a battle, a battle between light and dark, good and evil, God and the devil. So much of that battle is fought in our minds and, sadly, that is where the battle is so often lost. Think about Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
If we want to win this battle, we have to think about what we’re thinking about, and forcibly take those rogue thoughts captive to obey Christ.
Ask yourself, “Is this true?” No? Get rid of it! “Is this pure and honorable?” No? Put it away! “Would I want to tell Jesus about these thoughts that I’m dwelling on?” No? Then, cast them away! They don’t belong in your head.
Heavenly Father, help me to think about what I’m thinking about. Help me to recognize the power that the thoughts in my head have over what I say and do and feel. Help me to remember that I am in a battle, and that You are victorious, that I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ, the King of kings. Help me to take every thought captive to obey Christ. Help me not to be anxious, but in everything to cast my cares upon You and know without a doubt that You care for me. Help me to rejoice always, to pray without ceasing, and in everything to give thanks, knowing that this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for me. It is in the name of Jesus Christ that I pray. Amen.
So many song choices for today! Check ’em all out and pick your favorite!
Whatever Things (Philippians 4:4-8 Bible Song) – Royal Generation
Think about Such Things – Philippians 4:8 – Truth Songs
Philippians 4:8-9 (Lyric Video) – The Corner Room
Philippians 4:8 Lyric Video – Songs from the Loop
Philippians 4:4-8 Bible Verses to Memorize for Kids with Actions – In the Gap Kids
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Proverbs 13, Philippians 3
For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:8b-11 ESV
Heavenly Father, I want knowing You to be my highest goal. Jesus, I want to know You. Intimately. Personally. I don’t want to just know about You, like I might know about some famous historical person. I want to truly know You, like I know my husband, my sister, my best friend. I want to know Your power and goodness. I want to trust You with my whole life, that I might walk by faith day by day. You’re my all; You’re the best; You’re my joy, my righteousness, and I love you, Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord I pray. Amen.
Teach What is Good 
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