Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 111, 2 Samuel 10
And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.”
2 Samuel 10:11 ESV
How often do I try to do it on my own, refusing to ask for help from others?
Sometimes I need help physically – carrying something, reaching something up high, opening a jar.
Sometimes I need help emotionally – someone to listen to me or give me a hug or speak an encouraging word to lift me up or a stern word to snap me out of a pity party.
Sometimes I need help spiritually – someone to pray for me or give me wise counsel or point me to an applicable passage of Scripture.
But, I’m afraid that all too often I want to do it myself like my younger daughter is famous for saying a few too many times. I’m reminded of Galatians 6:2-3, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” (ESV)
Heavenly Father, I need Your help, Your guidance and strength, Your encouragement and chastisement. But, Father, I also need help from others, from the body of Christ here on earth. I need others to be eyes and ears for me. I need others to be hands and feet for me. I need others to speak truth to me. Please, Father, help me to be humble and to ask for help when I’m in need. Help to see the great company of fellow workers who want to labor together side by side for Your kingdom and glory. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 89, 1 Samuel 11.
Once again I was reminded of the story of the Levite and his concubine which took place in Gibeah (Saul’s hometown) in Judges 19-21, particularly Judges 19:29 ESV, “And when [the Levite] entered his house, he took a knife, and taking hold of his concubine he divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.” Along with Judges 21:14 ESV, “And Benjamin returned at that time. And they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead….”
Saul is a Benjaminite from the city of Gibeah. He would have known these stories. In fact, his family would have been directly touched by these events recorded in Judges.
Now notice the connections in 1 Samuel 11. Nahash the Ammonite is attacking the people of Jabesh-Gilead — Was Saul’s mother from there? His aunt? His best friend’s mom?
Saul took the yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them to all the other tribes in Israel — Just like what the Levite had done with his concubine’s body. It had worked last time to get the people involved, and it worked this time for Saul.
Our family’s traditions, the stories we grow up hearing, the attitudes of people around us, they impact our lives. How I react to my husband, my children, and the cashier at Walmart is shaped by my upbringing. The takeaway for me in this is twofold. One, as a mom, I want to consider the impact I’m having on my children. How am I shaping them by how I behave and what experiences I invite into my children’s lives? Two, as a grown person, how are my actions today being shaped not by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God but by my past. How am I following my passions, instincts, and impulses rather than the Lord?
Heavenly Father, I love You. All Your ways are right. All You do is good. Father, I want to follow You all the days of my life. I want to be conformed into Your image. Make me more like You. I pray that all my actions would be led by Your Holy Spirit who dwells in me and Your Inspired Word which is a lamp to my feet. Give me wisdom as a mother to recognize how my attitudes and actions, what I let into my children’s lives, what I put in front of their faces, will shape their lives in the future. Help me to live for Your glory. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 80, Ruth 3-4
My husband sent me this picture from his John MacArthur study Bible, saying that John MacArthur compares Ruth to the virtuous wife in Proverbs 31.
Ruth Baker, in her January 2, 2019 blog post at GoThereFor.com digs further into this idea. Read it here.
Heavenly Father, help me to be a virtuous woman, to take good care of my husband and children, and to work diligently day after day. May I do my husband good and not harm all the days of my life. May the teaching of kindness be on my tongue. May I open my mouth with wisdom. May I remember that charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting, but that a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and redeemer, I pray. Amen.
Proverbs 31:30 song
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 29, 1 Corinthians 4
On my weekend trip to Greer’s Ferry Lake in Arkansas, I was amazed by the rocks that covered the lakeshore. From far away, looking down at the beach, I expected them to be solid, hard, firm, stable … you know, ROCKS. But when I finally made my way down six flights of stairs and walked on those rocks, I discovered that they were anything but that. These rocks crumbled like eggshells under my feet.
Ask yourself –
What kind of rock am I standing on? Am I standing on the solid rock of Jesus or the shifting sand of man’s opinions?
What kind of woman am I? Am I steadfast and immovable, solid and faithful like my God and His Unchanging Word, or do I crumble under the pressures of life?
1 Corinthians 1:9 ESV — God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 4:2 ESV — Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
1 Corinthians 4:17 ESV — That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithfulchild in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.
1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV — No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 ESV — He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
1 Timothy 1:12 ESV — I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,
2 Timothy 2:13 ESV — if we are faithless, he remains faithful — for he cannot deny himself.
Hebrews 10:23 ESV — Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 11:11 ESV — By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.
1 Peter 4:19 ESV — Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
Revelation 17:14 ESV — They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.
Revelation 19:11 ESV — Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
Heavenly Father, You are Faithful. You are Trustworthy. You are a Promise-Keeper. Every word You speak will come to pass. Help me to be faithful because You are the source and the object of my faith. Help me to daily entrust my soul to You, Father, because You are trustworthy. Because my hope is in You and You alone, I will not be shaken. You have called me to Your service, so I can trust that You will fulfill all Your plans for my life. Make me more like You, Lord. Make me faithful and trustworthy because You are Faithful and trustworthy. In the Name of Jesus Christ who died in my place I pray. Amen.
“My Hope is Built on Nothing Less (On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand)”
“Great is Thy Faithfulness & My Redeemer is Faithful and True” – Steven Curtis Chapman
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 20, Joshua 20
In Joshua 20, the Lord told Joshua and the people of Israel to designate cities of refuge where those who had unintentionally killed someone could flee. I’ve never killed anyone (intentionally or not), but sinful anger has festered in my heart more times than I care to admit.
Let’s not forget the words of Jesus, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matthrew 5:21-22 ESV)
We all deserve the death penalty, but Jesus paid the price that by our faith in Him we can be set free, as Romans 6:23 reminds us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” I’m so thankful that the Almighty Lord God is my ever-present refuge, and that His Son is my city of refuge.
Here’s a smattering of verses from Psalms which point to the Lord as our refuge. Meditate on them. Write them out. Memorize them. Let this truth wash over your soul.
“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.” Psalm 5:11 ESV
“O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,” Psalm 7:1 ESV
“Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.” Psalm 17:7 ESV
“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2 ESV
“This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” Psalm 18:30 ESV
“Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.” Psalm 25:20 ESV
“The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.” Psalm 28:8 ESV
“Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!” Psalm 31:2 ESV
“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” Psalm 34:8 ESV
“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.” Psalm 57:1B
“Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!” Psalm 61:4 ESV
“On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:7-8 ESV
“Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.” Psalm 71:3 ESV
“But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” Psalm 73:28 ESV
“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.” Psalm 118:8-9 ESV
“I cry to you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’” Psalm 142:5 ESV
“He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.” Psalm 144:2 ESV
Heavenly Father, You are my refuge, my strength, my rock, and my fortress. I have no reason to fear for You are by my side. I am hidden under the shelter of Your wings. Strengthen me to trust in You and You alone. Let me not be shaken. Some trust in chariots and some trust in horses, but I trust in the almighty name of Jesus Christ, my Faithful Refuge, I pray. Amen
Psalm 34 – Taste and See – Shane and Shane
Want to download a free PDF of these verses? Here it is!
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Proverbs 29, Deuteronomy 24-25
Again and again the Lord makes special provision for the sojourner , the fatherless, and the widow. Reading through my Bible today, and not getting much out of these chapters of “various laws,” my eyes fell upon a note in my Bible’s margin from the last time I read it cover to cover.
Sojourner – God is my resting place.
Fatherless – God is my father.
Widow – I am His bride.
Sisters, write notes in your Bible that you can find next year. Leave reminders to yourself of how the Lord turns your heart while you read His Word. Let these remind you – and those who come after you.
As members of God’s kingdom, we’re all sojourners, wanderers, aliens in this world. Our true citizenship is in heaven. God has called us to be His ambassadors.
As members of God’s family, we’re His children and He is our Father. We can come to Him with confidence, knowing that He loves us dearly and cares for us tenderly, as a Father loves and cares for his children.
As the bride of Christ, we are called to be shining lights for Him, His hands and feet on earth, humbly depending on Him for strength, comfort, and guidance.
I’m blessed. God is good.
Heavenly Father, You are my king, my Father, and the lover of my soul. You are worth every pain and every joy. Give me strength through the truth of Your Word. Remind me that this world is not my home, and help me to fix my eyes on the eternal hope I have in heaven. Use me as Your ambassador here on earth, faithfully declaring the praises of Him who called me out of darkness. (1 Peter 2:9) Remind me that I am Your child, and You are my Father. Help me to obey You promptly, cheerfully, and completely, and to faithfully come to You for forgiveness when I sin. Remind me that I am Your bride, and help me to depend on You for my every need. Send me out into this world as an instrument of peace and proclaimer of truth. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Savior, I pray. Amen.
Jesus, Strong and Kind – City Alight
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Proverbs 24, Deuteronomy 16
As I wrote about yesterday, I grew up the younger of two daughters to a hard-working mother and father. My mom went back to college to finish her degree when I started kindergarten, and then she started working full time. In spite of her long hours at work, she was still determined to serve a home-cooked meal for dinner every night. No McDonald’s drive thru or frozen pizza for us. Mom served us pork chops and potatoes or chicken breasts and stir fried vegetables, even after a long day’s work.
Likewise, my sister and I were expected to work hard, too. We had our own responsibilities around the home: washing our laundry, setting the table for dinner, unloading the dishwasher, taking care of our pets, and doing our schoolwork to the best of our ability. My parents didn’t tolerate laziness. We were capable of getting A’s at school, so A’s we should get. The thought of skipping an assignment or not studying for a test never even entered my mind.
Fast forward forty years to my life today.
There are so many conveniences – and so many entertainments – available, it’s become increasingly hard for me to really work hard.
Who needs to clean house and cook dinner? There are housekeepers and restaurants for that.
Who needs to plant and tend a garden? I can buy whatever I need at the store.
Who needs to go to the library or the grocery store? I’ve got the world wide web and grocery delivery at my fingertips.
Hence, I no longer feel the need for a time of rest, like the Lord gave to His people. The Lord knew how strenuous their days were, and He commanded them to set aside days for feasting and resting.
But, wait, I can just hear you saying, “Don’t you look forward to your annual vacation at the beach?”
Why, Yes. Yes, in fact, I do! I treasure those holidays spent watching the sun rise with my Bible open on my lap, meditating on the Lord’s words and listening to the waves’ quiet melody. But, to be honest with you, I don’t need a holiday like the Israelites did, and I’m afraid some of that is because almost every day for me is a holiday of sorts.
Ice cream and brownies aren’t only for birthdays.
Watching a movie isn’t only for that one special Saturday night in the summer when everyone piled into the station wagon and went to the drive-in.
Going out to dinner with my husband is a regular occurrence, not just a twice a year event reserved for Valentine’s Day and our anniversary.
In light of all this, I’m trying to be more conscious to fill my days with work. My work might be writing this blog or creating a YouTube video. My work might be studying and teaching a Bible study. My work might be embroidering a gift for my daughter or being a listening ear for a hurting friend, but I need to work. I need to make the most of the time God has given me.
I want to number my days that I may have a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)
Maybe you can’t relate to this post at all. Maybe your days are “filled to the gills” with work – in the home and outside the home. Then, my words to you are these: Great! Good for you! God designed His people to work hard! God gave us the sun to light our days, and He gave us the soil to grow our food. God wants us to be diligent like the ant. But don’t forget to rest and feast. God also gave His people a weekly sabbath rest and annual times for dedicated resting and feasting. He designed us to need them, that we would have time to renew our minds and bodies, and that we would remember Him and be grateful for all we have.
Proverbs 6:6-11 ESV — Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
Ephesians 5:15-16 ESV — Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
Psalm 39:4 ESV — O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!
Heavenly Father, I’m your child, and I want to be about Your business. I’m thankful for all that You have given to me, and for all that You have given me to do. You have created me for a good purpose, and You have good works that You want me to accomplish. Help me to be faithful and diligent with the time that You have given to me. Help me to work hard and to rest well with a grateful heart. Make me a good steward of my time, talents, treasures, and testimony. For the glory of Your Name I pray. Amen.
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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 10; Philippians 1
“To live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Philippians 1:21 ESV
To live is Christ. To die is gain.
The world shouts, “Pursue riches. Pursue fame. Pursue power and beauty and praise. Take it easy. Enjoy life. You do you. Do what makes you happy. YOLO.”
But the Lord cries, “Pursue what makes for peace and building others up. (Romans 14:19) Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. (1 Timothy 6:11) Work hard. Enjoy Me. Be conformed to My likeness. Do what makes Me happy. YOLO.”
Whose voice am I listening to?
Oh, Heavenly Father, I only live once. It has been appointed for me to one day die and to stand before Your throne. Teach me to number my days that I might have a heart of wisdom. Give me the humility I need to count others more significant than myself, to look out for the interests of others. Make my faith firm and unwavering, that I can utter these words with complete conviction, “To live is Christ. To die is gain.” In the Name of Jesus Christ, the Lamb who was slain, the One who is Worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. Amen.
See: Hebrews 9:27, Psalm 90:12, Revelation 5:12
My Worth is Not in What I Own (with Chinese subtitles) – Keith and Kristyn Getty
What does Paul mean by “To Live is Christ but to Die is Gain?” – Drive Thru History
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 135; Hebrews 13
We have an altar from which those who worship at the tabernacle do not have a right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the most holy place by the high priest as a sin offering are burned outside the camp. Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, so that he might sanctify the people by his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing his disgrace. For we do not have an enduring city here; instead, we seek the one to come.
Hebrews 13:10-14 CSB
Let’s not rush past these verses without asking ourselves some transformational questions?
Am I living for this earthly body, this corruptible, temporary tent, or am I living for that eternal tabernacle in the heavens where Jesus is already seated at the right hand of God?
Am I willing to go to Him outside the camp and bear the same disgrace that He bore in my place, or am I ashamed of the gospel and unwilling to endure the disdain that the world has for the Name of Christ?
Am I seeking the praise of man, the accolades of this earthly city, or am I seeking the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” that my Father will one day welcome me with when I pass from the temporary to the eternal?
Ask yourself, “Is what I’m living for worth Christ dying for?”
Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, in our hearts we know the right answers to these questions, but so often we lack the strength to do what we know that we ought. Please strengthen our weak knees and make straight the paths that You want us to walk. We do love You, Lord, but so often it is not with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. We are at best half-hearted followers. Oh, but Father, we want to give You our whole hearts. Please, do it in us. Pierce our hearts with the truth of Your word and help us to see our sin, so that we can be faithful to cast it off and put on Christ. We love you, Lord. It is in the matchless name of Jesus Christ, our Savior that we pray. Amen.
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I Love You, Lord – Kathryn Scott
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