Read the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 143, Isaiah 17-18
For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge;
Isaiah 17:10a ESV
I have a terrible memory. Ask my husband. Ask my children. Ask my sister. I have to make lists and take photos and set alarms. But I don’t want to forget about my good, good Father!
Satan does not need to make us bank robbers or murderers to destroy us. It is quite enough to simply make us forget. We can forget because of sleepiness, we can forget because of a lack of attention, we can forget because we are distracted. Satan doesn’t care much about how he does it, but he does want us to forget the God of our salvation.
David Guzik
Here are a few ideas from my own life.
Tips for REMEMBERING the God of Your Salvation – FormerAtheist58
My Life is Proof of What Jesus Can Do – Stephen McWhirter
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Read the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 142, Isaiah 15-16
“Give counsel; grant justice; make your shade like night at the height of noon; shelter the outcasts; do not reveal the fugitive; let the outcasts of Moab sojourn among you; be a shelter to them from the destroyer. When the oppressor is no more, and destruction has ceased, and he who tramples underfoot has vanished from the land, then a throne will be established in steadfast love, and on it will sit in faithfulness in the tent of David one who judges and seeks justice and is swift to do righteousness.” Isaiah 16:3-5 ESV
“Isaiah wanted Judah to be a place of refuge and protection for Moab under judgment. This is exactly what the church should [be] when people receive the judgment that fits their rebellion against God. If they humbly flee for refuge among God’s people, the church should be a place that will hide the outcasts and receive him who escapes, never to betray them.”
David Guzik
“Whenever pride is not broken by humility, it will have to be broken by justice.”
Harry Bultema
Sheltering the Outcasts – FormerAtheist58
Leaning On (Acoustic) Stephen McWhirter
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Read the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 141, Isaiah 13-14
My Savior’s Love
I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene, and wonder how he could love me, a sinner, condemned unclean. How marvelous! How wonderful! and my song shall ever be; How marvelous! How wonderful! is my Savior’s love to me!”
Charles H. Gabriel (1856-1932)
Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.
Isaiah 13:9 ESV
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 ESV
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 4:17 ESV
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew 5:1-12 ESV
I Stand Amazed in the Presence of Jesus – FormerAtheist58
I Stand Amazed in the Presence – Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
Come Unto Jesus – Getty, Laura Story
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 133-134, Galatians 6
But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Galatians 6:14 ESV
Though Paul had plenty that he could’ve boasted about, he saw himself as the chief of sinners and all his worldly accomplishments were as rubbish compared to knowing Christ. (See 1 Timothy 1:15, Philippians 3:8)
What about me?
Do I see my daily need for the power of the Spirit or do I think I can do it on my own?
Do I see my own depravity or do I think I’m really pretty good on my own?
Do I live for the world’s applause or for God’s?
Ever since listening to C.S. Lewis’s message on the Great Sin, I’ve been thinking a lot about my struggles with pride and boasting. Lewis originally gave this message as a radio broadcast but later made it into a chapter in his book, “Mere Christianity.” I hope it blesses you!
C.S. Lewis examines the Great Sin: Pride
Oh, Father, keep me humble. Keep me on my knees. May my eyes be fixed upon You. Let me look into Your perfect love and see my utter, desperate, daily need for a Savior. Let me boast in nothing except in the cross of Christ. By the blood of Jesus and for His Fame, I pray, Amen.
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross – Fernando Ortega
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 132, Galatians 5
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Galatians 5:13-14 ESV
America has been called the land of free and the home of the brave. So, fellow Americans, I must ask you, what are you using your freedom for? For watching more TV and playing more video games? For watching more cat videos and scrolling through more Facebook posts? For drinking more wine and sleeping later on Saturday mornings?
Or for sharing the gospel with more people and making more disciples of Christ? For honoring your parents more and loving your neighbor better? For giving more freely to the poor and being a more shining example of Christ in an increasingly dark world?
May we never forget, fellow Americans, that this freedom is a precious gift granted us through the blood of many men who sacrificed their lives for our country.
But what about those of you who don’t enjoy the privileges of freedom of speech, freedom of press, and freedom of religion granted by the U.S. constitution? Have you not been freed by the blood of Jesus Christ? Have your chains not been broken by the cross? Are you enslaved to sin, the devil, and an evil empire? May it never be.
Man can oppress you, but in Christ you are free. Evil men can throw you in prison, take captive your body, and threaten your life, but you still have choices. Will you speak up or stay silent? Will you live day by day with a heart filled with bitterness or love? Will your life reflect the prince of this world or the King of all kings?
Heavenly Father, You are good! You have set free the captives by the sacrifice of Your Son! Whom the Son sets free is FREE indeed! Who can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus? What can man do to me? My life is in Your hands. Make me courageous. Make me pure. Make me shine with the light of Christ burning in my heart. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 127, Hosea 13-14.
Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips. Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.”
I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.
Hosea 14:1-4 ESV
Return. Return. Return. It’s the call of God to His bride, Israel. It’s a call for repentance, doing an about-face, a 180, forsaking idols in favor of Yahweh, the Almighty One.
Israel will return to the Lord when she finally sees her sin for what it is, and so will we. We must recognize our rebellion against God and return to Him. The next step, as we see here, is to confess our sin to God and ask for His forgiveness. And then immediately we will commit to changing our behavior. Like Israel, “We will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands.”
True repentance looks like this.
True repentance is more than just feeling sorry or saying you’re sorry. True repentance is more than grieving the consequences of our sin. True repentance is a change of heart leading to a change in action. If your life doesn’t begin shifting away from your sin and back towards God, then you haven’t actually repented.
Heavenly Father, Bring us back to You. Turn us back to You. Heal us and bind up our wounds that we might worship You again. Wash us thoroughly. Cleanse us of our sin. Make us ready for the return of Your Son. He is coming soon, Father. We want to be ready. In the Name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
Teshuvah. Return to Me.
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 123-124, Hosea 7-8
Any of you like pancakes? 🥞 🙋🏼♀️🙋🏽♂️🙋🏻♀️🙋🏾♀️🙋🏻🙋♀️
I can’t think of anything I’d rather have for breakfast on Saturday mornings than pancakes baked with a few mini chocolate chips, topped with vanilla yogurt and sliced fresh strawberries, and a few slices of crispy bacon on the side. 😋
But, what if instead of mixing chocolate chips into the batter, I stirred in a spoonful of sawdust? Not so appealing anymore?
What if instead of flipping the pancakes over halfway through the baking time I decided to serve them to you after they were only cooked on one side? Anyone like their pancakes a little raw? 🤢 😝
Well, that’s what was happening in Israel. They were mixing themselves with the surrounding nations. They were like an unturned cake, half burnt, half raw.
Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
Hosea 7:8 ESV
Is that us? Is that our nation? Is that me?
Heavenly Father, show me where my heart is tainted. Show me where I have sprinkled the world’s sawdust into my heart and mind and life. Strain it out, Lord, that it will not pollute my life and my family. Father, I need the fire of Your Holy Spirit to burn up all that is unholy in me – on both sides. I need Your Sunlight to shine in every corner of my life that I might be made pure. Here I am, Lord. Have Your way with me. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord, I pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 119:161-176, Micah 7
My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes. My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right.
Psalm 119:171-172 ESV
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Micah 7:18-19 ESV
Your Praise will EVER be on my lips – FormerAtheist58
Teach What is Good 
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