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
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 119:41-80, Micah 4
Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. You are good and do good; teach me your statutes…. It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 119:1-40, Micah 3
Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry “Peace” when they have something to eat, but declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths…. Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the LORD and say, “Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.”
Micah 3:5,11 ESV
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 118, Micah 2
“Do not preach” – thus they preach – “one should not preach of such things; disgrace will not overtake us.” … If a man should go about and utter wind and lies, saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be the preacher for this people!
Micah 2:6, 11 ESV
The days of Micah are remarkably like modern days. People don’t want to hear the truth. They want to hear preachers who tickle their ears, promising peace and prosperity. May we not listen to false prophets nor be false prophets. May we remember Micah who was faithful to obediently speak the truth in love, even though it fell on deaf ears for decades. 🙏
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 116, Amos 8-9.
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.”
Amos 8:11 ESV
Would I rather worship or wander through Wally World?
Would I rather scroll through the truth of the Word or the foolishness of Facebook?
Would I rather skip my daily dose of carbs or the daily bread of the Lord’s presence?
Would I rather sit in a pew or sit on a couch?
Would I rather be in the front row of a church or the front row of a concert?
Would I rather listen to the correction of a wise counselor or the consolation of a foolish friend?
Would I rather miss a dinner date with my BFF or a breakfast date with my Heavenly Father?
Would I rather miss my morning cup of java or my morning cup of living water?
Would I rather have an empty belly or an empty mind?
“Sabbath days and sabbath work are a burden to carnal hearts, that are always afraid of doing too much for God and eternity.
Can we spend our time better than in communication with God?
And how much time do we spend pleasantly with the world? Will not the sabbath be gone before we have done the work of it and reaped the gains of it? Why then should we be in such haste to part with it?
They were fond of market-days: they longed to be selling corn and setting forth wheat. When they were employed in religious services they were thinking of their marketings …
Those are strangers to God, and enemies to themselves, that love market days better than sabbath days, that would rather be selling corn than worshipping God.”
Matthew Henry, Commentary on Amos 8
Heavenly Father, Align our hearts with Yours. Make us love what You love. Break our hearts for what breaks Yours. Give us a holy hunger. Make us hunger for what is healthy and right, what is pure and true. Make us sick over what makes You sick. Give us discernment to recognize what is truly lovely and what is a joy stealer. Help us spot the counterfeits, the deceptions, those things that masquerade as beautiful, and give us hearts that hunger and thirst for righteousness for Your Name’s sake. In the Name of Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, the One who meets our every need, the well that never runs dry, the unending source of living water and the eternal bread of Your living presence, we pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 114, Amos 4-5
As a mom, I want my discipline to bring my children to repentance. I want them to grieve their sin, see their error, and turn around.
But, all too often, that’s not the case. In fact, my discipline can end up making them more hard-hearted and rebellious. My words of gentle correction, or the natural consequences of their actions, can end up causing them to blame everyone but themselves.
Does that mean I’m wrong to discipline them?
Does that mean I should look the other way as they run headlong away from what is right?
My heart grieves with the Lord as He says five times in Amos 4, “yet you did not return to me.” He had withheld rain. He had struck their gardens with blights and locusts. He had even brought death upon some of their young men, yet they did not return to Him.
It reminds me of a line from one of Charles Spurgeon’s sermons.
The same sun which melts wax hardens clay. And the same Gospel which melts some persons to repentance hardens others in their sins.
C.H. Spurgeon
The Lord disciplines those He loves. That discipline will harden some and convict others. I wonder, which am I? Am I listening when the Lord is trying to get my attention? Am I willing to correct my course when the Lord is putting road blocks in my way?
How about you? How have you handled the Lord’s rod of correction? Where do you need to do an about-face and return to Him, your Creator?
Heavenly Father, We are indeed silly sheep who often go astray and wander into dangerous places. Forgive us, Father, for our foolishness, our rebellion, and our disobedience. Thank You for Your loving hand that seeks to bring Your children back into the fold. Your rod and Your staff are our comfort. Help us to listen to Your voice of corrections and change course, to RETURN to YOU, the lover of our souls. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 113, Amos 2-3
Sometimes it seems that professing Christians think they are immune from the consequences of their sin. Indeed Jesus has paid the price for our sin by His death on the cross, but we still must endure God’s discipline for our good.
In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
Hebrews 12:4-8 ESV
All too many American children are being left without discipline, and our nation is reaping the consequences of it. God disciplined the Israelites and He disciplines Christians – not because He hates us, but because He loves us – and earthly parents are expected to do likewise.
Oh, Heavenly Father, what a blessing it is to call You, Father. What an honor to be Your daughter. Help me to endure Your discipline with humility and gratitude and trust, fully believing that You are working to conform me into the image of Your Son. You are good. Always. Help me to learn what you’re teaching me. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord I pray. Amen.
All Hail the Power of Jesus’s Name – Getty, The Village Chapel
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 112, Amos 1
Until doing the 2 Year Bible reading plan, I’d never studied Amos for myself, though my pastor did spend several weeks teaching through it in August 2019. In fact he spent about a year teaching through all the minor prophets verse by verse. If you’re like me and need a quick overview of the Book of Amos, you might want to read Got Questions’s post here.
For Amos 1, I took some time to learn a little about the locations of Amos 1: Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, and the Ammonites. And that got me thinking about how God pronounced these judgments on the whole city-state, not merely on individuals or even the king.
So I started thinking about what kind of judgment God would have on my city, state, and nation. We have forsaken His Word. We have forgotten His commands. We have aborted babies in the name of choice. We have allowed criminals to run free while we have forbidden prayer and the Bible from our schools. We have set aside a month to celebrate men who pretend to be women and women who pretend to be men. We have bowed down to idols of all kinds: money, mortal men and “Mother Earth.” We have hidden the gospel and turned a blind eye to our neighbor in need.
Heavenly Father, Forgive us, Lord. Forgive us. Please, Father, shed Your grace on us. We need You. Turn our nation back to You. Turn the hearts of fathers back to their children. Turn the hearts of mothers back to their homes. Turn us back to Your Word. For Your glory and honor I pray. Amen.
Teach What is Good 
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