Return to Me

Today: Malachi 1-4

One year ago, I started this Bible reading blog to grow in my relationship with God, to be more disciplined in my commitment to know Him better. I wanted to challenge myself and really commit to "putting God first" before my pursuits of some other major life goals and desires. I haven't been disappointed.

As I read today's passage, I reflected on the journey of this past year. I can't say that it's been all sunshine and roses. In fact, it's been pretty rocky in a few areas. But one thing that's remained constant? God's overwhelming presence--and His love for me.

This excerpt stood out to me today (even though it was written to the people of Israel many years before I even took my first breath):

God said, "I love you."

You replied, "Really? How have you loved us?"

"Look at history"
(this is God's answer).

Love this reminder! It is always good to remember just how much God has been at work in my life--in good times and in bad. He has a history of loving me and helping me. Always.

In another part of today's passage, God addresses His people--who are (again!) disobeying Him. Check it out:

"I am God—yes, I Am.

I haven't changed.

And because I haven't changed,

you, the descendants of Jacob, haven't been destroyed.

You have a long history of ignoring my commands.

You haven't done a thing I've told you.

Return to me so I can return to you,"

says God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

There is something pretty amazing about a God whose love and faithfulness is constant and unchanging. If I've learned anything over the past year, it's this: God keeps His promises--He is always there. Sometimes, we just need to return to Him, accept the love He offers and commit to living according to His purpose. When we return to God, He returns to us so much more--love we don't deserve and life more abundant than we can even imagine. On to the next adventure...

Your ways and God's ways

Today: Isaiah 54-58

I've often heard people paraphrase a Scripture from today's passage where God says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways. My thoughts are higher than your thoughts and my ways are higher than your ways."

It's a good concept to remember, but until today, I didn't realize what came after those words. Take a look:

"I don't think the way you think.

The way you work isn't the way I work."

God's Decree.

"For as the sky soars high above earth,

so the way I work surpasses the way you work,

and the way I think is beyond the way you think.

Just as rain and snow descend from the skies

and don't go back until they've watered the earth,

Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,

producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,

So will the words that come out of my mouth

not come back empty-handed.

They'll do the work I sent them to do,

they'll complete the assignment I gave them..."

I think it's interesting that God followed His "my ways are higher than your ways" saying with a few proof points--His ways are higher than our ways (at least in part) because His words are never empty. What He says actually happens. God follows through on His promises. I love that.

Tomorrow: Isaiah 59-63

The proof is in the promise

Today: 2 Chronicles 6-8

Here's one thing I've learned while reading through the Bible for this blog project: There are definitely common threads throughout. One that never gets old? The idea that God keeps His promises. Take a look at a few portions of Solomon's prayer from today's chapters:

....And now you see the promise completed.

God has done what he said he would do...

God, O God of Israel,

there is no God like you

in the skies above or on the earth below,

who unswervingly

keeps covenant with his servants

and unfailingly

loves them

while they sincerely live in obedience

to your way.

You kept your word to David my father, your promise.

You did exactly what you promised—every detail.

The proof is before us today!

Trust is a big hang-up for people. Many are jaded because of lives marked by unkept promises--from parents, friends, exes, employers, you name it! I've often heard comments like, "I'll believe it when I see it" or "The proof is in the pudding." There's sometimes an element of truth to these statements. But when it comes to God, I've noticed throughout the Bible that He's proved His truth worthiness over and over and over and over and over again. With God, the proof is in the promise--you and I can count on that.

Tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 9-12

Solomon's prayer

Today: 1 Kings 8-9

A few days ago, I posted portions from one of David's prayers. In today's passage, Solomon's prayer of dedication at the temple stood out to me most. I thought it would be could to highlight portions of it here. [Note that the ellipses (...) indicate my omissions of the text. This is just a snapshot of some great verses--please read the chapters along with me for the full picture.]

O God, God of Israel,

there is no God like you

in the skies above or on the earth below

who unswervingly keeps covenant with his servants

and relentlessly loves them

as they sincerely live in obedience to your way.

You kept your word to David my father,

your personal word.

You did exactly what you promised—

every detail.

The proof is before us today!
Keep it up, God...

Can it be that God will actually move into our neighborhood?

Why, the cosmos itself isn't large enough to give you breathing room,

let alone this Temple I've built.

Even so, I'm bold to ask:

Pay attention to these my prayers,

both intercessory and personal,

O God, my God.

Listen to my prayers...

Tomorrow: 1 Kings 10-11

What's the secret of your strength?

Today: Judges 16-18

"What's the source of your strength?"

It was the main question Delilah posed to Samson in today's passage. Delilah was definitely deceptive and her quest to know the answer led to the his downfall. He hid the truth from Delilah three times. Here was her response:

She said, "How can you say 'I love you'

when you won't even trust me?

Three times now you've toyed with me,

like a cat with a mouse,

refusing to tell me the secret of your great strength."

She kept at it day after day,

nagging and tormenting him.

Finally, he was fed up—he couldn't take another minute of it.

He spilled it.

He told her, "A razor has never touched my head.

I've been God's Nazirite from conception.

If I were shaved, my strength would leave me;

I would be as helpless as any other mortal."

This section of the story caught my attention today. I may be overanalyzing, but when I read this, I realized that Samson's last answer--that his strength came from his hair--wasn't true, either. Ultimately, Samson's strength came from God. It came because of a commitment he made to God and that God made to him. The long, Fabio-like hair was just a symbol of that promise--the hair didn't make Samson strong.

I wonder if Samson's final answer caused God to have some of the same emotions as Delilah. I wonder if God thought, "How can you say 'I love you' when you won't even trust me?" By giving away part of the secret and wrongly saying that the hair was his source of strength, Samson showed God that He wasn't first in his life. Samson valued his relationship with a manipulative woman more than he valued his promise to God.

The good news for Samson is that he later realized his mistake and asked God for forgiveness. In his final moments, God used him to destroy his enemies and a city filled with evil. To me, this signifies that there's always hope when you know where your strength truly comes from.

Tomorrow: Judges 19-21

Follow through

Today: Joshua 19-21

I wouldn't describe myself as a sporty girl, but thanks to 20+ years of living with a guy (my Dad) who watches every sport--from football (duh!) to bowling (huh?)--I've learned a few things.

First, I've learned that talking to a television is completely acceptable. Players and referees have this sixth sense for hearing feedback from the fans...or at least Dad thinks they do. I've also learned that Dad is pretty much smarter than any player or coach at any sport. If they all played his way, they'd win. Of course I know what a touchdown and a birdie are...but I still have no idea what defines a third down or why football players who can't hug other guys can slap each other's bums. :)

Seriously, one thing I learned from watching sports (or absorbing the commentary through osmosis) is that follow through is important. Sportscasters will go on and on analyzing the follow through of a great golfer, pitcher or quarterback.

But have you ever thought about God's follow through style? Or your own?

In today's chapters, more of God's people received their portions of the Promised Land. I loved the end of the passage and the summary here:

And so God gave Israel the entire land

that he had solemnly vowed to give to their ancestors.

They took possession of it and made themselves at home in it.

And God gave them rest on all sides,

as he had also solemnly vowed to their ancestors.

Not a single one of their enemies was able to stand up to them—

God handed over all their enemies to them.
Not one word failed

from all the good words

God spoke

to the house of Israel.

Everything came out right.

Tomorrow: Joshua 22-24

A promise is a promise

Today: Deuteronomy 21-23

Have you ever had a flaky friend? You know, the one who repeatedly backs out of plans at the last minute? The one who promises to help you with something--but never follows through?

I think most of us have had a flaky friend or been a flaky friend at times. Have you ever flaked out on God?

I like what today's passage said here:

When you make a vow to God, your God, don't put off keeping it;

God, your God, expects you to keep it and if you don't you're guilty...

If you say you're going to do something, do it.

Keep the vow you willingly vowed to God, your God.

You promised it, so do it.

God always follows through on His promises to us. Let's try to keep our commitments to Him.

Preparing for the Promise

Today: Numbers 33-34

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

It's a famous saying, but is it the best approach to life?

Based on this passage and some life experience, I'd argue that it's not. If you have hope, faith or a dream, you have to have hope, faith or a dream for (or in) something...a picture of the eggs before they hatch, if you will. In the best case scenarios, the picture you have is a God-given picture (like Abraham's "count the stars" moment we read about awhile ago). Even though the picture isn't yet real, it can help propel your life in a different direction.

In today's passage, God instructed Moses to divide up the Promised Land...before the Israelites had even conquered it! He gave them clear guidance on the borders of the land and appointed leaders to manage the land distribution. The people were well prepared to occupy the Promised Land before it was officially theirs.

Is there a promise that you can prepare for? A God-given picture that you can not only pray for, but plan for? Go ahead...start counting those stars. They're better than chickens anyway.

Tomorrow: Numbers 35-36

Offerings, vows and building a (gingerbread) house

Today: Numbers 28-30

A few weeks ago, I built a house--a gingerbread house, to be exact. Before the project started, I gathered a bunch of materials to decorate the house. I was looking forward to showing some skills in creating a cool, polished gingerbread house to rival my friends/competitors...but I had some major construction issues.

It took me awhile to figure out how the pieces of the house fit together. I wanted to rush through the (boring) construction phase and get to the fun part...decorating! But the roof of my house had other ideas... :)

Unlike many of my friends, I decided to be Ms. Independent and build and decorate the house by myself--not a good idea either. Going solo took longer and was definitely more difficult than partnering up with someone else. .

When I read today's passage and opened my laptop tonight, I wasn't sure what to write about--offerings? Or vows? Then I remembered my gingerbread house building project and the importance of understanding how things fit together.

It's not an accident that this passage talks about offerings and vows--both of them involve making and keeping promises. Offerings and vows both require giving and a level of sacrifice. And offerings and vows are both about partnership. Let me explain a bit...

In terms of offerings, God promised protection and blessing to His people for giving offerings. I think today sometimes we think about that promise of blessing in monetary terms--and to some extent, I think that's okay. In my own life, I've seen God bless me financially as I remain obedient and faithful in giving (I have a few pretty cool stories...but maybe I'll save them for later). However, God's promises of blessings extend WAY beyond finances. Sometimes we may not recognize or even know about the non-monetary blessings of God, but I know He brings them into our lives, partly because of our obedience (and partly because He's just full of grace and love). Giving offerings is something that we do as an act of obedience and worship...but it also signifies a partnership with God. When I give, I'm in essence saying to God, "I recognize that I'm NOT Ms. Independent who can do everything by herself. I need You. You provide everything--life, salvation, a job, a home, everything--to me. Thank you!"

Likewise, a vow is a promise by definition. God takes vows and promises seriously, as evidenced by this passage. Any kind of vow requires giving--whether it's a couple pledging to love each other forever at their wedding or a lender giving money to help someone buy a home. Vows can't be made in isolation--they require partnership with another person, organization or with God Himself.

I learned about understanding how things fit together and the importance of having a good team while reading this passage and building a gingerbread house. Next year, I'll be better equipped to understand how my gingerbread house should fit together and plan ahead to choose a partner. Hopefully, as I continue this project and life in general, I'll also get better at understanding how things fit together and instead of trying to tackle things on my own, I want to recognize the importance of trusting God and people along the way.

Tomorrow: Numbers 31-32

Missing the Promise

Today: Numbers 18-20

Some of the most tragic stories are those of people who get inches away from their dreams...and just barely miss. Why does that happen? Sometimes, there's no way to explain it. And other times--perhaps the most tragic--it's because of one bad choice.

In today's passage, we read such a tragic story: why Moses and Aaron missed out on the Promised Land. Here's what it said:

God spoke to Moses: "Take the staff.

Assemble the community, you and your brother Aaron.

Speak to that rock that's right in front of them and it will give water.

You will bring water out of the rock for them;

congregation and cattle will both drink."
Moses took the staff away from God's presence, as commanded.

He and Aaron rounded up the whole congregation in front of the rock.

Moses spoke: "Listen, rebels! Do we have to bring water out of this rock for you?"
With that Moses raised his arm and slammed his staff against the rock—once, twice. Water poured out. Congregation and cattle drank.
God said to Moses and Aaron,

"Because you didn't trust me,

didn't treat me with holy reverence in front of the People of Israel,

you two aren't going to lead this company into the land that I am giving them."

This story is fairly short. We don't get to read much about what happened. But I think there may have been a few reasons why God's punishment for Moses and Aaron was so severe. Here are my guesses:

1. At a very basic level, they disobeyed. They didn't speak to the rock--Moses slammed his staff into the rock to get the water.

2. Moses acted out of anger toward the people, allowing his emotions to overtake God's graciousness toward them.

3. Moses took credit. He said, "...Do we have to bring water out of this rock for you?" That's A LOT different than, "God has shown mercy and will provide water for you, just as He continually provides for all your needs." By taking the credit and acting out of anger, Moses showed a lack of trust in God's provision, God's wisdom and God's sovereignty to govern His people.

Those are my guesses...but my thinking isn't God's thinking, either. I imagine that perhaps God was disappointed in His two strongest leaders who, after knowing Him and serving Him many years still didn't "quite get it." At the time, Moses and Aaron were acting as God's voice to His people...but in this situation, they chose to use their own voices. They missed the Promised Land because they missed the point--listening to God and leading His way--by giving undeserved and unmerited favor (grace) to others.

Tomorrow: Numbers 21-22

What a difference time...and Numbers...can make

Today: Numbers 1-2

I'll be the first to admit that I wasn't exactly thrilled about starting the book of Numbers today. Don't get me wrong--I love God's Word. But it felt weird to be starting this book...of all days...on Christmas.

But as I started reading it, I thought about the significance of this book. Remember reading about Abraham and Sarah--the older couple who couldn't have kids for YEARS? Take a look at these verses from today's passage:

These are the People of Israel, counted according to their ancestral families.

The total number in the camps,

counted troop by troop,

comes to 603,550.

Following God's command to Moses,

the Levites were not counted in with the rest of Israel.
The People of Israel did everything the way God commanded Moses:

They camped under their respective flags;

they marched by tribe with their ancestral families.

Did you catch that? The descendants of the couple who had a very difficult time even conceiving a child totalled...over 603,550!?! Wow. I don't know about you, but to me, that's an inspiring, "look what God can do" moment. What may seem like a small start (Abraham and Sarah had one child together) could turn into an entire nation. When they had Isaac, Abraham and Sarah knew they had a miracle. But they didn't fully comprehend the magnitude of God's promise fulfilled.

As I think about Christmas today, I think about Jesus--a baby born in a manger. It was a miracle. But it probably seemed like a small, humble start (even to Mary and Joseph). But God's promise fulfilled was bigger than a baby in a manger--He saw millions of faces, He knew millions of names, millions of lives that would be changed forever. It started with the promise of a baby. But the magnitude of that promise fulfilled has been multiplied...with time and numbers.

Sometimes we see a fraction of what God does. The fractions are miracles. They're worth celebrating. However, I believe that maybe we should start believing for the increased magnitude that only God can do. We can have faith to celebrate the magnitude before we see it, to hope that it comes--that the seedlings of God's promises fulfilled today could grow things so significant that change many people's lives forever. With God, all things are possible, of course. But I think that many times we don't always see the full picture in a single generation--He uses time and numbers.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus today, I hope you remember that power of promises fulfilled. Merry Christmas!

The promise for obedience

Today: Leviticus 26-27

It's Christmas Eve and rather than a long post of my writing, I thought tonight we could focus on the promises in this passage for those who obey God. I also saw some cool parallels to the Christmas story...I'll highlight them along with some of my other favorite parts. :)

"If you live by my decrees

and obediently keep my commandments,

I will send the rains in their seasons,

the ground will yield its crops

and the trees of the field their fruit.

You will thresh until the grape harvest

and the grape harvest will continue until planting time;

you'll have more than enough to eat

and will live safe and secure in your land.
"I'll make the country a place of peace—

you'll be able to go to sleep at night without fear;

I'll get rid of the wild beasts;

I'll eliminate war.

You'll chase out your enemies and defeat them:

Five of you will chase a hundred,

and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand and do away with them.

I'll give you my full attention:

I'll make sure you prosper,

make sure you grow in numbers,

and keep my covenant with you

in good working order.

You'll still be eating from last year's harvest

when you have to clean out the barns to make room for the new crops.
"I'll set up my residence in your neighborhood;

I won't avoid or shun you;

I'll stroll through your streets.

I'll be your God; you'll be my people.

I am God,

your personal God

who rescued you from Egypt

so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians.

I ripped off the harness of your slavery

so that you can move about freely.

This Christmas (and hopefully always!), I'm thankful for a personal God who walks with me. Let's remember to celebrate Him this season. Merry Christmas!

Tomorrow: Numbers 1-2

The chase...and the path to promise

Today: Exodus 13-15



God keeps His promises. It's a common theme I've definitely seen so far throughout this project and reading the Bible together. But today's passage illustrated how sometimes the path toward a promise fulfilled can look a bit different than most human beings would like...in fact, it can look frightening.


Today we read about the Israelites' escape from Egypt and how God miraculously parted the Red Sea. That's what most people remember most about the story. I've heard, read and seen it a hundred times (hello, Charlton Heston and "The Ten Commandments" movie!). Usually, I focus on the miracle. It's pretty amazing, right?


However, I think some lessons from this passage are not about the miraculous parting of the Red Sea. I think we could probably learn something about God (and ourselves) from the Egyptians' terrifying chase through the desert.

God promised His people that they would be set free, loaded up with riches from Egypt and led to the Promised Land. He promised to be with them. They were thrilled to be on the path toward a promise fulfilled. Things happened just as God said--they were released by Pharaoh and loaded down with treasures from the Egyptians.

Then something changed...Pharaoh's mind. His army of skilled soldiers and battle equipment charged into the desert after the Israelites. (I don't know about you, but I would be horrified if an army of trained soldiers surrounded my defenseless family!) The Israelites had their children with them. They felt trapped--they felt that Moses and God duped them. They were scared and angry, too.

But God never promised the Israelites (or us, for that matter!) that the path toward His promises would be easy. It may look scary at moments--totally different than what we ever wanted or imagined, but it could be a path that leads us to a miracle.

Remember this: Before the Red Sea, there was a chase. The path toward promise isn't always paved...but God's Presence is always there.


Tomorrow: Exodus 16-18

Wrestling with God

Today: Genesis 32-34

Have you ever wrestled with God?

I think a lot of people...particularly Christians...are afraid to admit it. Why is that?

It's not like God's offended when people have questions about Him. He's not intimidated. God's no pansy. :)

Today's passage talked about a guy who wrestled with God...literally, but also in prayer. Jacob's prayer was particularly interesting to me. Let's take a look and see what we can learn:

And then Jacob prayed,

"God of my father Abraham,

God of my father Isaac,

God who told me,

'Go back to your parents' homeland and I'll treat you well.'

I don't deserve all the love and loyalty you've shown me.

When I left here and crossed the Jordan

I only had the clothes on my back,

and now look at me—two camps!

Save me, please,

from the violence of my brother, my angry brother!

I'm afraid

he'll come and attack us all, me, the mothers and the children.

You yourself said,

'I will treat you well;

I'll make your descendants like the sands of the sea,

far too many to count.'"

Okay, so here are a few observations I had as I looked at this prayer:

1. Jacob re-stated God's promises back to God...twice.

Why did Jacob do that? It's not like God is someone who forgets what He says, right?

I think Jacob re-stated God's promises partly to remind himself what they were--to say, in essence, "Here's what you said to me, God. I'm trusting You to follow through."

2. Jacob acknowledged God's goodness in His life...and God's history of blessing him.

Jacob was thankful for God's blessings in his life. Acknowledging God's history of goodness was definitely an expression of gratitude to God, but I think it was again a reminder to Jacob himself. It's like he was also telling himself, "God helped me before. He could do it again."

3. Jacob admitted his fear and asked for God's help.

Jacob didn't hide his (very real) feelings and he didn't try to brush them aside and tackle challenges on his own, either. He gave his fear to God and unapologetically asked for God's intervention on his behalf. This reminded me of a quote from the (little known) movie Bounce where Ben Affleck says, "It's not brave if you're not scared." Maybe we could update it to say, "It's not faith if you're not scared."

Faith doesn't necessarily mean denying that you're scared--it's a belief that God is bigger than whatever makes you afraid. Faith is overcoming fear through trust.

Tomorrow: Genesis 35-37