Category: 2023 Bible Reading

Press Pause

Old Testament: Jeremiah 9 & 10

Poetry: Proverbs 8

New Testament: 1st & 2nd Peter Intro – see below

(First of all, let me say there is NEVER a “wrong” passage of the Bible to read or write about on ANY day or week of the year. Secondly, let me say that the Bible reading plan layout is not the easiest to follow – as the books are not always in order and we jump back and forth between Psalms and Proverbs. Thirdly, let me say this week you are welcome to be reading Psalms or Proverbs or both – and our devotions will be coming from the book of Psalms, so here is today’s on Psalm 8. – Thank you for reading – Marcia Railton)

One of my favorite vacation destinations has been the Black Hills of western South Dakota. Our family had the privilege of going there this summer, and when you are out there in those mountains, you feel so tiny. Growing up in Illinois and now living in Indiana, we don’t usually see very high heights: but out there, you realize just how very insignificant we are. As you drive higher and higher up the mountain to where Mount Rushmore sits, and then drive down hair-pin turns on Needles Highway, all you can do is stand in awe of God’s wonderful creation (if you’ve never had the chance to visit, I’d really encourage you to make the effort).

Psalm 8 reflects the same feelings that I had in South Dakota: when we look at all that God has created, we seem so tiny and insignificant. When we look up at the stars, considering all the galaxies and planets that God has made, how important can we really be? Does our life really matter? It seems impossible that the God who created everything around us would care about “little ol’ me”… and yet, He is deeply moved by humanity. In fact, He even sets us up as royalty over the earth! In the original command of Genesis, God’s purpose for you and I was to rule over this planet (Genesis 1:26-28). We were designed to be kings and queens, ruling hand-in-hand with our Creator to bring about blessing to this world.

This Psalm communicates many things to us, but I want to highlight just two. First, we should slow down our lives to really reflect on God’s creation. When was the last time that you just stopped and looked up at the stars? Or slowed down your busy schedule to look at the birds chirping outside your window? Only by pausing our lives can we appreciate what God has done for us. Only by stepping back, realizing that the world doesn’t revolve around us and what we accomplish, do we find true peace and meaning for our lives. I want to encourage you today: press “Pause” and enjoy what God has made (it sounds a little like Sabbath, doesn’t it?).

Secondly, remember that you are valuable and that God loves you deeply. Out of all that God has made in the universe, He still thought it was incomplete without one of YOU. He thought you were precious enough to create, and you are. You have a purpose in this life and you matter. Rest and rejoice today, knowing that God really does care about you.

-Talon Paul

Reflection Questions

  1. What do you marvel at about God’s creation?
  2. What benefit do you find in pushing pause to remember God’s creation and all He has done for you? How can you remember to do it more and even build time into your schedule to do so?
  3. What does it mean to you that such a huge, impressive God of creation created and loves you, too? How will you show your praise and thanks and response?

1st & 2nd Peter Introduction

The books of First and Second Peter were written by the apostle Peter.  The two main points of First Peter were:  1) the importance of believers to bear up under the pain of unjust suffering, and 2) the importance of living a holy life.  The main points of Second Peter were 1) to address false teachings, and 2) to be prepared for Jesus’ return.

Some well known passages include:

1 Peter 2:2-3, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

1 Peter 2:19, “For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.”

1 Peter 3:15, “…Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect…”

1 Peter 4:7-8, “The end of all things is near.  Therefore be clear minded and self controlled so that you can pray.  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

1 Peter 4:12, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.”

1 Peter 4:18, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

1 Peter 5:6-8, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

2 Peter 1:21, “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

2 Peter 2:9, “…the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.”

2 Peter 3:13, “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”

-Steve Mattison

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Maturity

Old Testament: Jeremiah 7 & 8

Poetry: Proverbs 7

New Testament: James 5

James has focused his entire letter on Christian maturity — both in our faithfulness to God and in our conduct toward others. It’s not enough to just call ourselves Christ followers; we must be continually striving to grow closer to Him in our behavior, our morality, and our internal attitudes. Now James concludes his letter, and he does so by talking about where we place our trust in this life. This is very much a continuation of the thoughts James shares in chapter 4:7–12: Trusting God instead of the world.

“Therefore, brothers, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near. Brothers, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!

Brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience. See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

Now above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. Your “yes” must be “yes,” and your “no” must be “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.”

James 5:7–12

The impatience and callousness that can come from trusting in our wealth compared with the patience and strength that comes with trusting in God is the theme of chapter 5 of James. He puts this patience in the context of a farmer who has to keep a long-term view of their work, knowing that a lack of patience could result in a ruined crop. Our trust in God encourages us to be patient with Him as well as with one another.

Take people like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, and Job as examples of this kind of patience and trust. Their examples testify to us that our patient faith can endure anything through the Father. These people should be role models to us, not simply icons of faith. We should look at the way they endured their trials, at the ways they overcame discouragement and outright persecution, and strive to do the same.

Then we get to the “above all” statement. This is the sum of everything James has written so far regarding our mature faith. Putting God’s word into action, showing generosity, overcoming prejudice, taming our tongues, growing in humility, and putting our trust where it belongs — all of this boils down to a very simple principle: be honest.

·       If we are honest with our perspective about suffering, we will understand that pains of this life are temporary and look to God’s greater purpose for us.

·       If we are honest with God’s word, then we will put it into practice when it tells us to change things in our lives.

·       If we are honest with the example Jesus has left us, then we will put others before self, discard prejudice, and seek mercy before judgments.

·       If we are honest with ourselves, we will be mindful of the ways we use our words and control our language even when angered or frustrated.

·       If we are honest about our place in Creation, we will be humble before God and put His will before our own.

·       If we are honest in humility, then we will place our trust in the Creator rather than the perishable things He has created.

Applying the wisdom in James takes time. God has not left you alone in this but will work this out for you if you are humble and honest. May you be blessed this week and always seek the Kingdom.

-Andy Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. Honestly evaluate what you most often put your trust in. Your wealth, the world, your job, your family, your Creator? How can you display more trust in God Almighty? What would that look like?
  2. How mature is your Christian faith? What would help you grow even more mature?
  3. How would you rate yourself on each of the “If we are honest…” statements above? Which one do you think God would most like you to work on right now? What would be a great first step? Pray and tell God about the change and action steps you would like to make.
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Humbled

Old Testament: Jeremiah 5 & 6

Poetry: Proverbs 6

New Testament: James 4

Yesterday we talked about taming the tongue. We learned how hard it is to do. How do we get God’s help? Luckily for us James speaks on this in the very next chapter. The answer is…

Humble Yourself.

Humility is not something we can achieve. We might consider it American to think we could. You can do it. Be proactive. Take the first step. Grab the bull by the horns and be humble.

Make no mistake, we do have a part to play in humility. It is not only an effect but a command. In particular, two apostles tell us to humble ourselves. And both do so in similar ways.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:10

Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you. 1 Peter 5:6

So far as we can tell, James and Peter haven’t been inspired by each other on this point, but by the Old Testament. In the immediate context of instructing us to humble ourselves, both quote the Greek translation of Proverbs 3:34 (“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble,” James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).

For our purposes here, observe that both calls to self-humbling come in response to trials. James refers to quarrels and fights within the church:

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. James 4:1–2

Conflict among those claiming the name of Christ humbles the church. It serves as a test of pride, and humility. James reminds them not only that they are “sinners” and “double-minded” but he also reminds them of Proverbs 3:34. He charges the church to submit to God, resist the devil, and draw near to God (James 4:7–8). In other words, “Humble yourselves before the Lord.” The church is being humbled from within. Now, how will they respond to God’s humbling purposes in this conflict? Will they humble themselves? Will we? Can we?

Over and over again in the Bible, self-humbling is not something we initiate but something we receive, even embrace — even welcome — when God sends his humbling, however direct or indirect his means. The invitation to humble ourselves does not come in a vacuum but through our first being humbled.

Humility, like faith — and as a manifestation of faith — is not an achievement. Humility is not fundamentally a human initiative, but a proper, God-given response in us to God himself and his glory and purposes.

We don’t teach ourselves to be humble. There’s no five-step plan for becoming more humble in the next day, week, or month. Within measure, we might take certain kinds of initiatives to cultivate humility in ourselves, but the main test comes when we are confronted, unsettled in the moments when our semblances of control vanish and we’re taken off guard by life in a fallen world — and the question comes to us:

How will you respond to these humbling circumstances? Will you humble yourself?

Daily humbling ourselves under the authority of God’s word, and humbling ourselves by obeying his words, and humbling ourselves by coming desperately to him in prayer, and humbling ourselves in fasting — these all have their place in our overall response as creatures to our Creator. But first and foremost, we need to know humbling ourselves is responsive to God.

When the next humbling trial comes, will you bow up with pride, or bow down in humility? God has a particular promise for you in these moments. The God of all power will exalt the humble in his perfect timing.

-Andy Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. When has trials and conflict humbled you? Do you think you needed to be humbled?
  2. Why do you think God opposes the proud? Why do you think He gives grace to, and lifts up the humble?
  3. What is your response to God? Does it include a healthy dose of humility?
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The Influence of the Tongue

Old Testament: Jeremiah 1 & 2

Poetry: Proverbs 4

New Testament: James 2

(I told Andy he was in charge this week so yes, he could have some days discussing various chapters from James that don’t line up precisely with the reading plan in order to have some two-part devotions. So, today’s devotion actually comes from James 3).

Have you ever hurt someone with your words? Of course, we all have. That inability to hold your tongue. The control of the tongue has both negative and positive aspects. It involves the ability to restrain the tongue in silence. But it also means being able to control it in gracious speech when that is required.

Sanctification in any area of our lives always expresses both sides. A putting off and a putting on. Speech and silence, appropriately expressed, are together the mark of the mature (compare with one of the clearest illustrations of this in Colossians 3:1–17). Nor is this James’s first reference to speech. He had already said that for a professing believer to fail to bridle the tongue is to be guilty of self-deception (1:22–25) and the hallmark of a person whose religion is worthless (1:26). He uses some imagery to explain just how powerful this tongue is. In James 3:3–5, James uses two illustrations. The tongue is like the bit in the mouth of a horse. This tiny appliance controls the enormous power and energy of the horse and is used to give it direction. James may well have been familiar with this picture from common experience in daily life. He had seen powerful Roman military horses and had probably heard stories of chariot races. The point, however, is the power and influence concentrated in one small object. That’s how it is with the tongue.

The tongue is also like the rudder in a boat. Large ships were not unknown in the ancient world. The ship that originally was to transport Paul across the Mediterranean en route to Rome held 276 people (Acts 27:37). We know that a large ship like the Isis could carry one thousand people. Yet such a big and heavy vessel was directed simply by a turn of the rudder!

Why does James speak this way? Of course, divine inspiration but also of both biblical knowledge and personal experience. The tongue as I’ve heard it said “carries into the world the breath that issues from the heart”.

We do not realize how powerful for evil the tongue is because we are so used to its polluting influence.

Jesus says the tongue projects the thoughts and intentions of the heart. It is from within, “out of the heart,” that the mouth speaks (compare with Matthew 12:34; 15:18–19). But like the smoker, so accustomed to the odor, the atmosphere in which they live, the person with polluted speech has little or no sense of it — no sense that they exhale bad breath every time they speak.

But with all of this said, James is forced into a confession. Nobody — Jesus excepted — has succeeded in mastering the tongue! Our only hope as we pursue the discipline of self that leads to mastery of the tongue is that we belong to Christ and that we are being made increasingly like him. But this battle for “vocal holiness” is a long-running one, and it needs to be waged incessantly, daily, hourly. Are we fighting it? So we get it. We don’t say mean things, we think about what we say. We use judgment with our words. Many people miss one important element in taming the tongue and that is adding Godly speech to our vocabulary. This is a life-changing, mind-altering, and wonderfully encouraging side.

Which we will get into tomorrow. 🙂

-Andy Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. Knowing what you now know about the tongue from James 3, what warnings and instruction on the words you say and don’t say can you apply to what James has to say in James 2?
  2. Which do you find harder – silence when silence is most appropriate or gracious speech when gracious speech is most important? Think of an example of when you should have been silent – but you weren’t. And, an example of when you could have used gracious speech – but you didn’t. How could the situation or relationship have been altered by better control of your tongue? How might your tongue be used now to help mend these relationships?
  3. Are there any specific words/phrases that your speech would be better without?
  4. In what situations do you find it difficult to control your tongue? What could you do next time you are in that situation to demonstrate that you want to become more and more Christ-like?
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Producing Endurance

Old Testament: Jeremiah Intro – found below

Poetry: Proverbs 3

New Testament: James 1

(James is the only book we are reading twice, back-to-back. What can you find in a second reading of this short but wise letter?)

“Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” — James 1:2–3

The testing of your faith through trials produces endurance. What is the opposite of endurance? Well, I suppose the opposite of “endurance” is “giving up”. When faith doesn’t endure it peters out. So if you don’t want your faith to peter out then you need some trials. Because James says it is trials that “produce endurance.”

Few experiences expose who we are like the experience of suffering. When trials come, we almost cannot help but hold out our heart for all to see.

Some sufferers bow their heads and give glory to God, while others curse him. Some say, through tears, “I trust you,” while others refuse to pray. Some collapse into God’s presence, and learn to love him with a broken heart, while others turn their backs and walk away.

What makes the difference between these sufferers? Dozens of factors, of course. But one of the most significant is what we know about suffering. The apostle James, writing to Christians beaten up by trials, calls them to suffer faithfully because of what they know: “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know . . .” (James 1:2–3).

Rejoice, James says, because you know something about suffering. And what did they know? They did not know many of the specific good God was working in their trials. They did not know why these trials should be happening now. Nor did they know how long their trials would last. But they did know a simple promise, filled with power: “. . . for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:3).

Testing produces steadfastness. If these three words can sink their roots down into our souls, then we might meet our trials with the most radical response of all: joy.

If we know the promise that testing produces steadfastness, we may gain strength not only to endure our suffering, but to trace a line from our present pain to our future perseverance — and, wonder of wonders, to find ourselves counting even trials as joy (James 1:2).

Such joy will not be a simple joy. It will not be a fake smile or the motivation of a great speaker. It will instead be a complex joy, a joy mingled with tears and mixed with sorrow, all the way to the bottom (2 Corinthians 6:10). In other words, it will be an otherworldly joy, the kind that can only come from the man of sorrows himself. And being from him, it will one day return to him on the other side of our trials, “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:4).

In order to get there, we need to recognize our suffering for what it is: not ultimately a thief who steals our best years, nor a murderer who kills our greatest dreams, or a madman who wields his weapons at random. Our suffering is, rather, a servant from God, sent to make us strong and to use our word again. Steadfast.

-Andy Cisneros

Jeremiah Introduction

The book of Jeremiah was likely written by Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe, as Jeremiah dictated it.  He prophesied against the people of Judah because of their wickedness – but nobody listened to his message.  Jeremiah prophesied during the rise of the Babylonian empire and the subsequent destruction of Jerusalem.  God commanded him to never marry and have children because God was going to send deadly diseases, sword, and famine.  Jeremiah ultimately was carried off to Egypt by fleeing Israelites, and likely died in Egypt.

Jeremiah didn’t have much choice in his profession, as we see in 1:4-5, “The word of the Lord came to me saying, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah is called the “weeping prophet” because we see so much about his personal life and his sorrow.  4:19 is one of many examples, “Oh, my anguish, my anguish!  I writhe in pain.  Oh, the agony of my heart!  My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent.  For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry.”

Jeremiah was very straightforward, whether talking with the rebellious people of Judah, as we see in 44:23, “Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the LORD and have not obeyed him or followed his law or his decrees or his stipulations, this disaster has come upon you, as you now see.”; or when talking with God, as we see in 12:1, “You are always righteous, LORD, when I bring a case before you.  Yet I would speak with you about your justice:  Why does the way of the wicked prosper?  Why do all the faithless live at ease?”

While most of the book of Jeremiah prophesied judgment, there are still many places (like Chapter 31) where God promised that He will make a new covenant with Israel.  31:34 says, “No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, “Know the Lord”, because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest declares the Lord.  For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

As you read Jeremiah, consider the sins of Judah and the judgment God poured out on them because of their sins.  And then consider the sins of our own society…  

-Steve Mattison

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Part 2

Old Testament: Isaiah 65 & 66

Poetry: Proverbs 1 & 2

(Sorry, yesterday I missed that the month Of October we will be re-reading the book of Proverbs with one chapter every day- the 1st chapter on the 1st of Oct, the 2nd chapter on the 2nd, and so on…we will return to Psalms on Nov. 1)

New Testament: James 5

Today, we will continue with the devotion Andy started on James 4. Yesterday he wrote about considering the proper view of life. Here is today’s …

The right view of God. What is the right view of God that he teaches us to have in verse 15 of James 4? He tells us two very important things about God. One is contained in the words: “If the Lord wills, we will live.” And the other is contained in the words, “If the Lord wills, we will . . . do this or that.” How would you state the truth about God contained in each of those two sentences?

First, when he says, “If the Lord wills, we will live,” he teaches us that the duration of our lives is in the hands of God. Or: God governs how long we will live. Or: God is ultimately in control of life and death. We may not know how long our vapor-like life will linger in the air, but God knows because God decides how long we will live: “If the Lord wills we will live.” And James is saying: If this is a true view of life and God, then it should shape our mindset and shape our way of talking.

In Acts 18:21, Paul left Ephesus and said, “I will return to you again if God wills.” In 1 Corinthians 4:19 he writes, “I will come to you soon if the Lord wills.” For most of his life, he did not know if the next town might be his burial place. That was in the hands of God. And so are our lives. God will decide how long we live and when we die. James’ point is: that God means for that truth – that reality – to shape our mindset and our attitude and our words. He means for that truth to be known and spoken about. He means for it to be a part of the substance of our conversation. God means for a true view of himself to be known and believed and embraced and cherished and kept in mind and spoken of. “Instead you ought to say . . .”

Now, there is another truth about God in verse 15: When he says, “If God wills we will . . . do this or that,” he teaches us that the activities and accomplishments of our lives are in God’s hands. God governs what we accomplish. Not only are our lives in his hands, our success is in his hands. “Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” “If the Lord wills . . . we will do this or that.” And if the Lord does not will, we will not do this or that. Whether we do this or that in all of our business is in the hands of God.

So what was wrong with what these people said in verse 13: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit'”? What’s wrong with that? What’s wrong is that it does not give expression to a true view of life or God. Specifically, it does not give expression to the truth that life is a vapor, and it does not give expression to the truth that God governs the length of our lives and the achievements of our lives.

Is there a deeper problem here than just the absence of true words and the presence of bad theology? Yes, there is, and James describes it in verse 16: “But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.” The root problem is arrogance or pride, and the expression of that arrogance, he says, is “boasting.” And all they said was, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” That’s all they said. And James calls it boasting and says it’s rooted in arrogance. I look very carefully to the bible as well as to my own life to see what real arrogance is. It is arrogant not to believe in the heart and confess with the lips that how long you live and what you accomplish are ultimately in the hands of God. How are you planning? With God on your mind or in your own thoughts and strength? My prayer for you is that you take a look at the plans you are making and consider God in all of them.

-Andy Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. Is it important to you to do your planning (and speaking of them) as James, and God, teach here in James 4? If so, how can you work at keeping God foremost in all of your planning? How can you share that with others when you speak of your plans?
  2. How often do you remember that your life is a vapor and your life and death and activities are in God’s hands? How does keeping that in mind affect your thoughts, words and plans?
  3. How are you sometimes guilty of pride and arrogant boasting? What is the remedy?
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If the Lord Wills

OLD TESTAMENT READING: ISAIAH 63 & 64

POETRY READING: PSALM 90

NEW TESTAMENT READING: James 4

As we focus on James 4. We are going to look particularly at 4:13-16. Let’s walk through this text together, see the picture of God that is here, and how James says it should affect us. Who Is James addressing?

James 4:13, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.'”

James is reprimanding some folks here – perhaps businessmen or merchants – but it is stated very broadly to include virtually anyone. Anyone who does what? Five things:

1.      They plan to set out on a trip today or tomorrow: “Today or tomorrow we will go . . .”

2.      They plan to arrive at a destination: “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city.”

3.      They plan to spend a certain amount of time there: “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city and spend a year there.”

4.      They plan to engage in business and carry through a plan of action while they are in that city: “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, and engage in business.”

5.      They plan for the business to have certain results: “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, and engage in business, and make a profit.”

What’s the problem here? Is this wrong? To plan and intend to go places and do things? No, not really. In verse 15 he is going to say it is legitimate to plan to do this or that. What’s wrong then if it’s not planning?

What’s wrong is that the plan that is made in verse 13 is made in the mind and spoken with the mouth (“Come now you who say . . .”) without taking a true view of life and God into account. Verse 14 talks about the true view of life that is not being considered, and verse 15 talks about the true view of God that is not being considered when they plan their business venture.

In verse 14, James says to those who are planning this business venture: “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” In other words, in all your planning and in all your talk about your planning (“Come now you who say . . .” verse 13) you are not taking this view of life into account.

My Life Is a Vapor. So What? So what is the point? The point is that for James, and for God, it matters whether a true view of life informs and shapes the way you think and how you speak about your plans. Your mindset matters. How you talk about your plans matters. Think about this. Believing that your life is a vapor may make no practical, bottom-line difference in whether you plan to do business in a place for one month or one year, or ten years. But, in James’ mind – and he speaks for God – it makes a difference how you think about it and talk about it. “Come now you who say . . .”

Why? Why does that matter? Because God created us not just to do things and go places with our bodies, but to have certain attitudes, convictions, and verbal descriptions that reflect the truth – a true view of life and God. God means for the truth about himself and about life to be known and felt and spoken as part of our reason for being. In other words, it not only matters that you have a right view of life when you make your plans – you are like a vapor – but it also matters that you have a right view of God as you make your plans. And that you give an expression of this true view of God: “You ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.'” Look at some of the plans you have made and ask yourself today “Have I considered God”? We will finish James 4 tomorrow and answer the question “What is the right view of God?

-Andy Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. As Andy suggests, look at some of the plans you have made and ask yourself today “Have I considered God”?
  2. How does remembering that your life is a vapor affect your planning and how you speak about your planning?
  3. What does the phrase, “If the Lord wills” mean to you? Do you use the phrase? Do you have that mindset? How would it affect your hearers if you were to use it?
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Fulfillment

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 61-62

Poetry Reading: Psalm 89

New TestamentReading: James 3

Every city has a story. My parents and extended family grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and most school breaks, I went to Cleveland. While some refer to it as “the mistake on the lake”, I love the city! I like the architecture and history, the cultural diversity and ethnic foods, the Westside market, being right on Lake Erie, the Metropark system, a plethora of cute donut shops putting my hometown in southern Indiana to shame, and what is still my favorite ice cream place ever, Malley’s! But, while I enjoyed visiting and genuinely liked the place, I didn’t have the memories of what it used to be like or appreciate the changes as much as those in my family who had known its previous years. It seemed like around every corner though someone had a story. My Dad’s old high school is now an apartment complex. My Mom’s old church that she went to take pictures of is….shall we say…. no longer in a neighborhood welcoming cheerful little ladies in Oldsmobiles with cameras driving slowly down the street snapping photos and pointing. Now Cleveland hasn’t been destroyed like Jerusalem was, and it is still a great city, but as a person who never saw the “olden days”, I couldn’t appreciate all of the changes in the same way. In today’s reading of Isaiah 61, I think it is important to remember that Isaiah KNEW Jerusalem.  He had grown up there in its glory days, and he knew what it had been. Similar to stories of people who see their cities and countries devastated by war today, Isaiah had seen a city destroyed.  When he uses phrases like verse 4 “ancient ruins” and “devastations of many generations”, he could visualize exactly what it used to be.  How painful that must have been without the promise God gave him that he shared with others through his prophecy.

The Hebrew name for Jerusalem is Yerushalayim which I recently learned while attending a Bible study, is a combination of the Hebrew word “Yireh” (referencing an abiding place) and “Shalem” (meaning peace or complete). Hence….sometimes we hear “the City of Peace”. Hmm. If you haven’t heard much about Jerusalem yourself, a quick Wikipedia scan of facts doesn’t seem to cry out “city of peace” to me:

  • destroyed twice
  • besieged 23 times
  • attacked 52 times
  • captured and recaptured 44 times

And really, who could possibly keep count of the violence and destruction given – it’s one of the world’s oldest cities. But, it is also a city of current world conflict, not just the past. We see its involvement in current world events, and we can read of its historical and future significance in the Bible. In fact, Jerusalem is mentioned over 800 times in the Bible! It seems to be a place that is important to God. Eternal peace also seems to be important to Him, and while Isaiah saw the city destroyed once, Isaiah also prophesied the LORD’s message regarding a coming day of peace that we’ve read about several times this week already.

For those hearing this in Isaiah’s days (and for the next 700 years or so!) there would have been some questions. While we certainly still have our own questions today, Jesus himself takes care of explaining Isaiah 61 pretty nicely in Luke 4.

“And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. And He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

18 “the spirit of the lord is upon me,

because he anointed me to bring good news to the poor.

he has sent me to proclaim release to captives,

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to set free those who are oppressed,

19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

20 And He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all the people in the synagogue were intently directed at Him. 21 Now He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

 New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 2020), Lk 4:16–21.

I love to picture Jesus just unrolling the scroll written ~700 years before, skimming along to see….oh yes….this is one of the passages talking about me.

Some of Isaiah’s prophecies are already fulfilled, some are yet to achieve complete fulfillment in the New Jerusalem. But, in our generation, we have the privilege of looking back at so many already which have taken place to provide assurance and hope for the best one yet to come. We can thank God that through Jesus, we do have peace and reconciliation with Him, and one day, we will all live in true peace. Until then, may we all seek to know the word of God the way Jesus did, may we all seek to be peacemakers, and may we share the message of true peace with others in a world in desperate need.

Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth:

Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation is coming;

Behold His reward is with Him, and His compensation before Him.”

12 And they will call them, “The holy people,

The redeemed of the Lord”;

And you will be called, “Sought Out, A City Not Abandoned.

 New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 2020), Is 62:11–12.

-Jennifer Hall

Reflection Questions:

1. Jerusalem isn’t alone in not always being a place of peace. Our minds can be places of war and devastation sometimes. What worried, anxious, angry, depressed, un-peaceful weights should you share with the LORD through Jesus today?

2. How does looking back over history and seeing scriptures fulfilled boost your confidence in the Bible and its message? Are there questions you have that you could ask someone in the body of Christ?

3. How can you use the hope of Isaiah’s message to find peace with God and to be a peacemaker in situations in your life?

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First This, Then This

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 57-58

Poetry Reading: Psalm 87

New Testament Reading: James 1

The last few chapters of Isaiah have been full of day brighteners including promises of a Messiah with an everlasting reign and abundant pardon and forgiveness. Today, we start with some well deserved reminders that the LORD does chastise the disobedient. While His mercies are great, as recipients of that, He calls us to obedience for His glory. And sometimes, direct communication is just what we need. I found it quite effective in verse 3 when my attention was caught by,

“But come here, you sons of a sorceress,

Offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute!”

 New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 2020), Is 57:3.

In fact, the exclamation point alone caught my eye since they aren’t nearly as common in the Bible as they are in some of my written communications!!!

Does it seem harsh? Well, umm…let’s see. These people are literally generations deep into a smorgasbord of pagan/idolatrous practices like we see in verses 5-6: worshipping false Gods through things like infant sacrifice “slaying of children” to Molech, dark caves and clefts of rock often used for pagan superstitious practices, and lusting toward tree idols as the Assyrians did. While it sounds so foreign and wrong, it doesn’t take too much work to see a parallel to our contemporary society. We are a nation full of pagan practices, and while hanging out in dark caves might not be our thing, we are entrenched in ungodly customs and superstitions that are so infiltrated we don’t even always recognize them. Slaying of children brings one practice to mind against which thankfully some states like my own in Indiana have put some new laws in place recently, and we are also a people truly idolizing many earthly things as Philippians 3:19 tells us.

However, as always, it seems that there is comfort to be found for the contrite and humble before God as Isaiah 57:15-16 says.  And that comfort is contrasted to the never ending turmoil of the waves symbolizing the wicked. I generally think of waves as peaceful things. The type of noise people want on white noise machines, the type of view we use for meditations and/or swirling about behind worship songs on the projector screens, but the waves themselves never really do get a rest, do they? The waves are full of muck and mire. Always crashing and tossing amidst turmoil causing erosion and destruction in some cases. Makes me get motion sickness just picturing that as my lot in life. It sounds awful to be stuck as a “wave”, and in turn, worth reading this chapter of rebuke and seeking to be contrite in heart.

The next chapter of Isaiah 58 made me think of work when I noticed a few repeated words of “if” and “then”. As an occupational therapist, some of the children I work with have a variety of behavioral and developmental challenges, autism, sensory processing dysfunction, etc. A technique that works with some children struggling to make sense of information and attend to a task is a simple cue of “First this, Then this”.  We have signs up in our clinic with “first” and “then” labels and pictures choices they can select, and sometimes we just use the words themselves.  Many times a day I say things like “first wash hands, then play” or “first shoes, then run”. It helps kids direct attention and understand what to do next, and it works far better than most adult ramblings and attempts to verbally rationalize the request or directions. A simple directive communicated in a way they understand, and often a preferred “then” can really help some people understand the task before them. Isaiah 58 reminded me of this.  We don’t need a rationalization or justification from God for his directions to us. And in this chapter, He mentions some of His “firsts”:

  • care for the hungry
  • provide shelter for the wanderer
  • satisfy the oppressed
  • stop malicious talk and arguing
  • stop pointing fingers
  • stop doing as you please!

It is really important to intentionally consider what the LORD’s firsts are sometimes because unfortunately they are in stark contrast to what the world’s noise tells us. I see no firsts commanding the American dream, “me time”, building wealth, being a busy beaver, living vacation to vacation, or “you do you”. In fact, we are flat out told the opposite.  “Stop doing as you please” is simply not a cultural norm in America, so knowing that a Biblical worldview is in contrast to the worldview so prevalent around us is important.

Because THEN. . .

Then your light will rise in darkness,

And your gloom will become like midday.

 “And the Lord will continually guide you,

And satisfy your desire in scorched places,

And give strength to your bones;

And you will be like a watered garden,

And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

“Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;

You will raise up the age-old foundations;

And you will be called the repairer of the breach,

The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

 New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 2020), Is 58:10–12.

-Jennifer Hall

Reflection Questions:

1. What conviction might you find in reading Isaiah 57 as you consider your nation? your church family? you personally?

2. Which of God’s “firsts” might you need to emphasize in your life?

3. Which of your “firsts” might you need to deemphasize?

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Abundantly Pardoned

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 55-56

Poetry Reading: Psalm 86

New Testament: Book of James Intro – found below

Today’s Old Testament reading of Isaiah 55-56 is another encouraging message for those who reflect and return to God. Along with instructions to listen carefully, incline ears, and come to Him, we also read terms like mercy, compassion, and the phrase “abundantly pardon”.  People who return to God ( a daily need it seems!) are not just scraping by in a free trial period or conditional agreement. They are abundantly pardoned. The preceding chapters told us how (and through whom) that works, and it is not through anything we do. We are unworthy, but when we seek Him, we are recipients of abundant love, provision, and pardon in ways we far too often take for granted.

Some of my favorite passages in the Bible are the ones that remind me that God’s ways are perfect, and He has a plan and understanding that is superior to mine.  One example is Proverbs 16:9, and another is right here in Isaiah 55:9: 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways

And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

 New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 2020), Is 55:9.

 I don’t know how you feel, but I read this and I say…..thank goodness!

As I was reading along in Isaiah 55 the reference to the plants stood out to me in verse 13. I really enjoy plants….learning about them, looking at them, growing them, sometimes killing them, watching perennials spread and annuals do their thing, seeing flowers turn into fruits, milkweed attract monarchs, learning about their medicinal and nutritional uses, smelling them. Pretty much, God’s creation of plants and nature are good things for us all around! (In fact, I learned a new term at work recently from a colleague who works with me with our pediatric patients who all need more time outside it seems, and if you haven’t heard of “forest bathing”…..it’s a thing!)  But, back to verse 13.  I was familiar with juniper, but wanted a reminder what the myrtle plant was that was going to replace stinging nettle.

And while I learned myrtle is apparently a lovely, fragrant, evergreen shrub, I also learned that it is quite Biblically significant. It is referenced as a choice plant according to Isaiah 41 and included in Zechariah’s prophecy. Interestingly, it also pops up in the book of Esther since her Hebrew name (instead of the Persian one), Hadassah, is the feminine form of the word “hadas” or “myrtle”.  Jews and Christians celebrating the Feast of Booths often use myrtle in their sukkots and celebrations. In fact, that is coming up next week so myrtle of the world is undoubtedly getting ready to make some appearances!

But, whether or not you ever see or grow myrtle, the message of a beautiful, fragrant, fertile, eternal hope God has in store for you is one to keep alive no matter what!

Isaiah 56 continues to call God’s people to a pursuit of righteousness and obedience and shares the promise with those of us who may not be biological descendants of Jacob.

-Jennifer Hall

Reflection Questions:

1. Consider the abundant, complete, and perfect pardoning you have received regardless of the gunk in your life. Have you allowed God to share that forgiveness and hope?

2. What is hard about sharing forgiveness and mercy toward others as we are called to do as followers of Jesus? How can you extend abundant pardon toward another today?

3. As you reflect on God’s ways being higher than yours, how can you better trust and rely on Him to plan your steps and make sense of this world even when you don’t get it?

Book of James Introduction

The Book of James was written by a man named James, who was probably the brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55) and the leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13).  The book was written to the Jews who were scattered among the nations.  These Jews were obviously persecuted based on the way James started chapter 1.  These may have been Jews who were part of the Jerusalem church that were scattered after Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 8:1). 

The main point of the book is to encourage the reader to actively live faithfully for God.  This can be summed up by looking at a couple of verses:

James 1:21 – Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

James 1:22 – Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.

James 2:17 – …faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

James 4:17 – Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

Here are some interesting verses about the author:

  • Acts 12:17 –  After Peter was rescued from prison, he told his friends to tell James and the other brothers and sisters…
  • Acts 15:13 – James was an important member of the council that met in Jerusalem
  • Acts 21:18 – Paul went to see James after Paul’s last missionary journey to give James a detailed report of his missionary journeys
  • 1 Corinthians 15:7 – Jesus appeared to James, then to all the apostles
  • Galatians 1:19 – Paul went to see James on his first trip to Jerusalem after his conversion
  • Galatians 2:9 – Paul called James a pillar of the church
  • Jude 1:1 – Jude identified himself as the brother of James

As you read the book of James, consider how it applies to you:  How do you react during trials?  How do you treat those who are less fortunate than yourself?  How do you speak?  Do you resist the devil and draw near to God?  Are your prayers powerful and effective?

I’ll close with James 5:20, “remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his ways will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”

–Steve Mattison

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