Thursday, January 3, 2013

Psalms of Asaph

Today's Reading:
  • Psalm 75:1 - 10
  • Psalm 76:1 - 12
Read Bible Passages Online

Psalms 75 & 76
Psalm 76 is a psalm of Asaph.  Psalms 73, 74 and 75 were also psalms of Asaph.  It is interesting to see the contrast between these four psalms.  Psalm 73, the first psalm of Asaph, pondered as to why the wicked prosper.  The 74th Psalm focused on a nation that needed deliverance from its enemies.  I remarked how little praise was in that psalm.  This was a major contrast to the psalms of David, whom praised the Lord even in his lowest of times. 

Psalm 75 is a short psalm that praises the Lord.  All the praise that was missing from the previous psalm was evident in this one.  It opens up by saying "we give thanks because you are near" -- so I wonder if the people are praising the Lord because deliverance was at hand?

The next psalm, number 76, tells of a defeat against enemies at the hand of God.  I think it's interesting how these four psalms together -- 73, 74, 75, 76 -- seem to tell one cohesive story.  This is what I like about studying the entire bible as a whole instead of just individual passages.  You can only divulge so much information from a passage.  The bible is so complex that all these separate passages, themes, stores, etc. all give purpose to one greater understanding. Isn't the bible the most amazing book?

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Obeying the Lord

Today's Reading:
  • Deuteronomy 26:1 - 27:26
Read Bible Passages Online

Deuteronomy 26:1 - 27:26
The people are preparing to go into the land that Lord has promised them.  They are being given instructions, and if these instructions are followed the Lord will bless the nation.  This passage from chapter 26 caught my attention:
18  The LORD has declared today that you are his people, his own special treasure, just as he promised, and that you must obey all his commands.
19  And if you do, he will set you high above all the other nations he has made.  Then you will receive praise, honor, and renown.   You will be a nation that is holy to the LORD you God, just as he promised.
 I think it's important to remember that God expects a commitment out of us when we declare ourselves to be a Christian.  We often focus on the fact that Christ died for us and that we are forgiven of our sins, but the Lord does expect that we obey Him after we accept Christ into our hearts. 

So this is what I'm keeping in mind as I start off the year 2013.  I need to be mindful that I am always obeying the Lord in all I do and say.  This is how I will show the Lord that I love Him.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

It's Time for me to Fess Up

Alright, it's time for me to fess up and tell you where I've been.  I have let this blog fall by the wayside ever since I started this little thing called grad school.  Yikes.  I was afraid that my graduate studies would get in the way, but saying it got in the way is an understatement.  It has consumed most of my non-working time.  This post is being written during my first break from school -- I have about three and a half weeks between my fall and spring semester.

I have not quit reading the bible, I just had to give myself permission to quit writing about it.  For awhile I was doing neither -- not reading, and not writing -- and feeling mighty guilty about it.  I realized that it was better to keep reading and not writing than it was to not do either.  That being said, I haven't been that faithful to my daily studies. 

It's almost a new year, and with that new year comes the realization that it's been a year since I set this blog up and made the original commitment.  My commitment still stands in that I WILL read through the entire bible and I WILL write about the entire thing, it just won't be in a year's time.  I will try to continue to get posts out, and will commit to doing better than I have in these previous few months.  I am also going to break the posts down further -- currently each post contains two readings, in the future they will contain one.  Anything I can do to keep myself reading, and writing when I can.

Please know that I haven't given up on this blog, and that I will never ever give up my faith or my commitment to study the word of God in its entirety.  May you all have a blessed 2013!