April 25

2CO 5:7, 14, 16, 19 ESV

for we walk by faith, not by sight. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

April 24

1SA 11:6-7, 11-13 ESV

And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!” Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out as one man. And the next day Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.  Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”

Verses from My Daily Reading

I thought it might be interesting to occasionally share these.

I'd like to see some of yours,  too.

MRK 10:32 ESV

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him,

2CO 2:17 ESV

For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

PSA 97:3-5, 8-9, 11 ESV

Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around.  His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles.  The mountains melt like wax before the Lord , before the Lord of all the earth.  Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O Lord .  For you, O Lord , are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.   Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.

Finding a Space for God

March and April tend to be tough months for me to keep up with my Bible reading because my children are involved in multiple activities in these two months. Because I've chosen to read at night and most activities for teens take place at night, I find myself missing reading.

I've said elsewhere that you can use the days at the end of the month, but there is a limit to that and of late I've come too close to that limit.

So I had to start making sure that I wasn't missing opportunities to do my reading. I see these as opportunities that God gives me. I pray for them when I realize I need them.

This week, I was meeting a friend, and used the ten or fifteen minutes when I got there and before she arrived to do most of my daily reading. Another morning I woke up an hour earlier than usual, something I usually grumble about, and read three days of readings and then went ahead and read that evening even though in theory I had read that day. Between these two small events, I am now back to being on track.

I encourage you to look for those spaces in your life where you can quietly read for a moment or two. Use technology so you can read like I did while waiting in a public space. Pray and ask for those spaces for God from God. You won't regret it.