Day 177 2 Kings 9:14‐10:31; Acts 17:1‐34; Psalm 144:1‐15; Proverbs 17:27‐28 Silence Is Golden “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent and discerning if he holds his tongue.” – Proverbs 17:27-28 What powerful words are these two…
Day 176 2 Kings 8:1‐9:13; Acts 16:16‐40; Psalm 143:1‐12; Proverb 17:26 The Adventures of Following Jesus Following Jesus is an adventure. There are so many moments in this narrative from Acts that seem to be matter of fact. A deliverance of a slave girl from demons, being beaten and thrown in jail, singing praise in…
I believe it grieves our Lord when we fail to maintain the bonds of fellowship, regardless of how “right” we may believe the cause.
Day 174 2 Kings 4:18‐5:27; Acts 15:1‐35; Psalm 141:1‐10; Proverb 17:23 The Temptation Trap When you are surrounded by corrupt people on every side and when your environment is one which is hostile to the Christian life, it can be very easy to lose conviction and be drawn into sin. This is the situation out…
Day 173 2 Kings 3:1‐4:17; Acts 14:8‐28; Psalm 140:1‐13; Proverb 17:22 Rise Up, O Lord! One of the main concerns of our day is oppression. There are many people, groups, and individuals, across the nation and around the world who are experiencing some form of oppression. Oppression can show itself in the work place, the…
Day 172 2 Kings 1:1‐2:25; Acts 13:42‐14:7; Psalm 139:1‐24; Proverbs 17:19‐21 A Plea for Intimacy When the psalmist had meditated on the absolute knowledge of God, he sent up a plea for intimacy. Prayers like this inevitably bring us into a closer and more intimate union with the holy fire of God’s love. Prayer: “Search…
Day 171 1 Kings 22:1-53; Acts 13:6-41; Psalm 138:1-8; Proverbs 17:17-18 What God Wants Me to Hear In order to conquer the King of Aram, with whom he had been at war for three years, Ahab, king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (a very bad king who “did evil in the sight of the…
Day 170 1 Kings 20:1‐21:29; Acts 12:24‐13:15; Psalm 137:1‐9; Proverbs 17:16 Songs of Joy from the Depths The wonderful thing about the Psalms is their earthiness. Many psalms find us praising God at the footstool of His throne. Yet sometimes we are not there. Sometimes we have to relate to God when we are in…
Day 169 1 Kings 19:1‐21; Acts 12:1‐23; Psalm 136:1‐26; Proverbs 17:14‐15 Everlasting Love “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good” (v.1) Psalm 136 asks us to take a moment and thank God for His goodness to us. The repeated phrase, “His love endures forever,” answers our question of why we should give thanks….
Day 168 1 Kings 18:1‐46; Acts 11:1‐30; Psalm 135:1‐21; Proverbs 17:12‐13 God Is Good While Psalm 134 is a call to praise the Lord, Psalm 135 provides motives for praise. We are all servants of the Lord, and we are all ministers of the house of the Lord; therefore, this psalm provides us all with…
Day 167 1 Kings 15:25‐17:24; Acts 10:23b‐48; Psalm 134:1‐3; Proverbs 17:9‐11 Praise Is the Goal Psalm 134 is the last of the Songs of Ascents. The goal of the Israelite pilgrimage was worship at the temple of the Lord. When the pilgrim would “arrive,” those who ministered at the temple were called to praise the…
Today’s readings shine a spotlight on the contrast between honesty and deceit, between duplicitous actions and trustworthy motives and actions.
