Day 207 2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34; Romans 9:22-10:13; Psalm 20:1-9; Proverbs 20:2-3 Listening to the Other Voice One of the benefits of our technology-enabled “information society” is that we have so many choices about where we will get information. But that doesn’t mean that all sources of information are equally valuable – usually because, despite their…
Day 206 2 Chronicles 14:1‐16:14; Romans 9:1‐21; Psalm 19:1‐14; Proverbs 20:1 Get Your Heart Right As I read and pray through today’s scriptures, I find myself fascinated and filled with awe as I see how God works through His people. In the reading from Chronicles, we see the great and wise King Asa as he…
Day 205 2 Chronicles 11:1‐13:22; Romans 8:22‐39; Psalm 18:37‐50; Proverbs 19:27‐29 Idolatry of Self-Reliance A few years back, I heard a well-respected preacher and teacher exclaim, “The two biggest sins of the Old Testament are idolatry and self-reliance!” His off-the-cuff remark sums up our reading from 2 Chronicles. In chapter 12, verse 2 we are…
Day 204 2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19; Romans 8:9-21; Psalm 18:16-36; Proverbs 19:26 Our Identity in Christ “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with…
Day 203 2 Chronicles 6:12-8:10; Romans 7:14-8:8; Psalm 18:1-15; Proverbs 19:24-25 If My People Who Are Called by My Name “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and…
Day 202 2 Chronicles 4:1‐6:11; Romans 7:1‐13; Psalm 17:1‐15; Proverbs 19:22‐23 Hallowed Halls In 1985, my fiancée and I sat in Chicago Symphony Hall as the orchestra warmed up. Both of us liked classical music, but we had never heard a live performance. On a whim, we bought some tickets. Dressed in jeans and sweatshirts,…
Day 201 2 Chronicles 1:1‐3:17; Romans 6:1‐23; Psalm 16:1‐11; Proverbs 19:20‐21 Slave to Sin or Righteousness Paul begins this chapter of Romans in what would seem to be in dialogue with an imaginary opponent in a debate over grace and sin. The opponent is saying that if God’s grace is great enough to forgive sin,…
Day 200 1 Chronicles 28:1‐29:30; Romans 5:6‐21; Psalm 15:1‐5; Proverbs 19:18‐19 History Matters We all like to believe that with God there is always a new beginning, and that we can accomplish anything with God at our side… at least if the preponderance of memes I see on Facebook are any indication. Unfortunately, it is…
Day 199 1 Chronicles 26:12‐27:34; Romans 4:13‐5:5; Psalm 14:1‐7; Proverbs 19:17 Why We Choose Christ! Why would anyone choose to follow Christ? To become a Christian? To own this faith and identity? There are probably lots of answers to those questions. Here in this section from Romans 5, we are given several of the many…
Day 198 1 Chronicles 24:1‐26:11; Romans 4:1‐12; Psalm 13:1‐6; Proverbs 19:15‐16 David’s Cry for Triumph As I read today’s Psalm, I am struck by the pleading done by David. He is sad and feeling far from God and begging God to show His face yet again. “How long will my enemy triumph over me?” he…
Day 197 1 Chronicles 22:1‐23:32; Romans 3:9‐31; Psalm 12:1‐8; Proverbs 19:13‐14 Bad News, Good News Our passage today in Romans 3 is a vital one to understanding our condition without Christ and our position in Christ as believers. Paul points out (using selected verses from the Hebrew Scriptures) that both those who know the Law…
Day 196 1 Chronicles 19:1‐21:30; Romans 2:25‐3:8; Psalm 11:1‐7; Proverbs 19:10‐12 Leave the Results to the Lord King David is seemingly on a roll! He has come against formidable foes and defeated them in rapid succession. He has defeated the Amorites, the Syrians, and even the Philistines with their giants! Through his military might, his…
