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Matthew 1-2 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 1:1-2:23.

“…and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar…and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab…And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah…” (Matthew 1:3-6).

Wow! Look at Jesus’ family. They are messed up. Tamar pretended to be a harlot to be impregnated by her disobedient father-in-law. Salmon married a harlot. David committed adultery, murder, and wife-mulitplying, then had a child by the woman of the man he murdered. This is where Jesus came from? Really?

Maybe something good can come from my family too.

I am comforted today. If God could make a silk purse out of the sow’s ear of Jesus’ family, then God can do great things through me and my family as well. I don’t have to despair because we aren’t good enough or like someone else’s family. The great issue is not how great my family is but how great my God is. That’s where I’m going to rest today.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can add your input by clicking here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

2 Corinthians 10-11 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 10:1-11:33.

“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends” (2 Corinthians 10:17-18).

I need to read this every day. How easily I want to boast in me. I preached a sermon. I wrote a post. I put together some class material. I led a study. I baptized someone. I, I, I, I, I. Me, me, me, me, me. Someone complimented a sermon or class. Someone told me a blog post meant something to them. My head begins to swell, I start checking my stats. I start thinking I’m something.

God? Who is God?

Of course, I would never say that out loud. I would never even consciously think that. Instead, I would just not consciously think about God and His involvement. I just sometimes tacitly forget about God in my fervor to make sure you’ve heard about me. Have I told you about me yet? I’m pretty cool.

But then I remember that I am nothing. I think about where I’ve actually ended up when I was doing things my way and on my own. It wasn’t pretty. Anything I may accomplish for good is totally and completely by the grace of God. If I preach a sermon, it is because God gave the opportunity. If I actually say something meaningful and helpful, it is because God granted the words. If I get to baptize someone, it is because God caused the growth. I’m just a servant. I just go where I’m told and do what God says. Have I told you about God yet? He’s pretty cool.

Keep the faith and keep reading.

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Add your input by clicking the following link: Post a Comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Today’s reading is 1 Corinthians 10:1-11:34.

“Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

“Oh, I’ll never do that.” “I can’t believe that so-and-so did such-and-such, I’d never do that.” “I used to have that problem. Now I’ve got it under control.” These are the words of those who think they stand. They are words that I’ve said far too often. Usually I’ve said them just before a colossal fall. It almost seems like Satan is just waiting around to hear these kinds of words so he can jump on the attack and prove us wrong.

The real problem here is not with standing. It is actually thinking we can stand on our own two legs. Not so. We must quit standing and instead lean on God. We will only overcome the tempter if we rely on God. Sadly, the world wants to tell us God is a crutch. When we hear that, we think it is a negative. The problem with the world is they desperately want to stand on their own. They think they can. Yet, they are falling. I need a crutch, not in the negative connotation of  the word. But, I need to recognize that I’m broken. If I try to stand without God as my crutch to lean on, I’m going to fall.

The moment I decide that I’ve healed enough and can stand on my own without the crutch of Christ’s cross to lean on, that is when I will crumble under the weight of sin again.

Today, I’m not going to stand. I’m going to lean.

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Click Here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

I Peter 1-2 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is I Peter 1:1-2:25.

“When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (I Peter 2:23).

If only I could learn this. When I am reviled, I want to revile in return. When I suffer, I want to threaten. I call up my friends to vent and fume in my own frustration. I want others to know I have been wronged. I want vindication. I want vengeance. And I want it on my terms. I want the one who has wronged me to grovel at my feet, declaring to the whole world how wrong they were to mistreat me. And if no one else will get them to do it, then I will. I start to turn a cold shoulder. I start to harp on their sins. I try to get sideways digs whenever I can. I always do that with a passive aggressive approach so I can say I was just kidding or they didn’t understand what I really meant.

But that is not how Jesus responded. Jesus simply entrusted Himself to God. God will judge justly. If the other person deserves judgment, God will give it. Jesus did not have to. That left Him free to simply save the world.

How freeing is that? God doesn’t need me to do His judging job. I can let Him do that. When I increase my faith in Him to do what is right by me and everyone else, I am free to love as He loves. I am free to have peace because I don’t have to anxiously be worried that somebody might get away with something. I don’t have to develop ulcers over worrying about what everyone else is doing. I can just accept what is happening, own my side of it, and trust God to take care of it. Not to mention all the work I can get done if I use that venting and fuming time for more constructive purposes.

Today, I’ll let God be the judge. I’ll just work on trusting Him and loving others.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click here to add your input.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Acts 27-28 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Acts 27:1-28:31.

“And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier that guarded him” (Acts 28:16).

From one capital to another. The gospel started in Jerusalem, the capital of a backwater district of malcontents that were always causing the Romans problems. By the end of Acts it is in Rome. By the time Paul got there, Christ had already arrived. There were brethren there to visit him and uplift him.

I can’t help but think if God could do that with the gospel in the Middle East and Europe, He can do that with the Gospel here in Brownsburg, Indiana. He can do that with the gospel wherever you are. Why did this happen? Sure, Paul was a great preacher and a world traveler. But the real power behind this success was God.

Today, I need to remember that the Gospel can have success, not because I’m the messenger. The Gospel can have success because God is the power behind it. I need to rely on Him today and let Him be the leader that gets the Gospel spread where I live. I’m just His servant, doing what He says, going where He sends.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can add your input by clicking here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Today’s reading is 1 Corinthians 16:1-24; 2 Corinthians 1:1-24.

“For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits” (1 Corinthians 16:7).

How often I forget the Lord in my plans. How often I want to figure out how my future is going to work out, what I’m going to do, what plans will be in place without taking the Lord into consideration. When I act like that, my plans fall flat. My life goes exceedingly better when I live by the Lord’s permission. When I recognize that I can go here and there, accomplish this and that only if the Lord wills, my life runs smoother, if only because I recognize a stronger and better hand is leading it. When I remember in my praying to seek His will above mine, to ask not simply for what I want but that God will give me the strength to accept and respond appropriately when He gives me what He wants, my life is more peaceful, if only because I have prepared the way to accept what comes from God’s hand instead of expecting God’s gifts to be what I want.

If the Lord permits. That will be my motto today. And if the Lord permits, we’ll read and comment on more of His word on Monday.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 2 Peter 2:1-3:18.

“Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment” (2 Peter 2:9).

God was able to rescue lot from Sodom and Gomorrah. But that rescue was not simply from the destruction that would come upon them. No, it was rescue from their perversity and sin. Lot was tormented by their unrighteousness and God delivered him from that. In the same way, though we are surrounded by temptation and trial, God can keep us and protect us.

Instead of facing my temptations and trying to overcome them on my own. I need to flee into God’s arms and let Him protect me. I need to simply find His direction and follow it. He will be able to protect me from my temptations. He will be able to protect me from myself. As long as I’m fighting the battles with my own strength, I will fall. But when I rely on God and turn to Him for protection, He will give it. I can take comfort knowing that God is actively working on my behalf to protect me from sin.

Today, I need to get into God’s word, find His direction for me and follow it. That is the only way I’ll overcome.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

PPS: For all you sticklers out there, I know we have no idea what the fruit in the garden was. If you find a picture that represents temptation without an apple, send it my way.