Bible in 90 Days - Days 37 & 38

I'm still trying to catch up with my reading after having missed both Sabbath and Sunday. Today I finished reading Job (should be on Psalm 45). Tomorrow I'll try to read through Psalm 45 and then I will be only one day behind. Hopefully I can catch up fully by this weekend.

Job is still a bit confusing to me. I understand the basic story. Satan attacks Job because God says that Job is perfect. Job mourns his losses but doesn't curse God. Job's friends chastise Job for harboring secret sin when Job hasn't done anything wrong. Another friend sticks up for Job but lectures him about not portraying God correctly. God tells Job that Job isn't God. Job gains back all his prior wealth (plus some) and has a second set of children.

I don't understand why Elihu was lecturing Job. I also don't understand the exchange between God and Job. I'm going to add this book to my list of Bible topics to come back and study later this year. While I am reading through the Bible quickly, I miss the in-depth study.

Playing catch up

I missed a second day (yesterday) in the Bible in 90 days program. I'm pretty bummed about it, but I'm trying to catch up. I'm half way through Job but should be around Psalm 24. Tomorrow, I'm planning on finishing up Job and starting Psalms.

Job's story is a real tear jerker. He lost everything but his wife and his own life. All in one day, he lost his cattle, his servants, and his children. That's like losing your family and all your wealth. Unfortunately, Job's friends are accusing Job of harboring secret sin. They believed that God was punishing Job for something.

It's been a long time since I've read Job, but I'm looking forward to seeing what God's response is.

Missing a day

I'm not exactly happy about it, but I've decided to skip my Bible reading today. The schedule allows for two miss days but I haven't missed anything thus far. I'm at my brother's house until tomorrow and there is no quiet here. The house has been full of people all day, sometimes up to 30 at a time.

My dad, his friend, and myself went to church this morning. I've been begging to attend church here each time we visit, but I've never been able to get anyone to take me. Thankfully, my dad decided that we would go this morning. The church service was really nice. The church is small, as this is a tiny military town. The people were very friendly and I was happy to spend an hour worshiping God in the middle of this crazy day.

I'm really glad to spend time with my brother, but I miss my husband. I love the life we have together and I like the routines, our time together, and my own bed! Sometimes I feel silly missing him so much when I'm rarely away from home and usually only for a weekend at a time. But we've been married only four years and I still want to spend every single day by his side.

Must Rush!

I was going to post about today's Bible reading but I am out of time. I'm leaving in about 20 minutes to head down to my brother's house for a mini family reunion. I guess I'll have to combine today's thoughts with tomorrow's.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Bible in 90 Days - Day 35

Today's reading covered the entirety of Nehemiah. This is the first time I've read Nehemiah as one story. It's only 13 chapters, but there are still a few genealogy and city lists. Thankfully, most of it was really interesting.

The story is about Nehemiah rebuilding the Jerusalem. He received permission from Artaxerxes to return to Jerusalem and repair the city. There were several setbacks along the way, but ultimately, Nehemiah was successful. After the project was complete, Nehemiah reads the entire law to the people. In return, the people confess their sins and ask for God's forgiveness. Included in this confession is an admission to how often Israel backslides.

But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the land of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies
Nehemiah 9:28.

Many times, Israel did evil before the Lord. Many times, the Lord left them under the hand of their enemies. Many times did Israel repent and cry unto the Lord. And many times did the Lord "deliver them according to [His] mercies." I am so glad our God is merciful.

Bible in 90 Days - Day 34

I have arrived at the period of the captivities. Today's reading covered 2 Chronicles 36 through Ezra 10. That's all of Ezra.

Most of the reading was about the rebuilding of the temple. Were they allowed to build the temple or weren't they? Was the king going to allow the Israelites to rebuild the temple or was a group of naysayers going to convince the king that Israel would rebel against him once the project was complete?

The story summed up as follows:

And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia
Ezra 6:14.

Bible in 90 Days - Day 33

Today I read 2 Chronicles 23-35. I think Chronicles does have some additional information than what Kings covers. But I have a hard time remembering the difference between each king, much less the differences between the stories in Chronicles and Kings. Sometime I'll have to make a list...

This was an interesting text:

And he [Amaziah] did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart
2 Chronicles 25:2.

Amaziah kept God's commandments and did the right things. But his heart didn't match up with his actions. That means it would be possible for me to do the right things but not have a heart that is one with God. Is that having works without faith?

But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests
2 Chronicles 29:34.

I thought the above text was really interesting as well. Position is also no guarantee of a perfect heart. The priests had a constant reminder of God's love and commands. And yet here was an example of everyday people being more upright in heart than the leaders. This would also prove to be the case in Christ's day.

I'm not a priest, nor a king, but I hope that God can give me a perfect heart like His. I want to love like God does, not love like a selfish human being loves.