Chronological Bible Blog

August 12th Chronological Bible Readings

Jeremiah 23:33-24:10; Jeremiah 29:1-31:14
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~ Listen to today's Scripture on ESVBible.org ~

Jeremiah Chapter 24 and the good and bad figs is interesting. It's interesting in that the captives that end up in Babylon are the good figs - and those that stay behind in Judah & Jerusalem are the bad. You might think the opposite would be true. But, it seems that the 70 years of captivity coming up in Babylon will be a "refining" process for those Israelites, and will bring them back closer to God, before returning to the land.  In verse 1 we read: "After King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon exiled Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon along with the princes of Judah and all the skilled craftsmen, the LORD gave me this vision. I saw two baskets of figs placed in front of the LORD's Temple in Jerusalem."

Jeremiah 29:8-9 today tells us: "The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says, "Do not let the prophets and mediums who are there in Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams because they prophesy lies in my name. I have not sent them," says the Lord."  My thought on these verses is that often times I think that we too are tricked by lies that the world is often selling us. "Money, Power, Status, Sex-Appeal, etc. etc. are things to be strived for above all else" are the type of things that I think we often hear. But, are these True? Or are they tricks - are they lies? Will you find emptiness or happiness in what the world is selling you? Where can you find True happiness and peace? I think these questions are answered for us today in verses 11-13: "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me."  Are you looking for God in earnest?  If you've found God, are you following Him alone and not the tricksters of this world?  Do you believe that God has a beautiful plan for you and your life?  A plan much better than any plan you could dream up on your own?

Worship God:  The great news of Jeremiah 29:11 reminded me of the great Christian movie called "Facing the Giants." Have you seen this movie yet?  My wife and I just watched it for the first time a couple of weeks ago on DVD and loved it.  It's made by the same folks that made the movie "Fireproof."  Here's a trailer for it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xneiV7Ru6Q

Are you facing giants in your life? Click here for the One who can defeat all giants!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.

p.p.s. Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!

August 11th Chronological Bible Readings

Jeremiah 49:1-33; 2 Kings 24:5-7; 2 Chronicles 36:6-8; 2 Kings 24:8-9; 2 Chronicles 36:9; Jeremiah 22:24-23:32
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ // Mobile Site Link
~ Listen to today's Scripture on ESVBible.org ~

Chapter 49 does not bring good tidings to the Ammonites or Edomites. Verse 16 again gives us a good look into why this judgment is coming upon Edom: "You are proud that you inspire fear in others. And you are proud because you live in a rock fortress and hide high in the mountains. But don't fool yourselves!"  Pride. Again. Pride. Think Pride is something that has been a temptation of humans since the Fall? Think this temptation continues today?  Verse 6 does give the hope of redemption for the Ammonites: "But afterward I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites," says the LORD."   This map below will give you a quick snapshot of the location of the Ammonites, Edomites, and Moabites from today's readings:

Today in Jeremiah we read about one of the last Old Testament era kings to sit on the throne of David in Judah!  This was King Jehoiachin and God makes it clear that this is one of Judah's last Davidic kings (with Zedekiah being governor/king of Judah briefly subsequently) in chapter 22 verse 30: "This is what the Lord says: ‘Let the record show that this man Jehoiachin was childless. He is a failure, for none of his children will succeed him on the throne of David to rule over Judah.’" Immediately after reading about this king of Judah, Jeremiah 23:1-8 gives us a great Messianic foreshadowing of Jesus, the true and eternal Davidic king! Verses 5 & 6: "For the time is coming," says the Lord, "when I will place a righteous Branch on King David's throne. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. And this is his name: `The Lord Is Our Righteousness.' In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety." Great stuff! A righteous branch on King David's throne.... rules with wisdom... will do what is just and right throughout the land... Think this is Jesus??

The remaining verses in Jeremiah 23 go after false prophets. I know in reading Jeremiah I've been pondering how hard it would be to be Jeremiah, a prophet with some tough messages.  Well, in this chapter it looks like being a false prophet is really the wrong way to live. If you're gonna be a prophet, make sure you're prophesying the truth... :)   Do you think there are any false prophets in our world today?  Do you avoid listening to the teachings of false prophets in our world today?  (other than if you need to listen to what they say to repudiate it)  Can we sometimes even be false prophets to our own selves and others on occasion?  Who can free us from the lies of false prophets?  (see the image above - not the modern day false prophets image below...)

Worship God: Today's readings reminded me of Rebecca St. James' song "Wait for Me":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooAi3KJ5I-s

Are you waiting on God's timing in your life? Click here and wait for Him no longer!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.

p.p.s. Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!

August 10th Chronological Bible Readings

Jeremiah 16:1-18:23; Jeremiah 35:1-19
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~ Listen to today's Scripture on ESVBible.org ~

There are a lot of great verses in Jeremiah's readings today!  Jeremiah 17:5 stands out: "Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans and turn their hearts away from the Lord."  I think oftentimes we put more trust in others than the Lord - our spouses, our pastors, our friends, our family, and even ourselves. The risk here is that people are human and are not perfect. They will eventually disappoint at some point. God is the only perfect option to place our ultimate trust in. I do think we can still "trust" others to a degree - marriage of course being a prime example of this trust in another human. But, marriage will really only ultimately work if God is the "third cord" in the marriage (see Ecclesiastes 4:12).  Overall, this verse wisely cautions that our highest level of trust should be reserved for God! Who will not fail us.  Ever. Who do you trust these days the most?  Do you trust God above anything or anyone else?  Do you trust God more than you trust yourself?

Jeremiah 17:7-8 has some great imagery! ""But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit." These verses remind me a lot of Psalm 1, verses 1 through 3.  Is God your hope and confidence?  If so, do you feel like a tree planted along a riverbank with roots that reach deep into the water?  How deep are your roots in God's living water these days?

Jeremiah 17:19-27 are some powerful verses on the Sabbath! I talk a lot with my friends about taking Sabbaths. I am really bad at it... and I know I need it. And I know my friends need it too. I'll have to remember verse 27 next time I'm having the Sabbath discussions with my friends... :)  "`But if you do not listen to me and refuse to keep the Sabbath holy, and if on the Sabbath day you bring loads of merchandise through the gates of Jerusalem just as on other days, then I will set fire to these gates. The fire will spread to the palaces, and no one will be able to put out the roaring flames.'"  How are you doing on taking a Sabbath each week?  What would your response be to a modern day Jeremiah standing at the gate and telling you to keep one day a week as a holy day unto the Lord?

I like this verse in Jeremiah 18:15 - "They have stumbled off the ancient highways of good, and they walk the muddy paths of sin." I like that metaphor - the ancient highways of good. These sound nice! You want to be on these. And not veering off into the muddy paths of sin...

Jeremiah chapter 35 today is a fantastic example of obedience from the Recabites!  Interestingly, the Recabites are being obedient to a human's word... This stands in stark contrast to the Israelites disobedience to God's Word... Do we do this sometimes in our lives? Obey human words and disobey God's Word?

YouTube: Today's readings remind me of Casting Crowns song "If We are the Body."  Here's a live version of this powerful song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYbGMQ5Y3Uo

Are you part of the Body? Click here to join God's Body!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.

p.p.s. Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!

August 9th Chronological Bible Readings

Jeremiah 12:1-15:21
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ // Mobile Site Link
~ Listen to today's Scripture on ESVBible.org ~

The Jeremiah readings today may seem to you a bit tough to read. It is certainly sad to read about the coming destruction. As I read through these chapters I think about Jeremiah and how tough it must have been on him to know what was coming. In fact, Jeremiah gives a passionate prayer for the people of Jerusalem in today's readings in chapter 14 verses 7 through 9.  The question that I think sometimes can come up for some as they read chapters like this in the Old Testament is:  "Is this the same God we read about in the New Testament?" And I of course believe that absolutely yes this is the same God! The life of Jesus on Earth was obviously in between the time of Jeremiah and the time of you and me today. Jesus' life, ministry, suffering, death on the cross, and His resurrection saved us from our sins - and this graceful life of Jesus' had obviously not taken place in Jeremiah's time.  However, I do also believe that God is very graceful throughout history including all of the Old Testament. Keep in mind that God is often saying in these chapters in Jeremiah: "come back to me", "repent", "abandon your idols" - and no one listens. God was giving chance after chance after chance of repentance...  What about you in your life today?  Is God saying to you in any way to "come back to me", "repent", "abandon your idols"?  And are you listening?  Will you repent?  Will you return to the Lord?

Jeremiah 12:16 is fascinating for me today: "And if these nations quickly learn the ways of my people, and if they learn to swear by my name, saying, `As surely as the Lord lives' (just as they taught my people to swear by the name of Baal), then they will be given a place among my people."  I think that's powerful that God is saying if these foreign nations (i.e. not Israel / Judah) learn to swear by His name that they will be giving a place among His people. It reminds me of Peter's dream & realization in Acts chapter 10 that the Gospel was not just for the Jews but for the Gentiles too!

I love the exchanges between God and Jeremiah in chapter 15.  Today in Jeremiah 15:16, we read these words of Jeremiah's to God: “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty.” What does this verse mean to you? Can you eat God’s words? Can they feed you? Spiritually? Are you being fed by God’s Word through the One Year Bible daily readings? Are God’s words your joy and your heart’s delight? Are you making it a practice to memorize scripture? Would this practice help you in making God’s words your joy and heart’s delight?  What does it mean to bear God’s name?  Is God’s name written on your heart? How else are you being fed by God, in addition to his Word?  Are you being fed by attending and investing in a church each week?  Do you think that church, the bride of Christ, can spiritually feed you?  Is there any reason to refuse this spiritual food?

Worship God:  The end of Jeremiah chapter 15 reminds me of Michael W. Smith's "Open The Eyes Of My Heart:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok5AGV6d0H4

Has God opened the eyes of your heart? Click here to have your eyes opened!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.

p.p.s. Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!

August 8th Chronological Bible Readings

Jeremiah 8:4-11:23
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ // Mobile Site Link
~ Listen to today's Scripture on ESVBible.org ~

Jeremiah chapter 9 verses 23 & 24 definitely stood out to me today: "This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man gloat in his wisdom, or the mighty man in his might, or the rich man in his riches. Let them boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who is just and righteous, whose love is unfailing, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken!"  Think God is serious when he follows something he says with "I, the LORD, have spoken!"?  Do we ever gloat in our wisdom?  Gloat in our might?  Gloat in our riches?  Instead, have you ever boasted that you truly know God and understand that God is just and righteous?  Do you believe that God's love is unfailing?

I am enjoying watching for the interplay between when God is speaking and when Jeremiah is speaking in our readings.  Basically you typically just have to watch for quotation marks at the beginning of a paragraph to see that God is speaking.  If there are not quotation marks, it is likely Jeremiah speaking.  At the end of chapter 8 and in the beginning of chapter 9 we read these words of Jeremiah's as he weeps for Jerusalem - and we hear from the people and God briefly too.  It is a poetic interplay of dialogue between all three in chapter 8 verse 18 through chapter 9 verse 2 - starting with words from Jeremiah: "My grief is beyond healing; my heart is broken. Listen to the weeping of my people; it can be heard all across the land. "Has the LORD abandoned Jerusalem?" the people ask. "Is her King no longer there?" "Oh, why have they angered me with their carved idols and worthless gods?" asks the LORD. "The harvest is finished, and the summer is gone," the people cry, "yet we are not saved!"  I weep for the hurt of my people. I am stunned and silent, mute with grief. Is there no medicine in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why is there no healing for the wounds of my people? Oh, that my eyes were a fountain of tears; I would weep forever! I would sob day and night for all my people who have been slaughtered. Oh, that I could go away and forget them and live in a shack in the desert, for they are all adulterous and treacherous."

Jeremiah chapter 10 today is a powerful look at "idols." Back in Jeremiah's days we're talking about little chiseled "gods" made out of wood & stone. But today? What are our idols?  Perhaps our money, our jobs, our status, our relationships, our technology :), our lust - or perhaps even ourselves?  Jeremiah 10:10 reminds us: "But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King."  All of our idols are not True, though we often hope they will be.  Our idols will deliver us nothing.  God and His Son will deliver life to the fullest!

Jeremiah's Prayer is 10:23-24 is such a beautiful prayer :
"I know, O Lord , that a man's life is not his own;
it is not for man to direct his steps.
Correct me, Lord , but only with justice-
not in your anger,
lest you reduce me to nothing."
I like that Jeremiah says in this prayer, "Correct me, Lord". He knows there is correction to be made in his life - even a prophet of God knew his need of correction! This is a nice example of humility to say the least.  How often do you pray to God "correct me"?  Why might this be a good prayer?  Do you need God to correct you?  Will you allow God to direct your steps?

Today at the end of Jeremiah chapter 11 we read about the plot to take Jeremiah's life.  Every time I read the prophets, I am reminded of how hard it was to be a prophet.  Talk about a thankless, high-risk job...  Fortunately Jeremiah is on God's side.  The only side to be on.  In verses 21 through 23 Jeremiah says: "The men of Anathoth wanted me dead. They said they would kill me if I did not stop speaking in the LORD's name. So this is what the LORD Almighty says about them: "I will punish them! Their young men will die in battle, and their little boys and girls will starve. Not one of these plotters from Anathoth will survive, for I will bring disaster upon them when their time of punishment comes."

Worship God:  Jeremiah 10:10 in today's readings reminded moe of the song "The Glory of It All" by the David Crowder Band. This is a beautiful tune... The David Crowder Band live is a joyful worship extravaganza!  :)  This video below is from Passion 2007, and it has some slight technical difficulties by the end, but you'll definitely get a great taste for this song and a live Crowder experience with this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg-1yM6insA

Have you experienced the glory of it all? Click here for Glory!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.

p.p.s. Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!