#reading through the bible

Ezra 1, 2
Focus Verse: In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing. – Ezra 1:1

God moved upon the heart of a heathen king to have His word fulfilled and to have His will done concerning His people.

Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord like channels of water; He turns it wherever He wants.” For those who follow Christ, this is a reminder that we need not be discouraged by governmental leaders or by leaders in other spheres whose behavior does not honor God. The power and influence that they wield is not theirs, but God’s. They are not really the ones in control, God is.

God holds the hearts of all people in His hands, even the hearts of kings and queens and presidents and prime ministers. He can turn these hearts in whatever way He so pleases. He can move even the most unlikely leaders to do what is right and use them to have His will done on earth as it is done in Heaven.

Therefore, our hope should not be in human beings, but in the One who made them. Our eyes should not be watching the actions of people. Our eyes should be watching God.

Nahum 1, 2, 3
Focus Verse: The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him. – Nahum 1:7

God is good.

In all that He does and in all that He allows, God is good. In and of Himself, God is good.

Even in days of trouble, He is still good. And because He is good, He will work those days of trouble out for the good of all who take refuge in Him. Everyone who trusts in Him, He knows by name and He loves and protects them.

Micah 6, 7
Focus Verse: But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. - Micah 7:7

I like the decisiveness with which the prophet Micah speaks in this verse. He is resolute; He is determined; He displays no hesitation as to where his trust lies.

I don’t know who other people are looking to, Micah says. But as for me, I will look to the Lord.

I don’t know who others are waiting for or if they are even waiting at all. But as for me, I will wait for the God of my salvation.

I don’t know if others are confident that God will hear them. But as for me, my God will hear me.

Micah uses the verb will in all three of his statements. Will, in this sense, means that the thing that has been stated is about to happen or is going to happen. No ifs, buts, or maybes. It will happen. With Micah, there is no doubt as to where his God is or to what his God can do.

Micah 4, 5
Focus Verse: And many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. - Micah 4:2

At the second coming of Jesus the Christ, when He returns to establish His kingdom on earth in Jerusalem, many people will flow to it.

They will purposefully leave their nations and journey to the house of God to learn His ways and to walk in His paths.

We do not have to wait until then to learn the ways and paths of God. Let us go up to the temporary house of God in this world and learn from those whom God has appointed to teach His ways. Let us learn to walk in His paths from where we are.

By following His paths right here, right now, we will eventually be led from God’s temporary house to His eternal house where we will no longer hear through a third party how God would have us to walk. We will hear it directly from God’s mouth. We will be taught God’s ways by God Himself.

Micah 1, 2, 3
Focus Verse: Should this be said, O house of Jacob? Has the Lord grown impatient? Are these His deeds? Do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly? - Micah 2:7

In this verse, the prophet Micah asks the people of God a series of questions.

Has God grown impatient with them? Yes, because of their sin and their refusal to turn from it.

Are the destructive things that are happening to them God’s deeds? No, but He is allowing all things to take place.

Does the suffering that they are presently going through mean that God has changed? No, God does not change. His attitude, love and thoughts towards them remains the same.

Their suffering is because of their sin; therefore, they brought it upon themselves. If they, however, put away their sin and walk uprightly, the Words of the Lord will no longer bring shame to them, but good.

Hosea 12, 13, 14
Focus Verse: But when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot Me. - Hosea 13:6

We are filled to overflowing by the gifts that God freely gives. Everything that we have comes from Him. Everything that we are is because of Him. But once we are filled with good gifts, we must be careful that we do not forget the Giver.

Thinking that our fullness is due to our own education or hard work instead of due to God’s goodness is an indication of a heart that is proud. It shows that our trust is in ourselves and not in God.

The reasons why we often forget God (e.g. life, wealth, relationships - which all come from Him) are the very reasons we should remember Him.

Hosea 9, 10, 11
Focus Verse: I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. - Hosea 11:9

It is human nature for people to hold grudges for years, to remain angry for a lifetime at those who have offended them. But God is not a human. He is God.

Regardless of how many times people turn away from Him, how much they disrespect Him, or how they worship other things instead of Him, God cannot remain angry. It is not His nature to do so. With God, His love runs deeper than His anger, His compassion works greater than His destruction, and His grace outlasts His wrath - every time.

When humans punish, they almost always punish with the intent to destroy. But when God punishes, He punishes with the intent to improve a situation and to redeem a sinner.

God’s actions toward us are not based on our actions toward Him. He does not bring Himself down to our base standards, but holds Himself to a Divine standard. He does not turn from His promises. He does not turn from us.

Hosea 5, 6, 7, 8
Focus Verse: Come, let us return to the Lord; for He has torn us, that He may heal us; He has struck us down, and He will bind us up. - Hosea 6:1

In the ESV, this focus verse appears under the title, “Israel and Judah Are Unrepentant.”

But how can they be unrepentant? Come, they say, let us return to the Lord.

At first glance, it would appear that they are ready to put away their sin and follow the Lord. They have experienced a change of heart. They are ready to do the right thing.

But at second glance, we see that Israel and Judah have not said they are putting away their sin. They merely said they are returning to the Lord because they no longer want to suffer the consequences of their sin. God has torn them, now they want Him to heal them; He has struck them down, now they want Him to bind them up.

We cannot return to God without first turning from sin.

Refusal to put away sin is a sign that our hearts remain unrepentant. Only after we have repented from sin, will God come to us “as the showers” and “as the spring rains.”

Hosea 1, 2, 3, 4
Focus Verse: And the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” - Hosea 3:1

To His only begotten Son, God said: Go, love a people who do not love Me. They are sinners and seek everything else but Me.

So, the Son came. He bought us, with His own life.

Now, you are Mine, God says. Do not return to your previous state. Do not return to sin. Love Me. Seek Me. You are My people and I am Your God.

Isaiah 65, 66
Focus Verse: All these things My hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My word. - Isaiah 66:2

God, Who made all things, has need of nothing. No church built by human hands can contain the fullness of His glory.

Therefore, God does not look for a building to dwell in. He does not delight in a temple.

What He does delight in are women and men who are humble, who have contrite hearts, and who tremble at His Word. Those who are in such a spiritual state, are in tune with Heaven. They sincerely seek after holiness. They are true believers, who worship God in spirit and in truth.

Of such people, God will dwell in. They are His temple.

Esther 1, 2
Focus Verse: When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. - Esther 2:15

Esther was beautiful to others, not only because of her looks, but also because of her authentic humility, grace, teachable spirit, and willingness to follow the advice of others. When it was her time to go before the king, she did not ask for anything other than what the king’s eunuch, Hegai, advised her to take.

She won favor from everyone who saw her because she was walking in God’s purpose for her life and His good hand was upon her.

Ezra 5, 6, 7
Focus Verse: For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach His statutes and rules in Israel. - Ezra 7:10

Before others knew it, God knew that Ezra had set his heart to study His Law because God is constantly looking at the inward state of people and not at their outward state. As a result of Ezra’s determination and dedication to practicing righteousness, the good hand of God was on him.

Ezra not only set his heart to study God’s Law. He also set his heart to do God’s Law. And then, he set his heart to teach others God’s Law.

When not only our mouths say we want to study God’s Word, but also our hearts are set to study God’s Word, then God will know that we are serious about knowing Him, loving Him, and following Him. When our hearts are intent on studying God’s Word, we will not be content to just read it, but we will be moved to do it. Once we do God’s Word and realize the joy, blessings, and satisfaction it brings, then we will want to teach or share God’s Word with others, so that they too can get in on the good life that God’s Word makes possible.

It is no easy task, however, to truly study God’s Word. In order to gain as much knowledge as possible about God’s Word, so that it becomes a part of us, and we know what is to be done and what is not to be done, then we cannot settle for a surface-level understanding of it. We must take time (even away from other things) to dig deep, to search it, and to meditate on it.

Once we have dug deep in God’s Word, and searched it, and meditated on it, we must then apply it. Ezra did not settle for having a theoretical theology. He was also concerned with the practical application of God’s Law. Let us put what we read into practice, exercise what we study, and live out the Scripture we meditate on.

Psalms 107, 126
Focus Verse: Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. - Psalm 107:13

What is your affliction? What is your trouble?

For deliverance from it, cry to the Lord.

When surrounded by darkness, when in the shadow of death, when weighed down by guilt from sin, when overwhelmed by wrath, when in the face of danger…

Do as the Israelites did when Pharoah and his army was behind them and the Red Sea was before them.

Do as David did when he was being pursued by Saul.

Do as the three Hebrew boys did when they were thrown into a fiery furnace.

Do as Daniel did when he was in a lions’ den.

Do as Esther did when she was told that her people were in danger of being exterminated.

Cry to the Lord. And He will answer you and exchange the darkness for His light…give you life instead of death…replace guilt with grace…express joy instead of wrath…provide protection from every danger.

Do as the apostles did when they were caught in a furious storm.

Cry to the Lord.Save me, Lord; I am perishing. And He will save you from affliction…from storms…from sin…from death itself.

Psalms 77, 78
Focus Verse: I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. - Psalm 77:11

In his day(s) of trouble, David questioned the faithfulness of the One he sought. Even though he was calling out to God and stretching out his hand toward Him, it seemed that God did not hear him. It seemed that God had turned His back on David and left him to suffer alone.

David asks:

Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
Has His steadfast love forever ceased? Are His promises at an end for all time?
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His compassion?

These questions are more rhetorical rather than questions that demand an answer because David already knows the answer to his questions. He knows that it is impossible for God to spurn forever those He loves. He knows that God’s steadfast love will never cease. He knows that God is a God who cannot lie, a God who keeps His promises and will fulfill every one of them. David knows that it is not in God’s character to be ungracious. And he knows that God’s anger is never greater than His compassion.

We know these things too. And if we ever start to doubt them, we must do what David did.

Remember.

Remember what God has done for us. Remember what God has done for others. Go far back, to when time first began, and remember…remember the deeds of God in creating the heavens and the earth. Remember the wonders He performed for Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. Remember how He healed sick people and raised the dead; how He made the sun stand still and stopped the heavens from giving rain; how He shut the mouths of lions and caused a fiery furnace not to burn.

And once we remember these works and wonders, we should take a moment to ponder them, meaning we should think about them very carefully. We should take time to meditate on them, meaning we should focus our minds on God and His goodness.

Then, we will come to the same conclusion that David came to.

Yes, God, your ways are holy. There is no one else and nothing else that is great like You. You are the God who works wonders and performs miracles. You redeemed your people back then and you are redeeming me today.