Day 208

Quite often I am ignorant of the battle of good and evil that is ever present. That, in and of itself, may be Satan working in me already.

Isaiah says something profound in chapter 59 verse 15. He says, "...and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey."

Whoa! That means the second I look to the Lord, evil is already working to capture me and bring me back. This is a little scary and eye opening!

Like I said before, I am usually ignorant of the presence of evil all around me and working on me to fall into sin, but I believe that is what Isaiah is trying to point out. If one is aware that evil exists and is always working to get them to sin, it is much easier to defend against evil, with the Lord's help.

I must remain aware that if I am with the Lord, I am prey for the devil. Being aware will help me see and run to the Lord. He is my rescue.

Day 207

There are many names for the Lord. Among those is the name Prince of Peace. I like this name because, to me, it implies that all peace goes through Him.

Isaiah 57 verse 21 says, "'There is no peace,' says my God, 'for the wicked.'" If the Lord is the Prince of Peace and all peace goes through Him, which I believe it does, those who do not have their souls rooted in Christ do not know peace.

Peace to me is one of the greatest things about being a Christian. No matter what happens in my life or what situation I am in, I know that the Lord is with me and wherever I am is God's plan. I have no reason to worry, but instead find peace in knowing I am not in control of my life.

Thank you Lord for being the Prince of Peace and the one source for all peace if we only trust in You!

Day 206

I have had 3 of my 4 grandparents pass away. I have had an aunt pass away and several others who were very close to me pass away. Each time it was tough.

But Isaiah offers some advice. He says in chapter 51 verse 12, "I, I am He who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass..."

I like this verse because it is a reality check again for me. The Lord is saying that He is the one who comforts me, so why be afraid of others passing away? The Lord made people to pass away, just like the grass.

God does not promise that others will not pass away, but He does promise that He will be there to comfort us when others do. What an awesome and loving, caring God!

Day 205

Once again, I try too hard to do things myself. I do not trust the Lord as I ought and once again the scripture is there to remind me of this.

Isaiah 45 verse 9 says, "Woe to him who strives with Him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are you making?' or 'Your work has no handles'?"

This to me is a great image of what I am doing to God. I am a piece a pottery criticizing the one who forms me. Why? I always ask myself. All too often I think I know more than God. I try to tell Him what to add to me or take away, but the Lord knows best.

The Lord knows best. What a concept! I will continue to remember that God knows best and work on not criticizing the one forming me to the way He wants me. That to me is not easy!

Day 204

When I dive into the scripture, it provides such comfort. It shows God's love and ensures me that He is always with me.

Isaiah 43 verses 2 and 3 say, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you will not be burned, and the flames shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."

When I pass through waters, rivers, trials troubles, circumstances, the Lord will be with me and I will not be overwhelmed. When I walk through fire, though times, I will not be burned or scarred. For the Lord is with me and He is my God and my Savior!

What a comfort! It is good to be reminded of this often. What a great God to always be there for me!

Day 203

This passage shows Hezekiah as a little selfish and proud. When the prince of Babylon came to Hezekiah, Hezekiah showed him all the riches in Jerusalem! Hezekiah was not afraid of the Babylonians lusting over the treasures of Judah.

Later, Isaiah confronted Hezekiah about what he showed the visitors, and then Isaiah gave Hezekiah a prophesy. Isaiah said in 2 Kings 20 verse 17, "Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that your fathers stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord."

Hezekiah's response in verse 19 says, "Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days."

What! That to me seems selfish. Hezekiah seems to be one of the best kings Judah ever had, but that was not the way a king should act.

It is also not the way Christians should act. We are called to be others oriented; especially those in leadership positions.

Also, do not brag about one's riches. It will only lead to destruction. Do not be prideful. "If you are to boast, boast in the Lord." These continue to be my struggles and goals.

Day 202

I believe I can learn a lot from King Hezekiah. He consistently put his faith in the Lord, no matter what.

He also was a great example in other ways. 2 Chronicles 32 verses 22 and 23 say, "So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all his enemies, and he provided for them on every side. And many brought gifts to the Lord to Jerusalem and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from that time onward."

I was looking at the statement that says he provided for them on every side. I was trying to figure out who them are, but I couldn't narrow it down. I looked at a few Bible translations, but it was not conclusive. I am not sure if it means only those that are part of Judah, or those in the surrounding areas as well.

However, either way, this ministry that Hezekiah did led many to the Lord. Many brought gifts to the Lord and also Hezekiah was exalted in the sight of all nations. Other nations saw the Lord that Hezekiah served and wanted to serve Him too.

This is the kind of example I try to set every day. I may not be the best at it, but I will continue to try, leaving the Holy Spirit to work in other's hearts.

Day 201

Sometimes, it seems as though the Lord is not there. I know that is horrible to say and also not true, but there are quiet times where I feel more alone. I know it is not that the Lord has left me, but more the opposite. It is that I have doubts, or that I have left Him.

Micah 7 verse 7 says, "But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me."

This is a perfect verse for those times where I feel I am far from Him. I will look to the Lord and I will wait. My God will hear me. What a great comfort to know that, even in the times where I feel He is not hear, if I look to the Lord, He will hear me!

Day 200

I find it amazing that so many people do not believe there is a God. All one has to do is look outside and see the wind going through the trees, the animals alive and thriving, and all of creation made to give Him glory.

Micah 4 verse 5 says, "For all the peoples walk each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever."

Others believe in not the God of the Bible, but other gods. They do not see. But as for me and my household, we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.

Thank you Lord, for being my God and being God of forever and ever.

Day 199

All too often I try and take things into my own hands. I do not trust as I should. I do things that may be not what God had intended because I see it as a good plan.

Isaiah 30 verse 1 says, "'Ah, stubborn children,' declares the Lord, 'who carry out a plan, but not mine...'"

I am a stubborn child of God. I have a tough time letting Him lead me. This is my continued struggle, but also what I long for; to give everything to Him and not worry.

I know the only way is to wholly trust in the Lord. I will continue to strive for this and search out how in these readings.

Day 198

Today, Isaiah 26 verse 4 caught my attention. It says, "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock."

That brings great comfort to me knowing my God is an everlasting rock. A rock that cannot be moved or broken. A rock like that is worthy of trust.

I think everyone needs a rock in their life. They need a constant that never changes. The Lord is my rock and my constant. I will trust in Him.

Day 197

I find it interesting how we can go about our typical day and not notice certain things have changed.

Isaiah 18 mentions something like this for us as Christians. Isaiah 18 verse 3 says, "...when a signal is raised on the mountains, look! When a trumpet is blown, hear!"

I believe this is talking about when the Lord gives us signs and is talking to us the way only He can, He wants us to be sure we are looking! We need to look through eyes that see how the Lord moves in the trees and speaks to us through others.

I continue to work on listening for the Lord. I find when I am listening, He is always talking!

Day 196

I have become more and more aware through these readings that I am incapable of doing anything on my own. I have to fully rely on the Lord.

This is emphasized in Psalm 147 verses 10 and 11. They say, "[The Lord] takes no pleasure in...human might. No, the Lord's delight is in those who fear Him, those who put their hope in His unfailing Love."

The Lord is not interested in how strong one is or how strong they think they are. All He is interested in is that they fear the Lord and put their hope in Him. That is all He asks of us.

Fear the Lord. That is all the Lord is concerned about.

Day 195

I know I am blessed. I have an amazing wife, great son, great friends, warm house, good job, the list goes on. I know I do not deserve all that I have, but I am thankful to the Lord for what He has blessed me with.

However, I still have trouble trusting. I am finding out the hard way that I need Him and cannot do anything on my own.

Whenever I am in the word, it is so clear that the Lord will take care of me and bless me. Psalm 128 verses 1 and 2 say, "Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His way! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed and it shall be well with you."

The Lord has made it very clear to me that I need to trust Him in all things. However, the limitations of my mind hinder me from completely trusting in Him. I will continue to pray and strive toward fearing and trusting the Lord in all things.

Day 194

Through these readings I am finding out several things about the Lord. Another one of those things I have found while reading is mentioned in Psalm 125 verse 1. It says, "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved..."

Those who trust in the Lord are rooted in Him and cannot be moved by outside forces. The Lord is our rock. Trust in Him and we cannot be moved!

With so much uncertainty, change and distractions, it is such a comfort to know that the Lord is our rock. He cannot be moved or shaken or changed! What a comfort.

Day 193

What a great Psalm that shows how much one should adore the word of the Lord!

Verse 9 stood out to me today. It says, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word."

How can we stay pure? How can we fully rely on the Lord? How can we please God in all we do? By living according to His word.

I have been truly enjoying these readings for the past 6 months or so. I have drawn closer to the Lord, and are trusting Him more and more every day. I believe this is what the author of Psalm 119 is talking about when he says, guard your way according to His word.

What an amazing tool we have in the Bible to draw closer to the Lord and fully rely on Him.

Day 192

Chris Tomlin wrote a song called Not to Us. It is a song stating that all glory is not for us, but for the Lord. Psalm 115 verse 1 says, "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory..."

I believe this verse is a good one to keep in mind always. I am not living for myself, but instead living to give God glory.

Also, as I was reading Psalm 118, I was reminded of something I heard before. Psalm 118 is the middle of the Bible, but there is more to it than that. The information below is taken from http://jesuslovesmethisiknow.com

"Did you know that:

1) Psalm 118 is the middle chapter of the entire Bible?

2) Psalm 117, before Psalm 118 is the shortest chapter in the Bible?

3) Psalm 119, after Psalm 118 is the longest chapter in the Bible?

4) The Bible has 594 chapters before Psalm 118 and 594 chapters after Psalm 118?

5) If you add up all the chapters except Psalm 118, you get a total of 1188 chapters.

6) 1188 or Psalm 118 verse 8 is the middle verse of the entire Bible?
Should the central verse not have a fairly important message?

'It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.' - Psalm 118:8

Is this central verse not also the central theme of the entire Bible?"

Even through His word, taken from many different people at many different times in history, God's magnificence is displayed.

Day 191

My favorite part about church is the worship. That was the biggest factor for me when deciding which church to attend after our move.

Psalm 113 verse 3 says, "From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!"

This is saying praise and worship is not a once a week for an hour thing. It is a continuous act from when one wakes up until they go to sleep! Our God is worth it!

I usually always have a song in my head. Most of the time it is a Christian music song, but sometimes it is not. I think part of praising the Lord from when I rise to when I go to sleep is having a song in my head that glorifies the Lord. I will continue to praise my Lord each and every day.

Day 190

I have said before that the story of Joseph is my favorite story in the Bible. Again, we hear of this story in Psalm 105. Verses 16 through 22 describe how even though the Lord sent a famine on the land, He first sent Joseph to be sold into slavery, then become head of Egypt to store up food and save many.

This always amazes me and gets me thinking. If the Lord has that much foresight, how do I fit in? What does God have planned for me? Is it something great?

I believe the Lord does have something in store for me. I believe it is something great. I may even be in it right now and I may not know it until later. I will continue to have faith that the Lord is in control of my life and He has a great plan for me. What a peace that brings!

Day 189

What a great and awesome God we serve! Psalm 98 through 100 talk about the splendor of the Lord and why He is holy and worthy of all praise.

Psalm 100 is one of my favorite Psalms for many reasons. First of all, it is not a Psalm of distress, but of how great the Lord is. Also, it tells of how to exalt the Lord and praise Him.

Today, the last verse of Psalm 100, verse 5, stood out. It says, "For the Lord is good, His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations."

I believe there are several good points here. First of all, the Lord is good. Some believe He is only a God who punishes and makes bad things happen, but that is not the case at all.

Second, His love endures forever. His love will never run out and He will love me and everyone who may be born thousands of years from now. He will not get sick of man, but will always see them as His children.

And lastly, His faithfulness continues to all generations. No matter if we are not always faithful to Him, He will always be faithful to us, and His faithfulness will continue through all generations.

What an amazing God we serve!

Day 188

I always found it interesting (and still do) what happens to something waxy when it gets near a fire. It seems like no time at all passes as the object withers and becomes goo.

The Psalms read focus on the majesty of the Lord and how great He is. Psalm 97 verse 5 blew me away when describing how majestic the Lord is. verse 5 says, "The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth."

Even the mountains become like goo before the Lord! To me, that paints a very clear picture of how awesome and majestic the Lord is. What a mighty God we serve!

Day 187

I have been reading the Bible every day for the past 187 days. I have already learned so much and I look forward to the next 180 days or so.

Psalm 1 verses 1 and 2 say, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night."

I find that statement interesting. Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord. To me, the definition of delight is to take joy in and not get enough of. I believe this verse is saying that's how to read the word. I do enjoy reading each day, so much so that I long to read the Bible now, but I am not sure I have the mentality of delighting in the reading. I have to keep this mentality for each reading.

Day 186

I am picking up a common theme in my readings so far. Psalm 84 verses 11 and 12 say, "No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in You!"

Once again I run into the word trust. That is the theme I am finding and that for me is quite often very difficult. However, I have read that when I trust, I will reap the benefits! I am much more trusting now than when I first started this reading and I know this to be true. However, it is difficult to fully hand everything over. I don't know if it is my human nature or my limited mental capacity that does not understand how God will bless me with all that I need, but it is very difficult to really trust.

But trusting is what I am called to do. So I will strive to fully rely on God. I will strive to really trust Him, my Lord and my King.

Day 185

I mentioned before that I call myself an idiot a lot. For me it is a reality check on myself. Psalm 43 verse 5 is another reality check. It says, "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God..."

This is a reality check asking why am I depressed and why am I not at peace? I have a God that can do all things and is all powerful. Why am I sad? Why am I not at peace?

I know I do not live in constant happiness and peace and I also know that it is my fault. All I have to do is trust. I do not embrace the Lord's joy and peace as I should. I like this verse because it asks, why not? Why not?

I need to pursue the joy and peace the Lord offers with being His child. I need to trust Him. It all boils down to trust.

Day 184

I am truly blessed. I am blessed with a wife that is perfect for me. I know without a doubt that she is a blessing to me from the Lord.

Proverbs 31 describes what a wife should be for a husband and many of the qualities that are described here can also be used to describe my wife. I believe the verse that sums up my wife the best is Proverbs 31 verse 29. it says, "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all."

I love my wife with all of my heart and I pray that others have a marriage, relationship, and a wife like I do. Thank you Lord, for blessing me so richly through my wife, Corrine.

Day 183

I would say the one thing that I constantly struggle with is trusting the Lord with my finances. Don't get me wrong; I have taken large advances forward since the beginning of this study (I mean large), however, I feel I still have a long way to go.

Proverbs 28 helps me out even further with trusting the Lord with my finances. Proverbs 28 verse 8 says, "Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor."

Also, verse 22 says, "A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him."

This seems to contradict itself, but I have been finding out more and more over the past several months that the following is true: the more one gives away, the more one gains. I am finding out every day, more and more, that my finances are not really mine, but the Lord's. He has blessed me with what I have and He trusts me to be a good steward of these blessings.

The more I trust the Lord and give it away, the more He blesses me! Plain and simple. The struggle for me is trusting when the pressure is on. But I am finding, this is when the Lord blesses the most.

I will continue to work on trusting the Lord for my finances and all that entails.

Day 182

A while back (Day 56) I spoke of how the Lord spoke to me and said that since I was making this commitment to Him, He was going to commit to me.

2 Chronicles 30 verse 9 says, "For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away His face from you, if you return to Him."

Again, the same theme comes through. Commit to the Lord and the Lord will commit to you.

Let me quick tell how the Lord has blessed me in the last 146 days. Since then, my wife and I are expecting our second child, we have moved into a house from an apartment and it is the perfect house for us, I am in the process of interviewing for a promotion at work, and yesterday we were blessed financially.

I believe it is true that when one commits to the Lord, the Lord commits to them. I will forever strive to stay committed to the Lord because I know I can not make it without Him! I want Him by my side always; always taking care of me.

Thank you Lord for blessing me so richly!

Day 181

Isaiah 13 gives a glimpse of what God's judgment is going to be like on that final day. He is talking to Babylon when Isaiah says in verse 6, "Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!"

Isaiah is telling them in verse 6 and following that it is going to be horrible beyond their imagination. He tells them to start wailing now, that's how bad it is.

I believe the Lord has every right to be angry with Israel, Babylon and myself. I am a sinner who has fallen short of His glory. I deserve every horrible thing described in Isaiah 13. However, thanks be to God for His forgiveness and mercy! I know that only through Him I am saved! Thank you Lord!

Day 180

Chapter 5 verses 1 through 7 is an allegory of God. It is a story of a man who clears land for a vineyard. He tills it, removes the stones, puts a watchtower in the middle, plants and watches it grow. He does everything he can to ensure good grapes grow.

When the grapes mature, he finds that they are wild grapes instead. The man is frustrated since all of his hard work is for nothing! The only thing to do is destroy the vineyard.

Isaiah was equating this story to God and the vineyard to Israel. God put so much into Israel so it would bear beautiful fruit, but once it matured, the fruit was not what he expected and the only thing He could do was destroy it.

I am thankful for God's mercy. I feel quite often I do not bear the beautiful fruit that God had intended me to bear, but still He loves me and cares for me as His child. Thank you Lord!

Day 179

I like Isaiah Chapter 1. This is like a hard dose of sense for Israel. Verse 5 says, "Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel?" Verse 7 says, "Your country lies desolate; your cities are burned with fire..."

When I am frustrated at myself, I quite often call myself and idiot out loud. It makes me learn that even though I may be an aerospace engineer, I don't know much at all. I quite often lack common sense and don't see the big picture.

I believe that is what Isaiah is doing for Israel in this chapter. He is being the voice of common sense pointing out the fact that they are miserable, yet they will not run to the Lord.

I have to watch out for common sense moments in my life and when I see them, run to the Lord! He is the only one that I can take refuge in and be well.