Jesus taught that all scripture testifies about him so that in him we might have life (John 5v39-40). King David taught that it is only by living according to God's word that we're kept on the right path (Psalm 119v9). What then could be better than reading the entire Bible? Click the menu to read about the program, choose a month or Bible book - or just work through the blog posts day by day.
BEGIN WITH PRAYER
"Lord open my eyes and my heart."
Read slowly so that you take in. And as you do, turn your heart to God, thanking him for the good you discover and praying his will home for you, your family, your church and the world.
Wisdom to chew on
Understanding to grow in
How might we act when struck down with illness? Again, Hezekiah is an example. He turns to the Lord in prayer, and the Lord is merciful. He grants him fifteen more years, promises to rescue him and the city from Assyria, and proves it with an astonishing miracle. Hezekiah's subsequent thanksgiving shows the importance of expressing gratitude when we receive an answer to prayer. But it also displays something of the anguish felt in serious illness, and the godly heart's response. He sees his affliction as being for his benefit in driving him to the Lord. And he delights to have more time not for himself, but so he can praise God and pass his truth to the next generation. But there is warning here too. Those of faith musn't be complacent: Hezekiah wasn't Christ. And so he fell into pride in his old age, showing his treasures to Babylonian envoys. Hearing that everything in his palace would one day be carried off by Babylon (as at the beginning of the 6th century BC, almost a hundred years later), he then selfishly expressed relief that there would be peace in his lifetime! As you read note how Hezekiah processes his illness.
Isaiah 38-39
Isaiah 38-39
Finish this reading by pausing to ask yourself:
1) What’s the main thing it teaches me about God or his purposes in Christ? Then praise him for this.
2) What’s the main thing it teaches me about his will for me or the world? Then pray that home.
Devotion to offer up
You could read this aloud and perhaps as a springboard to further prayer.