How Is It Going?

Today marks our second month completed in The Challenge. How is it going? In two months time we have completed the books of Genesis and Luke, Acts and 1 Chronicles. We have made significant progress through Psalms and 2 Chronicles, and begun to read Exodus!

Can you believe we are already 1/6 of the way through The Challenge?

Have you had some days where you have felt like throwing in the towel? I know I have.

Have you had some days where you have felt like God was speaking directly to you through the day's reading? I have.

Have you had some days where you wanted to keep reading? I have.

I've never read through the entire Bible in a year. I'm so excited about how far I've come. This has been a good discipline for me, and a real blessing.

If you are behind in The Challenge, start back up with today's reading. Most of us are going to miss a day here or there. The important thing is that we don't let that miss derail our entire challenge. Thanks for taking this journey with me.

No Excuses!

Psalm 59, Exodus 2:23‐3:22, 2 Chronicles 32, Acts 28:16‐31

Psalm 59 - I'm struck at the persistence with which David's enemies are painted in this chapter. Again and again the enemies come for David, and again and again David trusts in God's protection. David addresses God with the pronoun, "my Strength," in this passage. What a beautiful picture of Who God is!

Exodus 2:23-3:22 - The children of Israel may have felt abandoned by God as they lived as slaves in Egypt, but God had not forgotten them. He was raising up a servant, in the middle of the desert, to go before Pharaoh on behalf of God.

Moses was a fugitive from justice, a man with no confidence in his speaking ability, one who was raised as a Prince in Egypt by a royal family that was not his own, one of the only surviving Hebrew men that was of his age, and one who was not sure about much of anything. He was also someone that God felt that He could use.

The choice of Moses to lead the Children of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt and into the Promised Land was a beautiful one. If God could use Moses to deliver a nation, He can use you to accomplish His purposes too. Let God work through you, and be amazed at what He does.

Moses offered God every excuse in the book as to why he could not be used by God. God had an answer for every one of Moses' excuses. Has God called you to do something that you have put excuses up for? God loves to take our excuses and turn them upside down. He did it with Moses, and He will do it with you. When God calls you to do something, don't make excuses, just do it!

2 Chronicles 32 - This is a remarkable chapter. Sennacherib was the king of the Assyrians. The Assyrian army was strong. They had toppled enemy after enemy. When the King of Assyria rose his armies up against King Hezekiah, and the armies of Judah, Sennacherib was cocky and confident. He was convinced that he would leave Judah in ruins. He mocked Jehovah, basically saying that God was no more powerful than the gods made of hands in the other nations that he had triumphed over.

God would not be mocked. Many times, God chooses to let people speak poorly of Him, and still "prosper" on earth. Not so this time! This time God immediately judged Sennacherib and his armies, giving Hezekiah and his armies the victory. God has told us that, "I will not be mocked." It may not come in this life, but God will get the last laugh on those who mock Him.

Acts 28:16-31 - The book of Acts ends with Paul finally preaching in Rome. He remained in Rome for two years, preaching and teaching the truth of the Gospel. Luke is careful to include that Paul remained in Rome at his own expense. He wanted the people of Rome to know Jesus, and he was willing to underwrite the effort himself, so that the Romans could no God.

To get a sense of how much Paul wanted to preach in Rome, see Romans 1:11, 12, "11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine."

God's Detours

Today's Reading: Psalm 58, Exodus 1:22‐2:22, 2 Chronicles 31, Acts 27:1‐28:15

Psalm 58 - Psalm 58 is a good reminder to the people about just who it is that judges the earth. When it seems like the evil continually prosper, the righteous can take comfort in the fact that God is the ultimate judge of the earth. He will deal with those who live wicked lives.

Exodus 1:22-2:22 - Enter Moses, one of history's most interesting figures. Moses was born to just the right family. To see how God protected Moses' life, from his very birth, is a beautiful picture of the grace and the sovereignty of God. How beautiful that Moses' own mother was able to help raise him, even though the command was to kill all Hebrew babies. God had important plans for this child.

2 Chronicles 31 - Hezekiah's good decisions continue in 2 Chronicles 31. Now, he organized the priests, making sure that the priests fulfilled the duties for which they were set apart.

A beautiful summary of Hezekiah's reign is given at the end of chapter 31: 20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. 21 And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered

Acts 27:1-28:15 - Paul dreamed of going to Rome. It probably wasn't his dream to go as a prisoner, but Paul looked on the bright side. God had work for Paul to do in Rome. But, along the way, God would first allow Paul to experience a shipwreck. Paul's faith before the wreck encouraged the sailors. His faith after the wreck helped transform an island. And, then after three months on an unplanned island trip, Paul finally sailed for Rome. How good it would be for Paul to be able to encourage the Christians at Rome; even if he had to do it as a prisoner! Paul always looked for opportunities to tell people about Christ.

Hard Hearts

Today's Reading: Psalm 57, Exodus 1:1‐21, 2 Chronicles 30, Acts 25‐26

Psalm 57 - Two times in this Psalm, David writes, "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!"

David wanted people to recognize the glory of God, and to worship Him alone. This was one of the Psalms that was written when David hid in a cave as he fled from Saul. Even in the difficulty of his situation, David was thinking about praising God!

Exodus 1:1-21 - God's chosen people have been an oppressed people throughout history. Upon the death of Joseph, and his generation, a new king came to rule over Egypt. Joseph had long since been forgotten, and the new Pharaoh feared the Israelites. He wanted the male children to be killed, because he feared how numerous the Israelites were growing in the land of Egypt. The Egyptian midwives did an honorable thing and saved the lives of the boys that Pharaoh wanted dead. But, tough times were ahead for the Israelites.

2 Chronicles 30 - - 2 Chronicles 30 is a great example of the difference that one man can make in a nation. Hezekiah loved the Lord. The people had forgotten how to love God, keep His commandments, and celebrate His festivals. Even the priests had abandoned their responsibilities.

Hezekiah called a nation to repentance and righteousness. There was initial shame felt by the people when the Passover was ready to be celebrated. This was replaced by joy when the people received the pardon and forgiveness of God.

We should be a people that seek to live righteous lives. We ought to run to the things of God and run from the world. We need God more than we think we need God. When the Israelites experienced more of Him, they wanted even more. This was shown by the extension of Passover to another week.

Acts 25-26 - Paul was hated by a certain group of people in Jerusalem. They were willing to do or say anything in order to get Paul in trouble. They wanted him dead, and had conspired to make it happen.

Acts 25-26 shows the futility of their plans, and the sovereignty of God. Paul, the prisoner, had an opportunity to share his faith with two of the region's most powerful men, Festus, and King Agrippa. He was also able to share with all of Festus and Agrippa's advisers.

I love the way that Paul tried his best to persuade King Agrippa to become a follower of Jesus. In the end, Agrippa turned Paul down, but it was only because Agrippa wanted to continue to live in his sinful lifestyle, not because Paul hadn't persuaded him that Jesus was the Messiah.

We can give some people the most compelling evidence in the world that Jesus is Messiah, but they might still turn us down when we encourage them to trust Jesus with their life. It's called the willful roadblock, and is the roadblock that people who don't want to give up their lifestyle deal with. It was well known, at the time, that King Agrippa was in an incestuous relationship with his wife's sister, and didn't want to give that up. Paul didn't see Agrippa beyond the point of God's redemption.

Showing God's Love to Difficult People

Today's Reading: Psalm 56, Genesis 50:15-26, 2 Chronicles 29, Acts 23:12‐24:27

Psalm 56 - David's perspective on what man can do and what God can do is a good one. He wrote Psalm 56 when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Things didn't look good for David. But, he trusted in the Lord.

He wrote the following in verses 10-11, "10 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, 11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

If God is for us, who can be against us? That is the passion with which David wrote, and what he truly believed in his heart. His faith was firmly in God's camp.

Genesis 50:15-26 - The perspective that Joseph gained over his years of trusting God was priceless. This is a man, whose brothers had sold him into slavery, and who responded in nothing but love.

Joseph's eternal perspective is shown in Genesis 50:20, "20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

I'm grateful for the strong faith of Joseph, and the forgiveness and faith that he showed as he lived his life.

2 Chronicles 29 - How refreshing it must have been to the people of Judah to experience a righteous king after so many kings who chased after false gods. 2 Chronicles 29 is the first chapter in which the reign of Hezekiah is described. The Chronicler pays more attention to Hezekiah's reign than any other king. He was a godly king who re-instituted worship at the temple. He honored the priesthood, and honored the worship of Jehovah.

Acts 23:12-24:27 - Once again we see Paul using whatever opportunity that God brings his way to honor the Lord. When a plot to kill Paul is discovered, he is brought before Felix to be tried. When before Felix, Paul spoke passionately from his heart about the things of God. He would not go down without others hearing about Jesus. What an awesome example!

Using All Opportunities To Share Christ

Today's Reading: Psalm 55, Genesis 50:1‐14, 2 Chronicles 28, Acts 21:17 ‐23:11

Psalm 55 - Have you ever been betrayed by a best friend or family member? David's psalm of lament in Psalm 55 talks about such incredible pain. Many of David's lamenting psalms deal with God rescuing him from his enemies. This is the first instance I recall reading of David lamenting the betrayal of an old friend.

His solution remains trusting in God. He takes the pain that he is feeling and leaves it in God's lap. That is a good place to go when we are hurt by human beings. God will never betray us. He may allow us to experience pain, but when He does, it is for our good and growth.

Genesis 50:1-14 - I have been with many families as they have walked through the death of a loved one. Joseph honored his father, Jacob, upon Jacob's death. He followed through on the promise that he made to his father, to have him buried in the land of Canaan.

Joseph did a good thing. He honored his father's wishes. He asked Pharaoh for permission to leave and go back to Canaan to bury his father, and his request was granted. Joseph was a man of his word. Over and over again we see that when Joseph spoke, when he made a promise, he could be trusted. Godly leaders are men and women who keep their word.

2 Chronicles 28 - Much has been written about the wickedness of King Ahab in Israel. A reading of 2 Chronicles 28 makes me feel that King Ahaz may have been Judah's most wicked king. His worship of Baal and his worship of the gods of Judah's enemies are a clear picture of a king whoring after other gods. He led Judah to such a terrible place that God allowed Judah's enemies to kill 120,000 men in one day, and take another 200,000 women and children captives.

May we not chase after the gods of this world. I don't want to be accused of idolatry. I wonder what things I have placed ahead of God in my life.

Acts 21:17-23:11 - Paul must have had some suspicion that his trip to Jerusalem could be perilous for him. He was received warmly by James, the leader of the Jerusalem church and the half-brother of Jesus. The Jerusalem church was thrilled to hear what God was doing amongst the Gentiles.

After seven days in Jerusalem, false charges were brought up against Paul. The charges indicated that Paul was telling everyone, everywhere bad things about the people of Jerusalem, the law, and the temple. Truth be told, Paul was arrested because he was telling everyone, everywhere about Jesus, the Messiah.

It's interesting to see how Paul responds to his plight. He uses it as a platform to proclaim Jesus to even more people,many of whom he would have no access to if it weren't for the arrest.

Paul saw every opportunity to share Christ, whether in chains or free, as a blessing from Christ. May we have the same resolve to share Christ with others!

Spiritual Leadership

Psalm 54, Genesis 49, 2 Chronicles 27, Acts 20:17‐21:16

Psalm 54 - I can't imagine the pressure that David must have felt as he hid in fear of death by the hand of King Saul. Psalm 54 was a psalm that was written during this period of time in David's life. Despite the fear, David knew that his help came from the LORD. He faithfully depended upon God to carry him when the days were darkest. In our darkest of days, when God is all we have, we must recognize that God is all we need.

Genesis 49 - In this historic chapter, Jacob blesses his sons and then dies. It is in this chapter that the future of the twelve tribes of Israel are foretold. Pay particular attention to what is said about the tribe of Judah, for this is the tribe that Messiah will come from.

2 Chronicles 27 - Jotham reigned over Jerusalem for sixteen years, and 2 Chronicles 27 records that he became mighty because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God. Once again we see how God works on behalf of His people when they remain faithful to him.

Acts 20:17‐21:16 - I love the way in which Paul speaks to the Ephesian elders in this passage. He tells them the hard truth that the church needs to hear. He also warns them of the difficulties that lay ahead for them as a church. Paul was a true shepherd to the flock. He told them the truth in love, and protected them from false teachers that might come their way. He is a great example of how those in spiritual leadership should serve those under our care.