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Today´s reading:
OT: Numbers 14, Numbers 15:1-16
NT: Mark 14:53-72
Ps: Psalm 53
Pr: Proverbs 11:4

Today´s notable verses:

The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”

Psalm 53:1a (NIV)

Having spent a great deal of time with the group of people constituting one of the great bastions of secular humanism – scientists and scientific academia – I really believe that the so-called athiesm of this group is less a genuine belief, and more of a willful denial; calling oneself an “athiest” becomes a facade, allowing such person an appearance of plausible deniability of his own conscience. I don’t know which is worse: this person, or the fool whom the Psalmist says actually believes (“says in his heart”) that God does not exist. Perhaps, the latter is the end result of the former: someone willfully denies the truth for so long that eventually he genuinely believes the lie with which he has replaced it.

Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death.

Proverbs 11:4 (NIV)

I don’t ever plan on being wealthy – emphasis on plan; if it happens, it will be by God’s will, and not my own effort – outside of my attempts to be a good and faithful steward of that with which God entrusts me. I think someone who would attempt to rely on money to save him on the day of wrath does so because he has placed his wealth before God. But a life of righteousness – in wealth or poverty – saves him from facing God’s wrath altogether on that day.

The One Year Bible Blog asks:

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today’s readings?

Starting to sound repetitive, but: see above. 🙂

Today´s reading:
OT: Numbers 11:24-35, Numbers 12, Numbers 13
NT: Mark 14:22-52
Ps: Psalm 52
Pr: Proverbs 11:1-3

Today´s notable verse:

² When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.
³ The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

Proverbs 11:2-3 (NIV)

Great wisdom here; pride always leads to disgrace, yet humility leads to wisdom. And the second is like it: integrity guides us in the way we should go, but duplicitiousness will ultimately destroy us. These thoughts are both sobering and inspiring: if I act of my own accord, disgrace and destruction will be my ultimate end, but if I act in humility and with integrity, my path is sure, and I will grow in wisdom.

The One Year Bible Blog asks:

Comments from You – What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?

See above. 🙂

Today´s reading:
OT: Numbers 10, Numbers 11:1-23
NT: Mark 14:1-21
Ps: Psalm 51
Pr: Proverbs 10:31-32

Today´s notable verses:

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalm 51:10-12 (NIV)

I hear these verses and am reminded of an old campfire song, “Create In Me a Clean Heart” – beautiful words themselves, and a powerful prayer; but what stands out to me is the next verse:

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.

Psalm 51:13 (NIV)

A foreshadowing of the Great Commission! What is the reason (or outcome/result) of this prayer? To spread the Word, and to reach the lost! I always considered the “campfire song” to be introspective – but the Psalmist considered it to be a means or motivation to proclaim God to the world. Wow – what a paradigm shift!

A little further down we find these verses:

¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

Psalm 51:16-17F (NIV)

Yet more prophetic insight from the Psalmist: what wisdom and understanding, to realize that the sacrifices – and thus the Law – reflected something greater, and represented something much deeper and more intimate. God didn’t desire the sacrifice, but the contrition of heart that led to the sacrifice. What a revelation!

The One Year Bible Blog asks:

Comments from You & Question of the Day – How does Psalm 51 speak to you? Can you imagine yourself praying any of these lines to God? Have you ever prayed Psalm 51 to God? Or have you prayed other Psalms to God?

In this Psalm, David’s openness, honesty, forthrightness, and humility stand out. I am reminded that Godly sorrow leads to this same brokenness of spirit and contrition of heart, and produces Godly results (II Corinthians 7:10-11).