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Today´s reading:
OT: Leviticus 19, Leviticus 20:1-21
NT: Mark 8:11-38
Ps: Psalm 42
Pr: Proverbs 10:17

Today´s notable verses:

³⁴ Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶ What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? ³⁷ Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Mark 8:34-37 (NIV)

I am reminded of the words of Jim Elliott, one of the Christian martyrs portrayed in the recent movie End of the Spear, who said:

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.

Psalm 42:7 (NIV)

This verse reminds me of the Pacific Ocean surf at Roca Blanca. The size of the waves and breakers literally swept over us (you can get an idea of the scale in this picture. Notice the size of the breakers compared with my friend, who is about to have the wave sweep over him):

Pacific Ocean surf at Roca Blanca Mission Base, Cacalote, Oaxaca, Mexico
Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

The One Year Bible Blog asks:

Comments from You & Question of the Day – Based on Proverbs 10:17 today, do you accept correction in your life? Do you accept correction from God? Do you accept correction from others in your life? Do you think that if you don’t accept correction in your life that you will lead others astray? Can you think of an instance in your life where you ignored correction and it ended up being bad for not only you, but others around you? Can you think of an instance in your life where you heeded correction and it ended up being good for not only you, but others around you?

I apologize. I know the “thought of the day” regards the Proverbs verse, but I am so overcome reading about Jim Elliott that everything else pales in comparison right now. Anyone who knows me, and knows my passion for mission work – especially to Mexico and Latin America – would understand.

Sorry for posting so late tonight; between the men’s retreat last night and this morning, and worship team practice for tonight’s and tomorrow morning’s church services, I’ve not had time to get my reading in until now.

Today´s reading:
OT: Leviticus 16:29-34, Leviticus 17-18
NT: Mark 7:24-37, Mark 8:1-10
Ps: Psalm 41
Pr: Proverbs 10:15-16

Today´s notable verse:

¹³ ” ‘Any Israelite or any alien living among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, ¹⁴ because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”

Leviticus 17:13-14 (NIV)

The life…is in the blood: a foreshadowing of our life found in the blood of Christ. Sin demands death, and the shed blood of Christ fulfilled that requirement, once for all.

The One Year Bible Blog asks:

Comments from You & Question of the Day – Based on these Proverbs reflections above, do you think living with less can somehow actually add more to our lives? Is there value in living a simple life? What are some simple life habits that you are practicing these days?

I don’t think that the verse in Proverbs implies that the righteous inherently live with less – only that their motives and attitude toward their wages honor God, and add to their life. Of course, if our attitude toward our wages draws us away from God, then perhaps a change in perspective through learning to live with less is the right approach. I think Christ calls us to live a “simple life” in that we are to rely on him for the “mundane” necessities of life, and not worry about how He will provide them. Such simplicity allows God to work through us to accomplish much greater and more meaningful things than the provision of such things.

Today´s reading:
OT: Leviticus 15, Leviticus 16:1-28
NT: Mark 7:1-23;
Ps: Psalm 40:11-17
Pr: Proverbs 10:13-14

Today´s notable verse:

²⁰ “When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. ²¹ He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. ²² The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.

Leviticus 16:20-22 (NIV)

And here we have the root of the “scapegoat.” This imagery reminds me of others: Cain being sent into the desert/wilderness after God confronts him for murdering Abel; Ishmael being sent into the desert after he begins to despise and persecute Isaac. Related? I have no idea – but it’s an interesting thought.

The One Year Bible Blog asks:

Comments from You & Question of the Day – Back to my reflections above on Jesus’ “once for all” sacrifice in the OT section above. Do you believe that Jesus’ sacrifice was “once for all”? Do you believe that Jesus is your High Priest who has made Atonement for your sins? Do you believe that Jesus as your High Priest sits at the right hand of God? If so, how might fully realizing this change how you live? How you pray?

Isn’t this belief rather fundamental to Christianity? If Christ’s death and sacrifice was not “once for all”, then it was completely meaningless. The Scriptures and Christ himself leave no room for ambiguity or compromise. The power of the atoning sacrifice on the cross is the very life by which we live who identify with Christ in His death and resurrection.

This understanding of Christ’s atonement implores us not to become callous or cavalier toward sin in our lives. We are responsible for Christ on the cross, because of our past, present, and future sin. Thus, when we knowingly continue in our sin, we knowingly take advantage of the sacrifice that was made “once for all”.

Today´s reading:
OT: Leviticus 14
NT: Mark 6:30-56
Ps: Psalm 40:1-10
Pr: Proverbs 10:11-12

Today´s notable verses:

But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take eight months of a man’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

Mark 6:37 (NIV)

To my reading of this account, the disciples make this statement with the implication that they do have the monetary means to provide for the multitude of people Jesus has just commanded them to feed. However, had they done so, then they would have missed out on Jesus’ miraculous provision using the loaves and fish. Is this situation true in our lives today? God may give us the means to fulfill some need of our own accord, yet when we rely on and trust Him to provide, then we enable him to perform the miraculous through us because of our faith.

¹¹ The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.
¹² Hatred stirs up dissension,
but love covers over all wrongs.

Proverbs 10:11-12 (NIV)

So far, Proverbs 10 has been the most power-packed of all we’ve read. Maybe I’m at a place or season in my life where this chapter is speaking to me particularly, but every verse has been powerful and impactful.

The One Year Bible Blog asks:

Comments from You & Question of the Day – Per Proverbs 10:11 above, are your words typically a fountain of life to others? Will you seek to improve in love what you say and how you say it to others around you so that your words truly will become a fountain of life to others?

What a great question – and a great reminder of the power of the spoken word, for life or for death. I try to control my tongue – and the key for me is first to control my thoughts. If I center my heart on Christ, then my thoughts and my words are likewise focused. If, however, my heart strays, then my thoughts and my words are sure to follow.

Today´s reading:
OT: Leviticus 13
NT: Mark 6:1-29
Ps: Psalm 39
Pr: Proverbs 10:10

Today´s notable verses:

When a man has lost his hair and is bald, he is clean.

Leviticus 13:40 (NIV)

Woohoo! Now that’s a motto I can live with: Bald is clean.

The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.

Mark 6:26 (NIV)

How sad; Herod recognized John the Baptist as a righteous and holy man, yet in his pride, he could not do what was right. Rather than admit publicly that righteousness and holiness are greater than himself, and refuse to give the order to behead John the Baptist, Herod acquiesced and allowed the heinous request to be fulfilled. Herod promised with an oath to give Herodias’ daughter up to half his kingdom; however, righteousness and holiness surpass Herod’s kingdom. I can’t help but to think that Herod’s sin with Herodias somehow led him into this situation, and facilitated the pride that precipitated his wrong decision. (Aside from the obvious, that had he not been sinning with Herodias, she would not have had reason to begrudge John the Baptist for pointing out their sin.)

Show me, O LORD, my life’s end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.

Psalm 39:4 (NIV)

David is asking here for a “glimpse of eternity” – something for which we should all pray. How beneficial is this eternal perspective: if the entirety of my life is fleeting, as but a breath, then surely my trials and hardships are even more momentary and meaningless. Likewise, any glory I seek in this life fades in comparison to my coming glory in Christ at the last day – and seeking such vaporous vain glory only serves to rob myself of the eternal glory God would otherwise have for me. Instead, I should commit my fleeting life to God – the good and the bad, the glorious and the humiliating – and trust Him to work out all things for my good and for His glory.

The One Year Bible Blog asks:

Comments from You & Question of the Day – Back to Psalm 39 verse 5 above – how does this verse speak to you? Do you feel like life moves fast sometimes? If so, how are you spending your time? Are you being intentional about how you invest your time? Are you being intentional about your work? Your friends? Your finances? Volunteering? Serving others? Loving others? Watching TV – or not watching TV? …Do you think life really is “but a breath”? Are you spending your breath wisely? With your breath are you constantly loving God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself?

We really must be careful how we live, not as unwise but as wise, and making the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:15-16). I don’t so much look at this verse with respect to the speed of life, but rather with respect to the relative insignificance of life. From the eternal perspective, God’s plan will be accomplished, according to His Will; I can choose either to allow God to use me for His Will, and so take part in that plan, or else I can choose to let God’s plan happen without me – and render my life absolutely meaningless. I can choose to glorify God in everything, and receive my praise from Him alone, or else I can seek to usurp His praise from men, which will lead to God reclaiming His rightful glory at the expense of my eventual disgrace.