Sunday, July 28, 2013

Week 31: Having "Eyes and Ears" that Count!

This week's Bible reading plan is as follows:
  • Sunday: 2 Chronicles 21:1-23:21; Romans 11:13-36; Psalm 22:1-18; Proverbs 20:7 
  • Monday: 2 Chronicles 24:1-25:28; Romans 12:1-21; Psalm 22:19-31; Proverbs 20:8-10 
  • Tuesday: 2 Chronicles 26:1-28:27; Romans 13:1-14; Psalm 23:1-6; Proverbs 20:112 
  • Wednesday: Chronicles 29:1-36; Romans 14:1-23; Psalm 24:1-10; Proverbs 20:12 
  • Thursday: 2 Chronicles 30:1-31:21; Romans 15:1-22; Psalm 25:1-15; Proverbs 20:13-15 
  • Friday: 2 Chronicles 32:1-33:13; Romans 15:23-16:9; Psalm 25:16-22; Proverbs 20:16-18 
  • Saturday: 2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33; Romans 16:10-27; Psalm 26:1-12; Proverbs 20:19
Our S.O.A.P. this week is from the book of Proverbs:

Scripture: Proverbs 20:12
"Ears to hear and eyes to see—
both are gifts from the LORD."

Observation:
This is talking about more than physical hearing and seeing. The gifts of sight and sound are precious in themselves to be sure! But greater still is the gift of spiritual discernment. Jesus condemned the people of his generation for having eyes but not being able to truly see and ears but not being able to discern God's voice in their midst.

Application:

One of our greatest aspirations as followers of Jesus Christ is to become persons of spiritual discernment. I want to have eyes that see what God wants me to see and ears that hear what God is saying.

Prayer:
O Lord, please help me be a person of wisdom, discretion, and discernment for Jesus' sake. Amen.

Have a great week!
Faithfully,
Chuck

Monday, July 15, 2013

Note from the authors

Our weekly 'Bible-in-one-year' blog posts have been moved to the following site:

http://www.woodhavencommunitychurch.com/blog/category/bible-study/

It is now part of our Woodhaven Community Church main web-site:

http://www.woodhavencommunitychurch.com/blog/

Our hope is to reach more (local) people without compromising our initial purpose with this blog, and perhaps even enhance the visual experience for our existing readers. All previous posts have been transferred from this blog to our new blog site, but new posts will no longer appear on this Blogger blog.

Thanks for your continued interest in this blog. We hope you continue to follow us - and continue to follow the 'Bible-in-one-year' reading schedule on the new site.

In Christ,

Chuck Conniry
Dick de Roover

Sherwood, July 15, 2013

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Week 28: God's Embrace

This week's Bible reading plan is as follows:
  • Sunday: 1 Chronicles 4:5-5:17; Acts 25:1-27; Psalm 5:1-12; Proverbs 18:19
  • Monday: 1 Chronicles 5:18-6:81; Acts 26:1-32; Psalm 6:1-10; Proverbs 18:20-21
  • Tuesday: 1 Chronicles 7:1-8:40; Acts 27:1-20; Psalm 7:1-17; Proverbs 18:22
  • Wednesday: 1 Chronicles 9:1-10:14; Acts 27:21-44; Psalm 8:1-9; Proverbs 18:23-24
  • Thursday: 1 Chronicles 11:1-12:18; Acts 28:1-31; Psalm 9:1-12; Proverbs 19:1-3
  • Friday: 1 Chronicles 12:19-14:17; Romans 1:1-17; Psalm 9:13-20; Proverbs 19:4-5
  • Saturday: 1 Chronicles 15:1-16:36; Romans 1:18-32; Psalm 10:1-15; Proverbs 19:6-7
Our S.O.A.P. this week is from the book of 1 Chronicles:

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 4:9, 10
"There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!' And God granted him his request."

Observation:
Ever since Bruce Wilkinson published his 2000 bestseller, The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life, I haven't been able to read this passage the same way. By all accounts, this passage gives us a passing glance at an obscure person in Scripture (the man Jabez is mentioned only here), who offers a rather shallow, self-centered prayer – he asked for more land, more success in life, and freedom from pain and suffering.

The truly amazing thing about this prayer is that God answered it!

The point is that God meets us wherever we are at in life...and grants even the simplest (even selfish) requests. The prayer, in other words, highlights God's grace and concern for every one of us. And that's a beautiful thing!

Mr. Wilkinson is a devout Christian man, and he wrote the book with the best of intentions. However, a lot of people applied the book in ways that the author never intended, taking the prayer to be some sort of magic formula...an incantation as it were...that could be memorized and prayed repeatedly to get phenomenal (usually self-centered) results. Within a year of the book's publication, Wilkinson published a follow-up book, Secrets of the Vine, in which he talked about how pain and suffering often play an important role in our spiritual growth...and that trying to get everything we desire in life is often counterproductive to our relationship with God.

Application:
I resonate more with the Psalmist's prayer in today's reading from Psalm 5:
O Lord, hear me as I pray;
pay attention to my groaning.
Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,
for I pray to no one but you.

Lead me in the right path, O Lord,
or my enemies will conquer me.
Make your way plain for me to follow.

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread your protection over them,
that all who love your name may be filled with joy.
For you bless the godly, O Lord;
you surround them with your shield of love.

I do not want to experience hardships...and I certainly do not pray for them. However, I also realize that we have tribulations in this world. Jesus said we would. When I find myself in the midst of difficulty, I pray that I would also find myself in the fullness of God's embrace.

Prayer:
Father in Heaven, please help me find you in any and every circumstance. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen!

Have a great week!

Faithfully,
Chuck