TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
2 Samuel 13:1-39
John 17:1-26
Psalm 119:81-96
Proverbs 16:6-7
2 Samuel 13:3 — Shimeah (Shammah in 1 Samuel 16:9) was passed over by the LORD. His son, Absalom, Tamar, and Amnon’s evil cousin (Jonadab) had shifting loyalties. Jonadab ended up helping Amnon rape his half-sister, Tamar, but then appears to side with Absalom in 2 Samuel 13:32.
2 Samuel 13:15 — So much of what passes for “love” is just “lust” that doesn’t bring people together.
2 Samuel 13:29 — Nathan warned David that the sword shall not depart from his house (2 Samuel 12:10). Once sin begins in a family, it can often spread.
John 17 — This chapter is known as the “High Priestly Prayer of Jesus”. John MacArthur did an eight-part series on this prayer.
In this passage He prayed for three things: Himself, His disciples, and believers in Him. How amazing is that? If you are a believer in Jesus, He prayed for you!
We’ll learn that the mission of Jesus our High Priest is to glorify God in His life, His ministry, His sacrifice, His resurrection, and His ascension. All that Christ did was designed to glorify God. As Jesus prays for His disciples we’ll learn that He prayed for their safety. That they would not stray from what was about to come. He is praying that they too, just like He prayed for Himself, would glorify God in all they do.
John 17:21 — I recently heard a message on unity. The speaker didn’t go into detail on what we were united in, just that we were all together. That wasn’t unity in doctrine, rather unity in mere proximity. We must be united in the truth (John 17:17). Sometimes people will separate from us because of their love for the world (2 Timothy 4:10). Sometimes we are commanded to separate from others (2 Corinthians 6:17).
Psalm 119:81 — How much do you desire God’s Word? Does your soul yearn for it? Do your eyes look for it (Psalm 119:82)? Do you delight in it (Psalm 119:92)? Do you seek it (Psalm 119:94)?
Psalm 119:89 — The center verse of the 176 verses in Psalm 119 emphasizes the eternal settled nature of the Word of the LORD. That is the same Word given to us – will we read it and heed it?
Proverbs 16:7 — You can have peace with everyone if you have peace with the most important One first!
Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.
