Category: Daily Encouragement

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Genesis 39:1-41:16
  Matthew 12:46-13:23
  Psalm 17:1-15
  Proverbs 3:33-35

Genesis 39:2 shows us prosperity from someone who was with the Lord. While God can send prosperity, not all prosperity is of God (Psalm 73:12). Doctrine makes a difference – non-believers can follow Proverbs’ advice from God on how to be successful, but they don’t have to follow the Author of the rules to be successful in this life. While there are many ways to riches on this earth, only one doctrine leads to riches in the next world (Matthew 6:19).

Genesis 39:8 — Joseph was willing to risk prosperity on this planet (Genesis 39:8) because he would not risk the next world (Genesis 39:9). Because of his integrity, he lost his material prosperity in this world (Genesis 39:20). Recently in the news, a man in Oregon was asked to violate his conscience, so he quoted a verse of Scripture and was fined $135,000. Sometimes, though, the test is not will you stand in persecution, but can you stand in blessing?

Genesis 41:16 — In today’s reading Joseph turned down the credit (Genesis 41:16), yet we read yesterday that he seemingly wanted the credit (Genesis 37:6).

Matthew 13 is a great example of “venture capital.” A friend of mine is a venture capitalist – he buys businesses. Some businesses get devoured. Some wither. Some are choked out. But if just one of ten businesses can return a hundredfold or even just thirtyfold, he can make a ton of money. Speaking of investing – what are you investing in? Are you investing in spreading the Gospel seeds? Are you praying for your friends? Are you praying that as they respond they won’t be devoured, withered, or choked?

Dexter Penwell shared this insight on the parables in Matthew 13:

This parable (Matthew 13:1-9) is described in Luke as being the key to understanding all parables … the key is to put Jesus as the man in the “kingdom from heaven” parables that are in the rest of this chapter of Matthew. The birds represented Satan and his followers (vs. 4 & vs. 19).

Psalm 17:13 is a great cry from someone oppressed – as we go through trials, we can cry to the One who listens!

Psalm 17:15 — Also, notice how Psalm 17:15 today and Psalm 16:10 yesterday seem to be a burst of prophetic utterance in the midst of a prayer within a temporal struggle.

Proverbs 3:33-35 is a great example of Hebrew antithetical poetry.

It is very different from English poetry. English poetry is developed from Greek and Latin poetry, which is primarily sound based. Hebrew poetry has much in common with Canaanite poetry. It is basically thought-based in balanced, parallel lines.

www.Bible.org

These verses contrast a blessing with a curse. Will we follow wisdom and understanding, or will we follow the Simple, the Scorner, and the Fool?

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.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Genesis 37:1-38:30
  Matthew 12:22-45
  Psalm 16:1-11
  Proverbs 3:27-32

Genesis 37:1 — Abraham was a stranger. His blessing of being the Father of Many Nations wouldn’t be realized until after he was dead. If we obey someone for a reward that’s in the distance – what’s that called (Hebrews 11:9)?

Genesis 37:6 — By the way, Joseph seemed to have the same youthful lack of discretion (albeit less violent) than his siblings had (Genesis 37:6-8, 9-11). Reuben had a grosser lack of discretion (Genesis 35:22) but seems to have improved some because later he stopped the fratricide in Genesis 37:21. Ever wonder why Proverbs always talks about wisdom? Children have needed it for thousands of years!

Genesis 37:28 — Joseph was sold for twenty pieces of silver, similar to Someone who was sold for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15).

Genesis 38:15 — Judah still had lessons to learn. He sold his brother for a quick buck (37:27) and then looks to buy a favor from a harlot (38:15). I Timothy 6:10 has something to say about money.

BONUS THOUGHT — Scripture is not just “character lessons”, e.g. Judah wanted to kill Joseph so we shouldn’t want to kill our brothers. Rather, all of Scripture points to Jesus. Jack Klumpenhower has lesson notes on most of Genesis, including today’s reading. He wrote a book emphasizing that Sunday School has become “character lessons”, i.e. they don’t show how every passage of Scripture points to Jesus. Over the next few days, let’s see how Joseph’s life points to Jesus.

Matthew 12:25 was alluded to by the Founding Father John Dickinson: “By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.” Patrick Henry declared in his final speech, “United we stand, divided we fall.” Abraham Lincoln talked about a house divided on slavery. Ross Perot named his political committee “United We Stand.”  But are we united with Jesus (Matthew 12:30)?

Matthew 12:40 — By the way, did you notice that Jesus believed Jonah was a real person? We were talking yesterday about how great Jesus is – He claimed to be greater than Jonah (Matthew 12:41) and greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:42)! Finally, let’s make sure to be careful with our words (Matthew 12:36). Reading Scripture tends to be sobering, does it not?

Psalm 16:1 — Once when I was feeling under attack and overwhelmed, I started copying the Psalms by hand. Not because I didn’t have access to a photocopier, but because I felt I was reading through the Bible too quickly, and I needed to force myself to slow down and meditate. The Psalms really came alive as I realized that God deals again and again with hurting people throughout the book. But some promises are conditional (e.g. if He is at my right hand, then I shall not be moved [Psalm 16:8]). God promises deliverance, but we must obey.

Proverbs 3:27 — Solomon is giving the wisdom that Jacob and his descendants needed earlier. Verse 27 is a simple command and a variation of the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) – if you can be a help to someone, be a help to someone. Sometimes I’d be afraid to do something because it wasn’t my place, but it was always appreciated when I would tell someone “I think you need help – can I help you?”

Proverbs 3:28 — If you’ve had a friend on Facebook who’s a multi-level marketing distributor, I’m sure they’ve shared with you how they’ve been paid early, and how wonderful it is to receive their money.

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.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Genesis 35:1-36:43
  Matthew 12:1-21
  Psalm 15:1-5
  Proverbs 3:21-26

Thanks to Dexter Penwell for pointing this out:

One thing that I should add for help in understanding Genesis is that it is not chronological. For instance, Jacob and Esau were 15 years old when Abraham died. So, they probably learned first hand from Abraham about God’s promise to him. Isaac was alive for several years after Joseph was sold into Egypt. So, he also would have mourned the loss of Joseph … I also added things up one year, and Shem was still alive when Abraham moved to the land of Canaan. But, without going through the calculations again, I do not remember how old Abraham was when Shem died.

Genesis 35:1-3 — Yesterday, Jacob was in deep trouble. His kids murdered an entire town seeking revenge. This is one of the few times we see the correct pattern of how to handle problems (we’ll see many examples of the wrong way). Jacob listened. Jacob repented. Jacob obeyed. God blessed.

Genesis 35:20 — Rachel dies and is buried in Bethlehem Ephratah (Genesis 48:7). Jeremiah 31:15 talks about her weeping for the children. Micah 5:2 mentions this place (Bethlehem Ephratah) and says something big will happen there! Note especially Genesis 35:21 where it talks about the “tower of Edar” – this is the Migdal Eder of Micah 4:8! If you’ve seen Quentin Road Baptist Church’s 2018 Christmas Program – they talk about it at the 23 minute mark!

The Jewish group “Friends of Rachel’s Tomb” has some interesting history and many ancient photos of the structure referred to today as Rachel’s Tomb. Unfortunately, this site’s history prior to the Byzantines is unknown (compare the history of the Cave of the Patriarchs), so we don’t know if it is the actual site, but we know that Rachel was buried in this region.

Genesis 36 — J. Vernon McGee discusses this chapter as God’s pointing out the “rejected line” and then dismisses it – similar to the line of Cain vs. the line of Seth that we read earlier this month.

Matthew 12:6 — If you’re looking for a journal topic through the Gospels, read what Jesus said about Himself. Sometimes people think of Jesus as just a good teacher, or sometimes they write songs that Jesus is like a “boyfriend.” While Jesus was an amazing teacher and loves us more than anyone else can, He is great, greater than the temple (vs. 6), greater than the Sabbath (vs. 8), and greater than the curse (vs. 13).

Psalm 15 — God expects a change in His people! God lives in a holy heaven (vs. 1) and cannot tolerate sin. The good news is that all we have to do to go to heaven is be perfect. The bad news is that nobody is perfect.

Proverbs 3:21-26 — I enjoy leading tour groups – most of the time on a tour I’m not telling people something “hidden;” I’m just making sure they don’t miss something in plain sight! Solomon shared yesterday the creationary power of wisdom, and he has to remind his son, “Don’t let it go!” Can you count today the blessings of wisdom? God’s way is always better than our way! Like Jacob: listen to God, repent, obey, and be blessed.

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.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Genesis 32:13-34:31
  Matthew 11:7-30
  Psalm 14:1-7
  Proverbs 3:19-20

We’re in the second half of the first month of this journey!

Genesis 32:14-19 — We’re in the middle of a dramatic scene. Jacob had lied to his father and cheated his brother Esau out of the blessing of his father. Earlier this month we saw the liar Jacob being “out-lied” by his uncle Laban. He’s learned his lesson. Now he’s seeking reconciliation. This is an expensive reconciliation, but God is blessing his self-sacrificial reconciliation with a new name.

Genesis 32:26 — The Pulpit Commentary says Jacob “sought to obtain from him the blessing which he had previously stolen from his aged father by craft.”

Genesis 33:30 — Jacob realized in yesterday’s passage that his family is far from devout (stealing idols), but now he’s determined to change his family’s theology by committing himself publicly. Just as Grandpa Abraham did (Genesis 12:7), Jacob built an altar to El-Elohe-Israel. God – not just any god but the Creator God (Genesis 1:1 uses the word Elohim) of Israel – He is my God now! By the way, Bodie Hodge of Answers in Genesis (AiG) has a great article on the names for God. But in the next chapter (Genesis 34), we see Jacob’s kids inherited his sin nature and are practicing it more than their father’s newly exemplified faith.

Matthew 11 — Yesterday we read about doubting John, but Jesus’ compassion rings out – “there hath not risen a greater than John!” But the least of the Kingdom will be greater than John!

Matthew 11:23 — I’m glad you’re reading God’s Word in its entirety this year, but this verse is a sober warning for you. If you have more exposure to God, you have more responsibility. God rained down fire and brimstone on Sodom, but says it will be worse for those who don’t know Jesus personally. Jesus alternates from warning of eternal judgment to offering rest for your soul. There’s no middle way with Him.

Psalm 14:1 — Ray Comfort says April 1 is National Atheists’ Day.

Psalm 14:3 sounds a theme we will see in Romans 3.

Proverbs 3:19-20 — This wisdom seems pretty powerful. Let’s keep seeking it as we continue reading!

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.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Genesis 31:17-32:12
  Matthew 10:24-11:6
  Psalm 13:1-6
  Proverbs 3:16-18

Genesis 31:24 and Genesis 31:26 appear to show Laban disobeying God. Laban obviously is speaking to Jacob, but God seemingly told him not to speak to Jacob at all. This is where Bible commentaries can be helpful to explain difficult passages. BibleHub (biblehub.com/commentaries) offers a few different commentaries on Genesis 31:24. You soon realize that there’s a wide variation in the commenting (don’t say anything violent, don’t go from positive to negative, don’t try to get him back, etc.). That’s when you realize that human commentators are not inspired, but their best help is when they point out cross references. In Genesis 24:50, years before when Eliezer went to Laban asking for Rebekah to return to marry Isaac, Laban said “The thing proceeds from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.” Now in Genesis 31:24 God uses the same words Laban used, “Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.” Ever had a time when God used your words to convict you?

Matthew 10:33 — Another convicting verse! “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” How many times have others started talking about eternity, life after death, and you’ve heard God telling you to talk about what His Son did for them? Thankfully we know this isn’t the unforgivable sin because as we’ll see in a couple weeks someone who famously committed this sin.

Matthew 11 — When John was in doubt, Jesus pointed his disciples indirectly to Isaiah 35:4-6 (the signs of when God would come).

Psalm 13:6 — “I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” Feel free to sing during your time with God!

Proverbs 3:16-18 — We saw in yesterday’s reading that these are the benefits of wisdom and mercy, and Proverbs 9:10 tells us wisdom and understanding come from the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of the Holy. Today we see more benefits from fearing the Lord – length of days, riches and honor, pleasantness, peace, and happiness! Enjoy God’s blessings from seeking Him!

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.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Genesis 30:1-31:16
  Matthew 10:1-23
  Psalm 12:1-8
  Proverbs 3:13-15

Genesis 30:43 — Ever have a boss that was jealous of you? God blessed Jacob incredibly, so he increased exceedingly. But Laban had changed his wages and every time he changed the terms of the deal, God blessed Jacob even more. Sometimes you may be in an unfair position, but God sees.

Genesis 31:12 — A friend of mine shared how he wasn’t being treated fairly in a business situation. Thankfully God keeps ultimate score even when we feel like we’re losing, and He will still bless us and provide as we need.

Matthew 10:2-4 — The Lord Jesus Christ introduces us to the 12 men He chose to spend time with while He was on earth. While memorizing the names of the disciples will not get us bonus points in Heaven, knowing basic biblical facts is helpful! Unfortunately, most Christians can’t name more than two or three disciples. However, many Christians could name the members of Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Ring, the starting lineup of the Green Bay Packers, or many other things less significant. By the way – I do best memorizing with a song – here’s “He Has Called Us Too” on YouTube that will help us memorize the 12 disciples.

Psalm 12:6 — God has a special promise for you. You’ve accepted the challenge to read through God’s Word for the first time or for an additional time. Other words are vanity, flattering, double hearted, and proud. But you’ve chosen to partake of pure words. Keep it up!

Proverbs 3:14 — Speaking of silver, the wisdom of God and the understanding from God (Proverbs 9:10) is better than silver, gold, rubies, and even Bitcoin. Bitcoin is included in the “all things thou canst desire” in Proverbs 3:15.

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.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Genesis 28:1-29:35
  Matthew 9:18-38
  Psalm 11:1-7
  Proverbs 3:11-12

Genesis 28:1 is the sixth “Thou Shalt Not” of the Bible. Even though Jacob had deceived his father horribly, his father blessed him again and charges him to stay separate from unbelievers. By the way, if your first two wives don’t please your parents, the answer is not to do what Esau did in Genesis 28:8-9!

Genesis 28:19 — Bethel is the same place where the Lord appeared unto Abraham (Genesis 12:8).

Matthew 9:28 — The blind men who heard about Jesus had more faith than the disciples who lived with Jesus!

Matthew 9:38 — Is God calling you to be a laborer in His harvest?

Psalm 11:4 is an amazing combination of the transcendence of God and the immanence of God. He is high above us, yet His eyes behold us.

Proverbs 3:12 — What does faith look like? In yesterday’s devotional, it was giving when you don’t know how much you will get. Today, it’s accepting when you don’t want to receive. Later in Proverbs 13:1 and 15:5, Solomon tells us that our response is a sign of what type of person we are – wise and prudent or a scorning fool.

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.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Genesis 26:17-27:46
  Matthew 9:1-17
  Psalm 10:16-18
  Proverbs 3:9-10

Genesis 26:33 — Just a few days ago (on January 9th) we saw Abraham digging a well in Beersheba (Genesis 21:31); now we see Isaac digging a well in Beersheba (Genesis 26:33). We also see the danger of God’s people marrying unbelievers (Genesis 26:35).

Genesis 27:41 — Interesting the connection between hate and murder – Jesus talked about this in Matthew 5:22.

Matthew 9:3 — Throughout history, the deity of Jesus has been attacked.  Many – including Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Unitarians – say Jesus did not claim to be God, rather His followers “deified” Him after His death. But in Matthew 9:3, Jesus is accused of blasphemy. Answers in Genesis (AiG) has a great Bible study on the question “Is Jesus God?”

Matthew 9:13 — Thank God for this verse! He came to call us (sinners) to repentance!

Psalm 10:17 — Who has the Lord heard? This seems to be a theme throughout the Bible!

Proverbs 3:9-10 — Here’s an example of what it means to “trust in the Lord” – the farmer does not know how much harvest he will have. The financial world tells stock market traders to lock in some profits from time to time (keep the first part of the profits for yourself). The widow did not think she had enough oil for herself if she gave to the prophet first (1 Kings 17:13). Hannah did not know if she would have any other children than Samuel (1 Samuel 1:11). The Bible says that if you give God your firstfruits, He will fill your barns. As Arthur DeMoss said, “To be successful you should give God the first dime out of every dollar, the first hour out of every day, and the first day out of every week.”

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.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Genesis 24:52-26:16
  Matthew 8:18-34
  Psalm 10:1-15
  Proverbs 3:7-8

Congratulations on hanging in there!

We’re 1/3 of the way through January. Don’t let Scripture reading become a duty, however. You can browse a list we put together of some of the blessings of reading Scripture; please share with us if you’ve found some we missed!

Genesis 25:1 is a Bible trivia bonus question – most Christians don’t know the name of Abraham’s second wife.

Genesis 25:21 — Interesting that two generations of patriarchs in a row had trouble conceiving a child.

Genesis 25:34 — The phrase “mess of pottage” comes from this verse (a phrase that doesn’t appear in any English version of the Bible but has been used by many over the years – including Karl Marx!).

Matthew 8:18-22 — I heard a message on this passage entitled “A Question of Commitment.” Following Jesus is greater than any comfort and any relationship you may have.

Matthew 8:23-27 — Jesus has power over nature, and in Matthew 8:28-33, Jesus has power over demons. Instead of seeking deliverance, however, we read about a city that “besought him that he would depart.”

Psalm 10:12 — What kind of person will God not forget?

Proverbs 3:7 — How close can we get to evil?

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.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Genesis 23:1-24:51
  Matthew 8:1-17
  Psalm 9:13-20
  Proverbs 3:1-6

Genesis 23:19 tells us about Sarah being buried in the Cave of Machpelah. Interestingly, the Cave of the Patriarchs today is based on a structure built during the time of Herod the Great – over 2,000 years old. If you want to see an aerial view of the Cave, a Jewish group has some interesting footage on YouTube. In Genesis 24:3, we find a follow-up to the contrast of the women in Proverbs. Abraham wants a certain kind of wife for his son, one from the people who had been exposed to God, not from the Canaanites. As we’ve seen in Proverbs, there is the Lady Wisdom and the Strange Woman – one’s choice of companions (especially a lifelong companion) is important (Proverbs 13:20).

Matthew 8:4 — This is the first miracle recorded in the New Testament (but not the first chronologically). On February 23rd we’ll read what this verse is referring to; if you want to sneak ahead, check out Leviticus 14. Matthew 8:14 talks about Peter’s house which may have been discovered (and is a regular tourist stop if you travel to Israel).

Psalm 9:17 — The wicked shall be turned into hell. “The most sobering reality in the world today, is that people are dying and going to hell today.” Many think they are a good person, but are they good enough to go to heaven?

Proverbs 3:5 — Patch the Pirate put Proverbs 3:5 to music. I try to share Scripture memory songs because music is a great way to hide God’s Word in our hearts. And speaking of God, His offer of directing our paths is a conditional promise worth seeking.

Proverbs 3:7 — From Earl Martin (Be Not Wise in Thine Own Eyes):

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.