week 39. The Old Testament...who knew?

Congratulations!  I am posting this a few days late because today we finished reading the OLD TESTAMENT!  YEAH!!!

I don't know about you, but this is the first time that I have actually read every word.  I confess that I had read "through" the Old  Testament before, but had actually skipped over the parts that I found boring, or that I did not really want to read.  

But this time, by actually reading every word, I discovered many hidden treasurers that I had never known before.  I also found verses that were familiar (maybe from songs) but I had not known where to find them.  

Here is an example of a hidden treasure I discovered in Zechariah in chapter 9, verse 16, 17:

The LORD their God will save his people 

on that day

as a shepherd saves his flock.

They will sparkle in his land

like jewels in a crown.

How attractive and beautiful they

will be! 

There are many things I do not understand, but that is OK.  There is much mystery  that we cannot know yet.  But this I do know:  

I believe that God is in control of everything.  

The Old Testament has confirmed to me that God is the creator of EVERYTHING. 

The Old Testament has confirmed to me that God is sovereign over EVERYTHING.  

The Old Testament has reminded me that God wants our full attention and devotion.  

The Old Testament has reminded me that God knows our heart and intentions.  

The Old Testament has reminded me that God knows about all the bad stuff going on and it will be dealt with.  

And over and over, I read that God wants to restore us and redeem us and renew us.  

God always forgives us like a good father.  

God always cares for us tenderly like a good shepherd.  

And God  promised us eternal  life with Him.  wow.  

Now, as we start the New Testament, we will read about the fulfillment of many of the prophecies through Jesus Christ when he lived on planet earth. But we will also read about many prophecies that have not happened yet.  We get impatient.  We question and wonder if maybe we misunderstood.  But one of the main things the Old Testament has taught me is that God is not in a hurry.  He's not worried.  He knows what he is doing.  His timing is perfect, even though sometimes it looks like the "bad guys" are winning.  Many terrible things have happened over thousands of years on earth throughout history, as we have read in the Old Testament.  But God takes care of people who sincerely seek him.  He gives us PEACE OF HEART.  That is enough for now.  

I welcome new readers who are joining us for the New Testament.  We will finish in 3 months.  We can do this! 

If you have read the Old Testament with me, you can leave a comment here, or if you don't want to post a comment for the world to see, please send me a private email to tell me.  

You can send me an email here: TAB1431@aol.com and I promise I will not add you to a mailing list.  I would just like to hear from you.  

Let's keep reading! 

Audrey 

week 38. Sept 20. Living with confidence in Hard Times.

This week, we have sailed through the short books of Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah.  Hang in there, we are almost finished reading the Old Testament!

I am still highlighting the positive promises I read about God's goodness.  Some of my favorite verses are from the little book of Habakkuk. I remember this verse as a line in a song:

Today, when we listen to all the bad news and we almost despair and feel like there is no hope.  

This scripture  (Habakkuk 3: 17 - 19) just shines as a reminder of God's eternal goodness and sovereignty:

Yes, things are bad.  Might get worse.  There are no guarantees, except this: God continues to be our strength during the hard times.  

Today, Sept 20, we read the book of Zephaniah.  Did you notice how many times it says "the day of the Lord"?  I counted 6 times.  

I found this good definition on "GotQuestions.org"

Question: "What is the day of the Lord?"
Answer: The phrase “day of the Lord” usually identifies events that take place at the end of history (Isaiah 7:18-25) and is often closely associated with the phrase “that day.” One key to understanding these phrases is to note that they always identify a span of time during which God personally intervenes in history, directly or indirectly, to accomplish some specific aspect of His plan.

If you are curious, you might want to read more about the "Day of the Lord" here:

http://www.gotquestions.org/day-of-the-Lord.html#.Vf6TLF5h7lY.gmail

Be silent before the Sovereign Lord.  

for the day of the LORD is near. (Zephaniah 1:7)

So, no matter what, Peace of Christ to you.

(and keep reading, till next week) 

Audrey 

week 37. Sept 14. Loving others as only God can.

We are speeding through the Minor Prophets this month.  Today, Sept 14, is a day of "Reflection and Worship".  It is powerful.  (read page 1028 in our "Daily Walk" Bible)
"The world would be a better place if only God would destroy_______"
So, who did you fill in the blank?

I must admit, this made me really stop and think.  I can think of lots of problems I could change in an instant if I could just talk God into fixing it.  But, then I read the last part of today's page:
"Don't allow an individual or a group of people who are objects of God's love to become objects of your hatred or revenge." 

...SO, Our challenge is to try to see others the way God sees them and love them the way God loves them.  ...WOW...Even the really bad guys?    I will try to remember this as I watch the nightly news this week.

Have you been to see the movie "War Room" yet?  I encourage you to go see it while it is in the theaters.  Take a hanky.  

I am reminded that God looks at our hearts.  

"Life is too short to spend it hating the very people God longs to love and save".
Blessings to you this week,
Audrey

Week 36. Minor Prophets?

We have entered our last month of reading the Old Testament!

The section we are reading during the month of September is commonly referred to as "The Minor Prophets".
Have  you noticed that all the scripture we have been reading since July have been a mixture of history and prophecy, and not necessarily in chronological order?  It can get confusing.  I did a little reading about these books that make up the end of the Old Testament.  They are divided into the books of "Major Prophets" and the books of "Minor Prophets".

The books of Major Prophets are

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The “major” prophets are so called not because the “minor” prophets are unimportant, but because the books of the Major Prophets are lengthier and cast a correspondingly longer shadow on Old Testament history and theology.  

The 12 books of Minor Prophets are:

Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. They’re described as “minor” because they’re shorter in length. Together, their indictments of Israel’s drift away from God set the stage for the New Covenant that will be ushered in with the person of Jesus Christ.

These are  not the most popular books of the Bible, or easy ones to read.  So, for the next few weeks, let's look for the verses that tell of  God’s holiness, grace, and mercy.  It's like mining for gold.  

And, something else to look for: Have you noticed that at the  beginning of each new book in our "Daily Walk Bible", there is a key verse for the book?  

CHALLENGE:  Have you told somebody that you are reading through the Bible this year?  Have you invited somebody to join you in reading the New Testament this Fall?  

Keep on reading!  Audrey 

Week 35. Dare to be a Daniel!

We finished the book of Daniel in just a few days.  I found it to be a refreshing break from all the messages of impending doom that we have been reading from the books of prophecy.  The tales of Daniel’s life reminded me of the stories I learned in Sunday School when I was a little girl.  Do you remember the song "Dare to be a Daniel ?"

We can read the book of Daniel several ways:  as history or prophecy, but another way to read Daniel is as a book full of examples of Spiritual Disciplines.  Daniel lived a life of integrity and dedication to God in a culture that did not make it easy.  And he found strength in quiet obedience.  No matter the outcomes, he maintained his confidence in God. 

I was reminded that it is important to maintain my faith in God during the events of my own life.  No matter what happens, I can keep my confidence in God. 

The Rose Book had a couple good charts that explain the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar:

We will be finished with the Old Testament by the end of September.  Can you believe that we will read the entire New Testament in 3 months: October, November, and December?  

HERE'S A CHALLENGE TO YOU:  It is a good time to invite somebody to begin reading with you.  I am planning to invite all my family to read the New Testament with me.  Think of somebody you can invite.  

Thanks for reading the Old Testament with me this year. Please send me an email so I know if you are still reading.  I would love to hear from you.  You can email me directly at: PinPeddlers@gmail.com.

Keep reading, till next week….Audrey Brendel