July 9

1 Chronicles 7:1-8:40, Acts 27:1-20, Psalm 7:1-17, Proverbs 18:22



Pray: Let us ask the Holy Spirit to reveal more of God’s wisdom, direction and insight as we read the passages today. God can reveal Himself through the text as well. Let's ask for revelation, not just inspiration.

Read: Genealogies can be boring to many people. However, if we look closely there are strong insights revealed in this narrative in I Chronicles chapter 8. Let’s examine King Saul’s line, “…Saul was the father of Jonathan, Makishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal. Jonathan was the father of Merib-baal. Merib-baal was the father of Micah.” (vs. 33-34) One has to ask, “Who was Merib-baal?” 2 Samuel 4: 4 has a different name for Merib-baal. The text in 2 Samuel says, “Saul’s son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who was a crippled as a child.” Later, King David would ask, due to his severe loyalty and appreciation for Jonathan, “Are there any descendants of Jonathan left?” Word came back that a crippled man named Mephibosheth was Jonathan’s crippled son. King David asked that he come and live in his palace with him, dine with him at his table, for David loved Jonathan and vowed that he would honor Jonathan’s descendants. This genealogy is far from boring, it reminds us that King David fulfilled his word and Mephibosheth was able to have a son, Micah. 

Edify: Paul is at sea and fierce winds are blowing the ship to possible destruction. Paul is honest and tells the crew how they might need to change course and that trouble was ahead of them. But they listened to the ship’s captain and ignored Paul. Sure enough the threat of shipwreck grew strong as the winds were dangerous. There is a sad line which concludes today’s OYB reading in verse 20, … “The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and stars, until at last all hope was gone.” Really? You have to wait until tomorrow’s reading but we know enough to know that if God wants Paul to preach in Rome then Paul will make it to Rome. God’s will shall be accomplished one way or another. You can count on that.

Practice: The psalmist gives us some indication that the wicked birth lies and their evil deeds will one day be found out and they will encounter God’s swift justice for their evil deeds. Their own wicked actions will return to them. Part of me wants to say, “Yes, way to go, God." Until I remember that there have been days in my life when I have been wayward, I have sinned and strayed far from God. Please Lord, is there any hope for me? We find it in these words from the Psalm 7:10, “God is my shield, saving those whose hearts are true and right.”

July 8

1 Chronicles 5:18-6:81, Acts 26:1-32, Psalm 6:1-10, Proverbs 18:20-21



Pray: Today we are looking at Israel in exile and the Apostle Paul who is willing to reside in prison where he is, but fully realize that Paul is living in more of a state of freedom than anyone else. Pray for the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds.

Read: Paul is ready to let go of the pettiness in the life of the Roman guard and reminding the local government that many people will not stay at their new jobs very long. Paul is passionate about people being free in the love of Christ. Notice how Paul feels, that in spite of his own life bring threatened, that God was still in control and working within the circumstance.

Edify: Paul speaks clearly about his own conversion to Jesus Christ. He speaks of how Jesus blinded him so that he could see. Often we think that being blind will impede our ability to see, but in Jesus Christ we find that our ability to see will empower our ability to spiritually lead beyond ourselves.

Practice: The word from Proverbs is that the right words, wise words, bring satisfaction. Too often we may speak before we think instead of thinking, taking a deep breath, then speaking after we have taken a moment to pause and reflect. Words can bring death and life says Proverbs. Thus, it is vital to bring life where we can and death only under severe circumstances. Bring life, encouragement, wherever and whenever you can.

July 7

1 Chronicles 4:5-5:17, Acts 25:1-27, Psalm 5:1-12, Proverbs 18:19



Prayer: Dear Lord, may we pray today the prayer of your servant Jabez, “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!”

Read: Jabez was more honorable than his siblings. When he prayed a prayer for God to bless him and expand his territory the Lord granted him his request. Wow, if God would bless and grant Jabez an expansion of his territory then how much more would God bless you if you prayed and lived into the prayer of Jesus, “thy Kingdom come, they will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Imagine the power behind partnering with God for God’s greater redemptive purposes. When God’s Kingdom prospers, when God’s people prosper, then we all benefit. 

Edify: The wisdom from Proverbs tells us that “Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars.” The truth from this statement rises not from the reality that friends cannot have disagreements, rather friends should not tolerate sarcasm and dehumanization as part of their verbiage. Everyone disagrees but some will seek to win an argument at any cost and therefore be tempted to engage in character assassination in order to come out on top. We should resist allowing our pride to determine the outcome of our debates. Rather, we should seek the truth in love.

Practice: Paul has been arrested for his faith and now Paul’s words have the opportunity to arrest the hearts of those who listen to him. Treason is the charge, but it is not treason that the Jews are threatened with. They are threatened by the reality that Jesus Christ, the Gospel message, can and has changed lives. There is no other name, indeed, no other person who divides persons more than Jesus of Nazareth. No one else can bring such joy, hope and eternal transformation like Jesus Christ. No wonder the forces of darkness are threatened by Him…He is light from very light, and “the true light which enlightens every man was in the world and the world was made through him.” Let's boldly know, they have nothing to fear as they share their faith in Christ.

July 6

1 Chronicles 2:18-4:4, Acts 24:1-27, Psalm 4:1-8, Proverbs 18:16-18



Pray: Today the Psalmist gives us our prayer:

“Answer me when I call to you,

    O God who declares me innocent.

Free me from my troubles.

    Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.” Psalm 4:1

The genealogies mentioned today give us a clue that some skeletons exist in the history of Jesus. Pray for the skeletons in your closet as well. There is no greater witness to God’s redeeming love than realizing how God has worked through many different family dynamics to bring about His perfect will.

Read: When glancing at the record of King David’s sons there is a sobering reality that most of them did not share the same mother. Their commonality was their father. If their father was present in their lives then there could be continuity, if not then there might be potential division. What comes later with David and his sons is a sharp division which would impact Israel forever. No parent is perfect, we all struggle, but naming dysfunction and hurtful acts can help bring a family together rather than these things unspoken dividing the family over time.

Edify: King David passes the torch of leadership to King Solomon. David sets Solomon up for success, to coin a modern terminology, yet Solomon who was wise would eventually lower his guard and create a fractured home and kingdom as a result. The Kingdom would not divide under Solomon but under his son Rehoboam. The genealogy doesn’t tell us this, but it is understood as the larger story is read alongside the genealogy. We each have a past. Sometimes our past haunts us. Other occasions we may be proud of our past. A challenge for many of us today is getting past our past. Mistakes have been made, with an earnest heart of repentance, God can, not only remove the sin, but God can bring healing in our relationships.

Practice: The Psalmist, perhaps David himself, tells us that God has granted us deeper and lasting peace than those who have abundant harvest of grain and new wine. Joy is not found in the harvest but in the God of the harvest. Let us spend some valuable time with the God of the harvest today in prayer.

July 5

1 Chronicles 1:1-2:17, Acts 23:11-35, Psalm 3:1-8, Proverbs 18:14-15



Pray: John Wesley wrote, “God does nothing but in answer to prayer.” The scripture declares in Revelation that God received our prayers in a gold bowl in heaven. So, let us give God our prayers with an expectant heart that the Lord wants to attend to each and every need.

Read: First Chronicles allows us to understand God’s redemptive plan through some of the greatest rascals in the Bible. From Judah down to Jesse’s son David, we find that the Lord has worked through some questionable leaders to empower the salvific work of God. This is good news for you and me.

Edify: The Apostle Paul is encouraged by the Lord that God is calling him to share the Gospel message to the Romans. Then Paul gets word that a group of committed Jews have vowed not to eat or drink until Paul is dead. Many people will sound spiritual, and give us the impression that they are following the will of God only to find out later that they have been impersonating faithfulness. Their shadow mission is their own idea of what is right and worth dying for. They are double-minded people who seek to please an idea of faith rather than the living God of Jesus Christ.

Practice: We all miss the mark and fall short. Our goal is faithfulness. We often want God’s favor but we fail to realize that God wants our faithfulness first, then He can grant us His favor. What would faithfulness look like for you today?

July 4

2 Kings 23:31-25:30, Acts 22:17-23:10, Psalm 2:1-12, Proverbs 18:13



Pray: Today is a special day, a day of remembrance. A day to recall the presence of God which dwells with people and governments and which honors the God of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel. Today is a day to remember when a king had to surrender to another ruler. No, not England surrendering to the American Colonies, but Judah surrendering to the king of the Babylonians. A people who had known victory now suffered defeat because they had forgotten God. Let us pray for America to remember to love God and to love our neighbor in both word and deed.

Read: The apostle Paul is arrested and his life is threatened. He claims his Roman citizenship and he is spared as he now has to go before a Roman court. Have you ever thought how American citizenship does have certain privileges? For Paul it meant that he had to receive a fair hearing in front of a Roman leader. One day, each of us will receive a fair hearing in front of a just God. Our only hope will not be in God’s fairness, but in His grace through His son Jesus Christ interceding on our behalf.

Edify: This was not the story in 2 Kings 35 of a stronger army taking advantage of a weaker people. If we trace the powerful story here we realize, sadly enough, that this is the story of a strong and favored people who lost favor with a powerful God by their acts of idolatry and worship of false idols. I have often wondered, “What if?” What if the people of Judah had put God first, depended upon Him for their protection and sought the Lord in all of their endeavors? God would have fought for them as He had done in the past. What if you and I would do the same?

Practice: Paul states with conviction that, “I have always lived before the Lord with a clear conscience”. What an absolute gift to go to sleep at night and not carry any regrets with you to bed. What a relief to lay our worries on the nightstand, knowing that the God of Israel who neither slumbers nor sleeps, will be willing to work things out throughout the night as we sleep and in the morning our problems will still be there ready for Him to give direction. You and I can have this kind of assurance, this kind of peace by living today a life which is lived in the daylight and not in the dark in any way shape or form. Now that is true freedom! Happy July 4th!

July 3

2 Kings 22:3-23:30, Acts 21:37-22:16, Psalm 1:1-6, Proverbs 18:11-12



Pray: Let us begin today by giving God thanks for the simple things which we too often take for granted. Let’s express our appreciation for food, shelter, and relationships. Now let's ask God to open our ears to hear more fully and our eyes to see more clearly what He wants to reveal in our Scripture reading today.

Read: 2 Kings tells us of a king who was cleaning house, literally, in every respect. Josiah was cleansing the temple of false gods, clearing out the male and female prostitutes, and tearing down the Asherah poles and grinding them into dust. Far too long the house of the Lord had been abused and desecrated under evil kings. Josiah’s guide was the reading of the Law of Moses which gave clear guidelines in how the house of worship is to be kept and the people of God should conduct themselves.

Edify: When reading 2 Kings there is both a sound “amen” which comes from our agreement that it is about time someone cleaned house, and there is a piercing question which has to be uttered, “What idols exist in my life, in my home?” These are not easily detected for they are disguised often as things which appear good, wholesome, but anything becomes an idol when it takes first place over Jesus Christ being first in your life and my life. Work is a good thing, a job provides income for us, yet these should never be allowed to give us our ultimate identity. Children are a gift from God but they should never take first place in our lives. In fact we do our children a terrible disservice if they grow up thinking that a parent worships them, puts their sports, their extracurricular activities above worshiping God on the Sabbath day and keeping the Sabbath day holy. Marriage is likewise a beautiful creation of God, yet some have been guilty of putting their spouse in front of their ultimate allegiance to God. You see good things can become idols. Too often we think of money, possessions, and material things as obvious idols, but Satan is far more clever in causing us to have divided minds and hearts. No wonder Jesus said, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God then all these other things will be added unto you.”

Practice: It’s not enough to talk about potential idols in our life. It’s time to name them, to identify things or people which have the potential to cause us to have divided loyalties when it comes to God having first place in our hearts. Be honest. List the things, activities, and people in your life which may give you divided loyalties and give these to the Lord. Ask the Holy Spirit to keep you focused on gaining your worth and identity, not in the things of this earth or what you do for a living, but from the Living God who created you in His image and sent His son Jesus that you may have life and have it abundantly.