July 17 Psalm 86:1-10 Romans 4:1-15 Amos 5
Psalm 86:1-10
David sings a prayer of wholehearted devotion to God. In a fully committed personal love for the One True Living God, David is asking God to rescue him from danger. He sings this prayer by describing the faithful character of God first. Psalm 86 gives us a sense of the conversations David had with God. In this, we see the benefits of a personal relationship with God. In God, there is protection, salvation, mercy, happiness, forgiveness, love, and miracles. You can have a similar relationship with God. Our loving Creator is the only one who already knows you, who you really are. This same God loves you.
Romans 4:1-15
Paul explains that the relationship Abraham had with God was based on faith, not following Jewish law, nor Jewish identity. At that time some segments of Jewish people had turned their faith into a belief system that required religious actions for a person to be accepted by God (and stated that this was possible without a personal spiritual heart-felt devotion). We earn punishment for our mistakes. The loving grace and mercy that God gives us, we receive as an undeserved gift. We see this as God giving approval based on Abraham’s decision of faith (not based on if he had followed the rules in the past). Paul shows the relevance of this truth to us today. Our reasonable response would be to immediately accept the grace of God through Jesus and “repent”, turning away from our toxic selfishness (by changing the way we are thinking and changing the direction of our lives). This is only possible through Jesus.
Amos 5
There is so much to learn from God’s relationship with the Israelites. Through the prophet Amos, God is calling them to turn back from worshiping other gods and living to please themselves, back to a healthy relationship with Him. “Come back and live with me.” Often described as a daily lifestyle, living side by side. God wants us to welcome Him into our living, day in and day out. This is meant to be a wholesome life of peace.
July 17 Psalm 86:1-10 Romans 4:1-15 Amos 5
Please read the suggested passages, prayerfully consider them, and the questions below. My comments here may be helpful after those moments. The suggested daily reading is for the purpose of reading through the whole Bible within a year.
Reading the Bible is helpful in taking the next steps to follow Jesus. It may not be easy and yet it can be rewarding. Digging into Scripture alongside people you know is a life-giving way to pursue answers together. We discover the love that God has for us has been expressed through Jesus.
• What’s the plain simple truth of the verses you read?
• Based on today’s reading, what is one thing God is saying to you?
• What should you do about that truth?