November 22 Psalm 131 1 Peter 1; 2:1-3 Ezekiel 41; 42
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 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?
November 22 Psalm 131 1 Peter 1; 2:1-3 Ezekiel 41; 42
Psalm 131
My hope is not in who I am or what I can accomplish. My hope is in the Lord. Growing in an eternal perspective will help us draw strength from our relationship with God. When we learn about who God is, it lessens the dynamic effect that this natural world, with its discouraging experiences and challenging circumstances, will have on us. Drawing closer to God will cause us to be moved by God’s love more than anything else. We will learn helpful self-control and humility from this relationship with God. Such benefits! What is having the most significant effect on you?
1 Peter 1; 2:1-3
We are able to receive the salvation of our eternal spiritual souls because of the benevolence of God. The supernatural power of God was seen by eyewitnesses in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Just like Paul, Peter is writing about redemption (salvation now) and restoration (salvation ultimate). Peter was an eyewitness to the way that Jesus walked through suffering, with a focus on the glory of eternal life. Jesus desired the future in Heaven of an unbroken relationship with all who would receive His love. God protects us here and now for that day to come. Jesus Christ kept a focus on this future day to come. This is how the genuine faith of Jesus remained strong through times of suffering. We are now invited to follow His example of faith through suffering. Bringing ourselves daily to thankfulness to God for our salvation, we are made stronger. Through Jesus, we rely on God and live with a new focus. Choosing to keep our faith actively focused on Jesus through the challenges of this life will bring rewards. Now we show sincere love to each other that is supernatural. Through this relationship with God, we are given the ability to think clearly, exercise helpful self-control, and look forward to the love of God and victory in Jesus. God’s love will last forever. The challenges we face today are temporary.
Ezekiel 41; 42
Through the prophet Ezekiel, God had warned the people of Israel of the specific destruction that would come if they continued to reject His love in favor of their selfishness and violence. They had rejected God in favor of their own pursuits. Now they were experiencing the consequences. Jerusalem has fallen and the Israelites have been taken captive. Twenty-five years into this, God brings Ezekiel a magnificent vision of an inspiring future and a new place of worship, to share with the people. It is a clear vision of a majestic and secure place of meeting with God. It speaks to the fulfillment of God’s work of redemption. It is a view of a better future and a completed restoration after they had suffered the worst destruction of their history. God gives Ezekiel a vision of a new place of worship, a Temple far bigger than they had seen and bigger than what was known at the time of Jesus. We must connect this to the prediction of Jesus, seen in John 4:1-42. In Heaven, we will worship in the City of our God in spirit and in truth.