I am quite the bibliophile but I have only pre-ordered one other book in my life and the was Deathly Hallows, who can blame me?

This is the second book I have ever pre-ordered.

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I am going to discontinue my weekly through the Bible posts. This is a decision while not easy is for the best. I am still reading the Bible on the Chronological schedule here at my site, and I hope many of you join me but the fact is I am reading with the wrong intentions. I have found myself reading just to have something to write and I don’t think that is a healthy way to go about things.

I am going to ad a contact page in the near future so if someone has a question about the schedule or the Bible I can answer them as best I can but I don’t want to read the Bible to find something to write about. I want to come to it without that type of preconception.

Sorry if this dissappoints but I am sure I will find some things to write about, I just don’t want to force the issue on a weekly basis.

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I am continuing my adventure through the Bible and I am at least in the current month, at least until tomorrow.

I had to do some chain referencing in this one and I probably wouldn’t have done it but reading chronologically has made want to look more into what is being said.

I ready Psalm 106 and as the psalmist was recounting the works of the LORD among his chosen people I came across something I didn’t recognize.

30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was stayed.
31And that was counted to him as righteousness
from generation to generation forever.

Who was Phinehas? I couldn’t remember so I checked my chain reference and found his story in Numbers 25. It is certainly a story they don’t tell in Sunday school. Phinehas speared a man and his woman, who were acting in defiance of God’s command. What kind of position do you think they were in that he could spear them both at once?

It is comforting to read this psalm the recounts all the times the people of God have gone astray and done stupid things. And although it is easy to look back on all the signs they ignored and criticize them as a rebellious people we are not much better. We can all look back and in our own life and see places where God was showing us his love and often we ignore it or almost worse yet, ignore it all together.

But the comfort comes from Ps 106:45 “For their sake he remembered his covenant,
and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.” It is a covenant cut between God and God that keeps us in his steadfast love and he will keep it.

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Through the Bible: Conquers in Christ.

This is the continuation of our trip through the Bible, if you haven’t read any of the previous posts feel free to click the “Through the Bible” category link at the bottom of the post or at the top of that page and take a look. If you want to join us the chronological schedule can be found at the top of the home page. You may notice I am behind currently so don’t feel bad if you are as well just stick with it. It will be worth it.

It is strange how even though I have read the entire bible I can read something almost as if I have never read it before. The text that really stood out to me was from Psalm 44.

Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

23 Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?

Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!

24Why do you hide your face?

Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?

25For our soul is bowed down to the dust;

our belly clings to the ground.

26Rise up; come to our help!

Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!

In reading through the Old Testament we see places where the people turn their backs on God and suffer because of their sins, but in this psalm it is clear that they haven’t forgotten God and yet they are suffering.

More noticeable was Paul’s quotation of this passage in Romans 8:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I have often heard that we are conquerors in Christ but often ignored is the concept that if we are conquerors there must be something to conquer. We are not promised a smooth road or a peaceful journey. There is a concept of sanctified affliction that the church has completely lost in our attempts to ‘win the lost’. When we place Christ in the market place of ideas we often pitch it like a sale and look to ‘close the deal’ leaving out anything that may not be appealing.

Notice for who’s sake we are ‘being killed all day long’, for God’s. We are not promised a life of roses, a new car or a ‘best life’ the best life we can hope to live is one that brings glory to God. That may not look like a successful life but it may be your best life, and above all you will conquer through Christ.

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This is another in the “Through the Bible series.” These posts are thing I have noticed and appreciated as I read through the Bible in Chronological order.I have fallen behind but continue to read in order to get caught up.

This week I have begun reading about David’s flight from Saul and all of the things he did to escape his king. I believe it was whynot42 who first pointed out that reading the psalms along side the narrative brings a great new light to the psalms. I have just read psalms David penned while on the run, and although I have read them before actually knowing that “Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; Though war arise against me, yet I will be confident,” isn’t merely an example or a hyperbole. David was facing an army as he fled, and yet he had confidence in the LORD.

21 Blessed be the LORD,

for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me

when I was in a besieged city.

22I had said in my alarm,

“I am cut off from your sight.”

But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy

when I cried to you for help. (Ps 31:21-22)

I may not have known before that this city was not a metaphorical city but the city of Keilah. (1 Sam 23) This reminds me of taking a tour of Gettysburg when I was in school, although I had read about all of the battles that had taken place there, it wasn’t until I stood on the field where Pickett’s charge took place that it really came to life for me. Although I am not standing in that city, I can make the connection between the Psalms and the historical events, and the Word of God becomes that much more alive.

Lastly, the intro to Psalm 34 says “Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away,” but I don’t know if I would have put it together before. (1 Sam 21)

Have you ever had a moment where God completely pulls your butt out of the fire? A situation where you are not going to make it if God doesn’t pull through? Do you remember the feeling of exhilaration when God answered your prayers? This is the pure adrenaline that David is expressing, not simply a side thought but an in the moment praise of the LORD. I, for one, am so glad to be reading the Bible in this order as it is given me fresh insight on passages that had sadly become trite.

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As I said before I have fallen behind with the addition of our new little girl and my own lack of discipline, but I am determined to continue to read. I am almost exactly one month behind the schedule so I am starting in on the April 8^th reading of 1 Samuel.

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Well, I have fallen far behind in my reading; I haven’t disciplined myself to have a scheduled time to read. I tried my lunch break but it is too easy to get pulled into meetings or to generally get distracted.

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