Daily Reading Passages
Click below for access to the passages. Biblegateway.com is an excellent site with many versions of the Bible. The link below opens in NIV. Youversion.com is a new site that allows you to annotate your own Bible, make notes, and comments once you create an account. That link opens in the TNIV version. Other versions are available at both sites.
Coaching Comments
The Old Testament reading wraps up the instructions regarding the sacrifices. After this we move on to other laws and standards. (Leviticus 6:1 - 7:27) There are three highlights of the passage I want to point out:
First, when someone damages someone else's belonging, or steals it, or otherwise deprives them of it, and they are guilty, they have to make a sacrifice for the forgiveness of their sin. But there is something else, too. They have to make restitution to the party they offended. They have to return the item (or the full value of the item) plus a 20% penalty. So, if you borrowed something and failed to return it, not only did you owe that person the thing you borrowed. You also owed them 20% of its value in order to make things right.
Second, the burnt offering, which was the basic offering offered for unintentional sin, was to be kept burning continuously. It was a lot of work, I'm sure. But think about the lesson. There was a constant covering for guilt for the people. Here God was beginning to teach the people about His ever present forgiveness.
Third, we get a brief instruction for the people not to eat the fat or blood of animals. This is the very early foundation of the kosher laws for the Jewish people.
We finish out the 3rd chapter of Mark, Mark 3:7-30, in our New Testament reading today. The crowds are growing as Jesus' power becomes more clear and there is a lot of momentum in Jesus' ministry. So He withdraws from the crowds in order to pull a few people into an inner group, a group that He would mentor and lead, and ultimately entrust the new church to. These men became the twelve apostles.
Again, Jesus was confronted by the religious teachers, who took a different tack this time. They accused him of being controlled by demons. Anything to undermine his influence with the people. Jesus responds with logic, asking them how it is that He would be demon-controlled if He was casting out demons from people. If that was the case, then there must be a civil war among the minions of Satan! This leads into Jesus' statement about the "unforgivable" sin, the sin against the holy spirit.
This issue has led to lots of interpretation and confusion. But this is a prime place to see the importance of contextual reading at work. If we read the passages immediately preceding the statement about the sin against the holy spirit, and the verse immediately after, we can see exactly what Jesus was talking about. In fact, in verse 30 Mark gives us a huge clue. The leaders were accusing Jesus of working through the power of Satan. Jesus responded by saying that anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Then Mark says, "He said this because they were saying, 'He has an evil spirit." So, what is the sin? Well, according to this passage, it amounts to calling the work of Jesus the work of Satan. When we see God at work and instead of responding to God as a result, we deny that we saw it, and say instead that what we saw is evil. This is what the leaders were doing, and it's what Jesus condemned.
Our Psalms reading starts the 37th Psalm, a long song of encouragement. (Psalms 37:1-11) These first eleven verses are a profound and powerful encouragement, especially when we see others prospering who don't seem to deserve it. This is another passage to underline and memorize. Don't fret. It only leads to evil. Instead, trust in God. Delight yourself in Him, and He will fulfill the true desires of your heart. These eleven verses would make a great meditation to reflect on.
The Proverbs reading is Proverbs 10:3-4. Two more proverbs. The first is a promise that God will take care of those who are righteous, that is those who live in alignment with His heart, and that ultimately the craving of the wicked (to be in charge, essentially to be God) will not be satisfied.
Second, we get a good reminder that God's plans for us include productivity. Laziness leads to poverty. Diligent work leads to increase.
2007 Cohort Comments
Comments (5)
Marc Schelske said
at 8:15 am on Feb 18, 2009
Good morning, everyone! Hoping to see a few more check-ins today. Don't feel obligated to wax eloquent (unless you want to). Just say Hi. Tell us how we can pray for you, if you'd like.
The two proverbs are an interesting contrast for me. The first talks about God's provision. The second talks about our need to work. Great tension. Does God provide for us, or do we provide for ourselves? Is it right to rest in God's assurance and rely on Him, or do we need to get out there and "make our own luck," as it were. I certainly tend toward the worker bee mindset. I think scripture paints a picture that's both-and. We trust God's provision, but we also get to actively participate in it - for ourselves and for others.
Jacqui Wheelhouse said
at 10:26 am on Feb 18, 2009
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
I have often wondered about this scripture. I've heard it quoted by alot of people over the years, as if it was meant to be about God giving us what we want. BUT...and that is a big BUT, I am wondering if it means that He will give us HIS desires and put them in our hearts so we can walk and live in rhythm with who He has called us to be. Anyone know more about this verse that could help me out?
Nate Burton said
at 4:04 pm on Feb 18, 2009
Hey Jacqui, I definitely don't know but you got me thinking a bit. I like what you said about His desires, but I also wonder if it just means the true, deep-down desires of our hearts. I mean, on the surface, I might think my desire would be more money, a more comfortable lifestyle. What my true desire is may be security and love. A sense that my life matters, or true joy, something like that. I often have a messed up picture of what I think I need versus what I really need. That said, if I delight myself in God's ways, He will make it clear to me how secure and loved I am in Him, and my desire for those surface things goes away. Just a thought about what you said.
Jacqui Wheelhouse said
at 9:53 am on Feb 19, 2009
I like that. Sounds like some of what we just talked about last night at cell. His way, not ours. Seems like a good way to live life, don't ya think? :)
Marc Schelske said
at 7:46 am on Feb 20, 2009
Hey Jacqui and Nate! Nice to see you here. From my perspective, the clue to what the "desires of your heart" part is is about is found in the first phrase - "delight yourself in the Lord." Think about what that means. Really take joy in who God is. Well, that would mean taking joy in His character - love, peace, patience, gentleness, self-control. Mercy, justice, truth. All that kind of stuff. To really love something means that you focus on it. When you focus on something it impacts you. So, if I really delighted myself in the Lord, if I really took great joy at who He is, what would that mean for the desires of my heart?
I'd probably desire more of Him. I'd probably desire things that lined up with His character. I could not really long for things that would be destructive to His character in me. So, there's the safety. God can safely give us all the desires of our hearts when our hearts are fully fixed on Him and take great joy in who He is.
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