Read To Me Daily Semester 3ናሙና

JEREMIAH 30-31:
Yesterday we heard more of Jeremiah’s struggle against false prophets. Just like in this day, the false message is what people desire to hear, even though the truth is actually better for us and much better for our preparation. An often quoted verse from yesterday’s reading is Jer. 29:11:

Jer. 29:11 NLT For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen.

I think it is good to bear in mind that this was NOT spoken to the Jews left behind in Israel's land, but was part of the letter to the exiles in Babylon.

PROVERBS 3a:
In yesterday’s reading in Proverbs we heard that following the path of wisdom is the way of common sense, and that leads one to avoid reckless sin of all kinds. It is best to follow the examples of godly men and women. Lady Wisdom appears again in today’s chapter in verses 13-18. (If you are reading the GNT, for naturalness sake in English, in this place that translation does not make use of personification like the Hebrew.)

1CORINTHIANS 10:
In 1st Corinthians chapter 8, we heard that Christians who have ‘superior wisdom’ sometimes need to give up their ‘rights’ for the sake of not causing their brothers and sisters to fall or be tempted. (Often they are not really ‘rights’, but privileges we get too possessive about.) And that led Paul in chapter 9 to talk of the rights he and Barnabas had given up for the Gospel.

Let’s pray.
Dear heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus, You are the source of wisdom. Please give us heavenly wisdom today. Change our hearts and enable us to live by the Law of Christ— so that we will love others as we love ourselves. Please also give us greater kindness, so that we will humbly serve others, and that we will set aside our rights in order to live without offense among others. Lord, make us so thankful for receiving the benefits of the Gospel, so that we want to give something back to You. Show us how we can make sacrifices for the sake of spreading the Gospel. Give us also an athlete’s determination to run straight toward our heavenly finish line. Help us to bring our bodies and our minds under complete control. Make us so heavenly minded, that we become truly useful for You on earth.