Read To Me Daily Semester 4Sample

EZEKIEL 46-47:
Yesterday in Ezekiel we heard regulations for the priests and Levites, and God gave details about foreigners, and concerning the allotment of land for the prince of Israel. Also there was the fascinating detail about the eastern gate, which must remain shut. If you are interested in this, just do a search on the Internet for ‘eastern gate Jerusalem’.

ISAIAH 20:
Yesterday in Isaiah we heard the prophecy against Egypt, but again it ends with a note of hope for Egypt.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:
Yesterday we finished the book of Hebrews. I would encourage anyone to camp out for a longer time in the 12th and 13th chapters. There is deep insight hidden there.

Here at the end of the year, we will be touring through some of the deepest writing of the New Testament— like what we experienced in Hebrews. 2nd Corinthians is such a letter. It is actually called “Paul’s hard letter.” And from a Bible translator’s experience, it is the hardest book in the New Testament to translate. This is because Paul shares his feelings deeply and in doing so he often draws fine distinctions— not wanting to be misunderstood. It is those fine shades of feelings that are so hard to translate. 

2nd Corinthians is a book where Paul shares in an intensely personal way. First he shares about ministry setbacks and discouragement. In sharing these things, Paul also gives us golden keys to unlock comfort and encouragement in our lives. Then Paul shares several personal stories because he feels forced to. That is, because of comparisons drawn between him and false teachers, the Corinthian church needs to know information about Paul’s apostleship and relationship with Christ that Paul would prefer not to boast about. 

Paul also urges the Corinthian church to complete their desire to minister financially to the needy fellow believers in Jerusalem. In teaching about ministering with Christian kindness, Paul gives valuable examples to us about the proper motivation for Christian charitable work and appropriate fundraising.

Let’s pray.
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for the Father’s words quoted in Hebrews 13 for us, “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” Thank You that You are “the same— yesterday, today, and forever.” We praise You that in this chapter we are once again given the job of priests. So we joyfully offer a sacrifice of praise to You now. May our praise be an “offering presented by lips that confess” You “as Lord.” And may we do all the practical things mentioned in this chapter as sacrifices made to You, Lord— including showing love to those who suffer, doing good and helping one another. Lord, over and over again, your people look for their permanent city here on earth. Help us to be satisfied with what we have here while we wait for the city which is to come. Because we are citizens of that city, help us to be willing to go outside the city of Man and suffer for the your sake, like You our Great Shepherd suffered outside the city of Jerusalem for our sake. Please provide for us every good thing needed in order for us to do your will. Do in us what pleases God the Father. May all glory be given to You forever and ever! Amen.