Read To Me Daily Semester 3Sample

2SAMUEL 18-19:
My analysis of the situation in 2nd Samuel is that all out civil war might have been avoided, but Absalom didn’t choose wisely. And in today’s reading, I observe that my being bald has advantages in some situations! But seriously, as we consider the tragic loss of life in this story, let us remember that all this happened as a consequence of David’s sin.

PSALM 117:
Today’s poem is Psalm 117, which is a doxology that one day the whole world will sing.

JOHN 1b:
In his Gospel, John consciously made an original account, and very consciously left out things that are included in the three Synoptic Gospels. Where he does include things the others wrote about, he gives details that the others didn’t mention. Those stories are made to fit his themes. His gospel is thematically arranged, not chronologically arranged.

In John’s poetic opening to this Gospel, he calls Jesus ‘the Word’. ‘Word’ in Greek (logos) usually means more than just one word. Among its several meanings, in this place we could translate ‘logos’ as ‘message’ or ‘communication’. Jesus is God’s personal communication or message to the world. And in verse 14 where John describes the Word as (literally translated) ‘full of grace and truth’, that means that Jesus is all about bringing undeserved kindness (grace) to us, and true teachings that are totally worthy of being believed. And this theme is shown again in what Jesus says to Nathanael in today’s reading. 

Let’s pray:
O Lord, our God, we love You. You listen to our prayers! In fact, You listen every time any one of us calls to You. Lord, how we thank you that through the One called the Word, you have brought us from darkness to light, and from death to life, and You have accepted us as your children. We rejoice to join Jesus in calling you, Father. And now, we also pray to You, Lord Jesus, and we thank You for making the Father known to us. We are so thankful for your position of power at the right-hand side of God, and for your overwhelming kindness that showers us with one blessing after another. We thank you for what it means to us that You are the Lamb of God. You died to take away our sins. And You are the One not like John the Baptist, who only could baptize people with water. You, Jesus, have baptized us with the Holy Spirit. But like John we say, “I am not worthy to become one of your lowest slaves.” But only because of the grace You have now shown us, we pray that we might be your servants today. Please be with us.