Read To Me Daily Semester 3Sample

JEREMIAH 50:
Finally after hearing messages prophesying against so many nations— always telling or implying that the Babylonians would be God’s instrument to punish them— now today’s long chapter in Jeremiah tells how Babylon will finally be judged as well, and God will return to take pity on Israel.

PROVERBS 10b:
Today we read the second half of chapter 10 of Proverbs. Here is an example of Hebrew parallelism from today’s reading:

Pro. 10:23 NLT Doing wrong is fun for a fool,
but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible.

‘Fool’ and ‘the sensible’ oppose each other. The first line says, “Doing wrong is fun for a fool,” and it seems like ‘fun’ would only be temporary. Whereas the sensible who live wisely receive ‘pleasure’, which is much longer lasting than the ‘fun’ the fools get.

1JOHN 3:19—4:
Chapter 3 of 1John circles around the theme of being children of God. We will re-read important verses today at the end of chapter 3 which can provide assurance and power when we pray. If our consciences do not condemn us— which is strongly related to living the way John has urged us in this chapter— then we can boldly come to God in prayer and have courage to ask for ‘whatever’. I have met people with overactive consciences. If you are the kind of person who always feels guilty even though you have just finished asking God for forgiveness, this passage will help you! Verse 20 says “God is greater than our conscience and he knows everything.” The Father knows if you are having trouble believing that He would forgive you, or if evil spirits are whispering false guilt messages to you. So I suggest that you use 1st John 3 to assess how you are doing in the areas John mentions.  Pray asking the Holy Spirit to remove false guilt, or to reveal any reason you keep feeling guilty. Here is just one of many: If there are people you have harmed, make restitution. THEN, when you have done this homework, pray with boldness, because you have done everything needed to have a clear conscience.

Let’s pray.
Our heavenly Father, we often begin our prayers with addressing you as ‘our Father’, but how often we don’t realize the implications of calling You that. We praise You for our union with your Son, Jesus. Only because of Him have we become your children. Lord, increase the family resemblance! Because of Christ’s Spirit in us, we will not continue to sin. Thank you, Holy Spirit, that you give us the desire to remain in union with Christ and with You. You teach us to recognize the works of the Devil and to resist them. You give us the desire to live according to the royal Law of love. Help us to even lay down our lives for others, and certainly, that means we will be willing to give up possessions for others as well. Lord Jesus, help us to have the firm hope that You will come back as our victorious King. Therefore as we look forward to that, help us to keep ourselves pure, because You are pure. And thank you so much that if our consciences are pure, we may have great boldness and courage to ask the Father for anything that will glorify You. So because we fully believe in You, Jesus, we will courageously pray right now for big things that will glorify You.