Category: Psalms

Day 313 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

James 1:19-29 is more than any letter a bridge between the Old and the New Testament. It encourages us to be swift to hear and slow to wrath, and above all; be doers and not hearers only of the word, for that is true religion – faith in action.

Daniel 5. This is the famous chapter with the handwriting on the wall: “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin“

Daniel 6. Time passed. Daniel was by then about 80 years old. He was still praying as he always did, three times a day but not to King Darius, and for that he was thrown into the lions’ den. God sent his angel to protect Daniel, so the next morning he was rescued unharmed, but for his accusers, thrown into the same den after Daniel came out it turned out the lions were really hungry.

Psalm 109, of David. Leaving vengeance to God, David prayed for the full measure of God’s vengeance to be poured out on his wicked enemies. He is “poor and needy” and vengeance is God’s business.

Day 309 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Hebrews 12:1-13. Let us fix our eyes to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Daniel 1. This book is most probably written by Daniel during his life. This has been questioned because of the many, accurate prophesies in it. It begins with Daniel and three other Hebrew children as they are taken into the Babylonian King’s administration as interns, and are given new names. They refuse the non- kosher diet and pass the test.

Psalm 107. God to the rescue. It is a telling of four “saysos” as the Southerners used to say as they called for testimonials in their revival meetings:  “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so“. The Israelites kept getting in trouble and finally cried out to the LORD, and He saved them out of their distresses. This is a remarkably positive Psalm.

Psalm 108, a Psalm, a song of David. Here David repeated parts from Psalm 57 and Psalm 60 and used it to ask for God’s help in his further conquests as he subdued nations around him.

Day 308 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Hebrews 11:23-40 is called “the great faith chapter”. The writer of Hebrews continues his history of faith with Moses’ parents, Moses, the people crossing the Red Sea, the fall of the walls of Jericho and the friendly innkeeper Rahab. Then the author ran out of time to mention Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets. “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

Proverbs 18, Proverbs of Solomon. God looks at the heart, take heed and do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, not men.

Psalm 106 is a follow-on of Psalm 105. While Psalm 105 tells of the story of God’s people from Abraham to Moses, Psalm 106 continues from the crossing of the Red Sea (or Sea of Reeds) to the sins committed ,even to the child sacrifices to the gods of Canaan. The psalmist prayed for deliverance from the heathens and return and restoration of the promised land. The Psalm begins and ends with a Hallelujah (praise the LORD).

Day 302 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Hebrews 8. Jesus, among all other things is forever the High Priest of the New Covenant.

Ezekiel 37. This is the famous chapter about the valley of dry bones and how they are coming alive. They shall become one nation under one King.

Psalm 105. God is faithful to His Covenant people, and retells the account of what He did for the Hebrews from Abraham to the wanderings in the wilderness.

Day 297 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Hebrews 5. Jesus, a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. As being forever, Jesus is God, as being born of Mary, he is man, as being adopted of Joseph, he is King, and as of the order of Melchizedek, he is Priest. Priests offer sacrifices, first for themselves because of sin, but Jesus, being without sin offered himself for our sins, died and rose again for our justification. Thanks to this, we have the hope of eternal life!

Ezekiel 25 gives prophecies against Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia.

Ezekiel 26 is a devastating prophecy against Tyre.

Psalm 103, of David. There are many songs of praise in the Bible. This is probably the purest of them all. It combines God’s mercifulness and our shortcomings, His healing power and our frailty and above all our very limited life here on earth and the eternity of God.

Day 289 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Titus 2. The Apostle Paul wrote to Titus that in order to have a sound church he must teach sound doctrine. And it is all done through saving grace. Quote to remember: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

Ezekiel 2 is about Ezekiel’s call to a rebellious Israel.

Ezekiel 3. Ezekiel got the call from God to rebellious Israel and was given the charge to be a watchman.

Ezekiel 4. Ezekiel was told by God to portray the siege of Jerusalem.

Psalm 99. The LORD reigns. Exalt Him for He is holy.

Psalm 100. Six verses telling us to make a jubilant noise to the LORD.

Day 288 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Titus 1. After the customary greeting, the Apostle Paul instructed Titus to appoint elders and listed the qualifications for elders and their duties. Be careful, some Cretans are corrupt!

Ezekiel 1 tells of Ezekiel’s vision from God. As a 23 year old I read of the Swiss author Erich von Däneken and his wild hypotheses about aliens visiting us and mentioned the wheel in a wheel from Ezekiel’s vision. And this was before I believed! Read the chapter carefully and see what you think. Däneken was speculating widely, but what God showed Ezekiel will challenge your imagination!

Psalm 96 was written to “declare His glory among the nations“, and ends up with “Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth.”

Psalm 97 tells what it means to  rejoice “for the LORD reigneth” and “For you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.”

Psalm 98. Let us celebrate! Sing unto the LORD a new song!

Day 287 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

2 Timothy 4. The Apostle Paul gave the charge to Timothy: Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season. At the end of the letter Paul gave his farewell message. Although he called himself the abandoned apostle, the Lord is faithful, now and forever.

Proverbs 17. Proverbs of Solomon. God looks at the heart, take heed and do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, not men.

Psalm 94. This time the psalmist prayed for the LORD to execute vengeance on all who disobey the LORD, and bring comfort to all who follow the LORD.

Psalm 95 is a song of praise to God, but also a warning that they should not harden their hearts as they did in the wilderness and thus were not allowed to enter God’s rest.

Day 286 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

2 Timothy 3. The apostle Paul spoke of perilous times and perilous men, but as for Timothy, he was to be the man of God, and keep in mind“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Lamentations 3 displays the Prophet Jeremiah’s anguish and hope.“Great is thy faithfulness!“

Lamentations 4. Trouble continues, the dirge continues with the degradation of Zion. And yet, there is a glimmer of hope.

Lamentations 5. Although this chapter has 22 verses, it is not an acrostic, but it is an urgent prayer for restoration.

Psalm 93. A Psalm with only five verses: The LORD reigns!

Day 285 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

2 Timothy 2:14-26. The Apostle Paul defended his motives and his conduct, they were all pure. Then he gave thanks to God for the conversion of the Thessalonians and mentioned his longing to see them.

Lamentations 1. It was written as dirge poetry at the time when Jerusalem was afflicted and captured. It is a true acrostic, which means the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet are used in succession to begin the lines and sections of those songs.

Lamentations 2. It too is dirge poetry written in an acrostic form emphasizing God’s anger over Jerusalem.

Psalm 91. The author is anonymous. Charles Spurgeon commented: “In the whole collection there is not a more cheering Psalm, its tone is elevated and sustained throughout, faith is at its best, and speaks nobly.” He also quoted (in English) Siméon Marotte deMuis: “It is one of the most excellent works of this kind which has ever appeared. It is impossible to imagine anything more solid, more beautiful, more profound, or more ornamented.”

Psalm 92. A Song for the Sabbath day. Give thanks to the LORD. God judges His enemies, and He makes His people flourish.