James 1:9-18 – Humility

Read James 1:9-18

One of the basic themes of James’ letter is that God exalts the poor and humbles the rich. Why does he do that? It’s so only the humble can boast. Think about that for a second. When we allow God to work in our lives and give God the credit for what we have accomplished, our whole mindset shifts. Who gets the glory? Certainly not us, and rightly so.

Even Paul was clear on this. He told us he was glad to boast about his weaknesses because that showed God at work when he overcame times of adversity. Our text here in James is using the example of being poor and rich. James may be recalling Psalm 49:6 which reads, “They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches.” Think about some wealthy people you know. Do they humble themselves before God and give God the credit for their abundance? Or are they more like the one described by the psalmist?

Jeremiah 49:1-39 – God’s Fury

Read Jeremiah 49:1-39

We see five individual prophecies of doom in today’s reading. Each recipient of God’s wrath has a little different story, but what they share in common is proximity to Israel and Judah. Why do you think we need to see how God is going to deal with other nations?

It’s helpful to know God is fighting for those he loves. Sometimes it means he has to take control of those around us who are causing us harm or poised to do so. We don’t have to seek revenge. God does the heavy lifting for us. Here’s a little of what I took note of in my reflection of the text and research of who these nations were.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9 💙 Who Holds Your Heart?

Read Deuteronomy 6:1-9

figurine of woman holding heart lovingly

I knew we would encounter these verses sometime during our Bible discovery challenge! While I’m not a fan of preaching about “rules” for Christians to follow, this counsel spells it out clearly and is repeated in other places within the Bible for added emphasis.

It’s pretty much a no brainer that if we are believers, we love God. But do we love him with our whole heart, soul, and strength? Are we even capable of loving him that much? Don’t we have our spouses, families, and friends whom we also love? How do we give God our “whole” heart?

Psalm 91 💙 My Rescue and Refuge

Read Psalm 91

Swan floating on lake with at least 4 baby chicks visible under her wing

When the world feels like it is crashing in around you, read this psalm! As we are looking at God’s character from the perspective of his majesty and grace, these verses remind us of his great love and care for us. We may be disappointed by friends and family, but God is steadfast and true.

There are some great images here for us to cling to. I have always liked the picture of a mama bird huddling her chicks close when I read, “He will shelter you with his wings.” Moms can be very protective! I always found it comforting to find my mom when I fell and scraped my knee or broke up with a boy at school. Moms are great, but God protects us even more!

1 Samuel 12:1-25 – Samuel Remembers, We Remember

Read 1 Samuel 12:1-25

The word GOD inside a red heart shape with a blue hazy background around it

Samuel still carries a lot of weight with the people. We see clearly he is respected as well. He has done nothing overtly sinful for which the people seek revenge or retribution. Do you have someone in your life that you look up to and respect? I know we are all sinful, but there are people who don’t have “visible” sins that adversely affect other people. Samuel was this and so much more.

Samuel is going to take this opportunity to point out a couple things to the people, aside from his good reputation. That is, the importance of remembering what God has done and being faithful followers. You can sum up what Samuel impressed upon the people that day in those two things.