Read it!: Amos 1
For three sins of Damascus, even for four,
I will not turn back my wrath…
(vs 3 and repeated)
Think it through:
Amos starts out with a bang, doesn’t he? He lets us know that God does get tired of our repeated sin.
Because of Christ’s sacrifice, God has promised to forgive us over and over, but that doesn’t give us the freedom to ignore his laws and commands. He does get frustrated and angry with us when we do wrong, particularly when we know better.
Read it! This is a look back at the “Being Instrumental with Paul” series.
You may want to review any notes you’ve made, actions you’ve taken,
or prayers you’ve written.
Think it through
When I started this series on the life of Paul, I had no idea how meaningful it would be to me. Acts is a powerful book about the spread of the Gospel of Christ and I love it! But when you distill Acts to a view of Paul’s life like we just did, it can hit you in a different and equally powerful way.
Paul was an instrument of God like few other men have been. His story showed me that God’s instruments are willing to…
Read it! Acts 28
But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.
(vs 5)
Think it through
OK, so I’m really afraid of snakes. Really afraid. I had a hard time featuring this verse because it has the word “snake” in it, and of course the visual image of Paul shaking it off into the fire (my stomach is turning over right now). Every time I read this passage I laugh out loud at verse 6, probably out of sheer relief that the snake part is over. But God spoke to my heart through this verse today, through this snake-shaking image, so there it is.
Read it! Acts 21
Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart?
I am ready not only to be bound,
but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
(vs 13)
Think it through
Acts 21 starts out with a description of Paul’s travels—some of the places he stayed and people he encountered. It’s easy to read over these words quickly, especially since we’ve never been to these places (at least I haven’t).
Read it!: I Samuel 23
Again, David asked,
“Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?”
And the Lord said, “They will.”
(vs12)
Think it through:
So if you’ve been wondering why there are dice next to my little sheep, here we go.
In I Samuel 23, David defends a nearby town against the Philistines despite the imminent danger to himself and his men. He does this on the direct order of the Lord; as in, he asks the Lord if he should go (twice!) and the Lord says “yes.”
Read it!: I Samuel 21
…The men’s things are holy even on missions that are not holy.
How much more so today!
(vs 5)
Think it through:
David made several questionable decisions in I Samuel 21. At the start, he lies to a temple priest about being on a mission for Saul. In the next chapter Saul kills the priest (and many others), an act that might not have happened if David had told the truth.
