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Sep 04, 2023 06:00am

The Bible Recap: Days 169-175

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(The following are reflections from the writer’s personal journey through The Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble – a Bible reading plan to read the Bible chronologically in one year. To learn more about The Bible Recap, visit thebiblerecap.com. Find more posts from this series at lifeword.org/thebiblerecap.)

Day 169: Read Proverbs Chapters 27-29

My Takeaways:

Today’s a little different. I am going to share what stood out to me in the form of a letter!

Dear child of God,

Reflect your Father’s light in your trust in each day, as it comes. Don’t boast about the future, but trust upon the One who knows what the future holds and has already made provision for you (Proverbs 27:1). Don’t be quick to brag about yourself—let others do that (Proverbs 27:2). And, if they do, be humble in your response. Don’t give way to anger, lest you get overtaken in its flood of emotions. Rise above jealousy, for it desires to drown you (Proverbs 27:3).

Love someone enough to establish boundaries and hold them accountable. Trust the rebuke of a friend—God uses both of these to chisel out a godly character and heart. Invest in your relationships so that you don’t leave the door open to sin (Proverbs 27:5-7).

Surround yourself with like-minded friends and learn from them! Grow with these people in character and in heart (Proverbs 27:17) and keep reflecting your Father’s light with your words and actions, for these show your heart (Proverbs 27:17-18).

Live boldly and seek the Lord continually, for only He can help you understand life (Proverbs 28:1,5). Value integrity above wealth and strive to keep the law (Proverbs 28:6-7). And when you mess up, confess it! There will you find God’s mercy. Concealing your sin will harden your heart and cause you to fall into a trap of trouble (Proverbs 28:13-14). But the one who lives with integrity will be helped (Proverbs 28:18).

Control your anger, for its outbursts don’t reflect your Father’s light. Control your speech and don’t be quick to give your input, for this shows you are willing to listen and learn from others. It guards you from pride and foolish speech (Proverbs 29:20). It might be the hardest thing you do but most worthwhile (Proverbs 29:11).

Never miss a moment to discipline your kids and guide them to their Father’s light—-this can keep them on His path, walking in His light (Proverbs 29:15). Disciple their hearts amid your discipline.

And above all, fear the Lord. Fearing man is a trap of people-pleasing that will lead you off of God’s path and into the snares of man. Trust the Lord above all—only He is worthy of your heart, your whole heart. Trusting in God will guide you in the darkest of paths and rockiest of climbs.

Walk well, child…it’s not an easy journey, but it’s worth it.

Day 170: Read Ecclesiastes Chapters 1-6

My Takeaways:

Everything is futile, a pursuit of the wind.

Well, friends, I don’t think our reading in Ecclesiastes is going to fill our love tank up or give us all the good feelings today, LOL. (At one point, I was thinking how depressing it felt in parts!) But, if this is an older Solomon writing to us about the “secret” of living life, it makes sense. He has had every delight in life—and guess what?

Those pleasures didn’t fulfill him.

The possessions didn’t fulfill him.

The status didn’t fulfill him.

And now he is writing to us to warn us from falling into the trap of wanting more…because we always want more. (Doesn’t this resonate with you?!) And in wanting more, we get distracted from living life, from enjoying life.

So, he begins by telling us what won’t fulfill us. And then, he plugs in what is worthwhile in life:

Enjoy friends: “two are better than one…for if one falls, his companion can lift him up.”
Fear God: fear God when going to the temple and fear God in what you say.
Enjoy life—eat and drink! Enjoy the work, the wealth, the property God has given you! Make the most of it because time is short.

Sometimes, we spend our whole lives wanting more when God is telling us to enjoy what he has put in front of us. I can relate. That innate desire can keep us from enjoying life.

I do treasure words of wisdom from our older generation because they have been there. They know. They know, beyond the possessions and jobs and vacations, what really matters in life. I feel that is what Solomon is sharing in Ecclesiastes. And you know what? I think much of it sounds like regret. So, let’s soak up the pearls of wisdom he gives to us about this crazy life we live.

Because, friends, it flies by. Let’s make our “breath” count, shall we?

Day 171: Read Ecclesiastes Chapters 7-12

My Takeaways:

“When all has been heard, and the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep his commands.”

Well, friends, after 12 chapters of pondering life and its meaning, the Preacher boils it all down to this truth above.

Nothing really matters, save your faith.

He also gives some more advice on living throughout these chapters:

A good reputation is better than any possession. (Ecclesiastes 7:1)
Sorrow teaches us more about life than laughter. (Ecclesiastes 7:3)
Better to get disciplined by the wise rather than listen to the song of the fools. (Ecclesiastes 7:5)
Choose patience over pride. (Ecclesiastes 7:8)
Don’t be quick to be angry. (Ecclesiastes 7:9)
When life is good, enjoy it, but when life is hard, remember: God gives us good times and hard times. And no one knows what tomorrow will bring. (Ecclesiastes 7:14)
Wisdom makes you stronger. (Ecclesiastes 7:19)
Avoid the trap of adultery. (Ecclesiastes 7:26)

And I chuckled at this truth:

“Don’t listen to everything people say. You might hear your servant insulting you. You know that many times you also have insulted others.” (Ecclesiastes 7:21-22)

Ha! This is funny and true. I once heard this quote and try to live by it: “Other people’s opinions of you are none of your business!”

The Preacher gets deeper on some of his wisdom but basically gets to the nuts of bolts of life with this conclusion:

Time is fleeting. Enjoy life with the wife you love. Eat and drink with a cheerful heart. Whatever you do, do with all your strength! And above all, fear God and His commands.

Friends, this is what the Bible has taught us all along about living life—fear God! Fearing God isn’t being scared of Him, it’s being terrified to do life without Him! It’s respecting Him so much you want to live by His rules for living! It’s honoring Him in your heart. It’s having an heart that confesses any sin that can separate you from Him. It’s loving Him so much, He takes first place in your heart.

Fearing God is trusting Him so much you obey Him. That’s the secret of life.

All these things we work so hard to have in life are just that: things. They don’t save us. We can’t take them with us. It’s all meaningless in the end, save our relationship with God.

In the end, it’s all about God.

Day 172: Read 1 Kings Chapters 10-11 & 2 Chronicles Chapter 9

My Takeaways:

Friends, it happened. We knew it was coming…but it’s just painful when it does!

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, got swayed by the hundreds of women he was with, and in his older age, bowed down to foreign gods.

Like what? Usually, when you are older, you are wiser…right?!?? And yet, Solomon’s heart was not only divided, it was loyal to his ladies’ gods.

The same man who bowed down to God, before all his people at the temple dedication, and prayed the most beautiful prayer for his people to follow God with all their hearts is the same man who bowed down to other gods, gods of child sacrifice.

Though God knew it would be part of Solomon’s story, it must have been so sad to see.

But, you know what I thought was interesting? Solomon’s disobedience wasn’t all at once…Tara-Leigh said “it all started with one—just one woman whose heart wasn’t aligned with God. We lead our own hearts astray one act of disobedience at a time.”

Friends, how true is this?

We didn’t just suddenly find ourselves immersed into a deep pit of sin…it was just one thought we entertained in our minds…and that thought grew…and grew until it emerged in our words and actions. And once we said it or did it, it continued to grow and grow until we said it or did it some more.

That’s the deceptive nature of sin. It deceives us to make one small act of disobedience and then convinces us to do it again…and again…and again. And before we know it, we are in a pit so deep, we can’t get out.

Perhaps this is what motivated many of Solomon’s proverbs that warned us against the “adulterous woman” who is a trap? Perhaps this was the inspiration for the writer of Ecclesiastes (perhaps Solomon) who said every pleasure and material thing in life was meaningless. At the end of the day, and at the end of our lives, the most important and worthwhile pursuit is fearing God and following His commands.

Oh, Solomon, we get you! Over the years, I have given my heart away to people and things. And guess what? When I did, they defined me and they influenced my decisions. That’s why God commands us in Mark 12:30 to love him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we do, friends, God defines us. He influences our thoughts and decisions. He empowers us to follow Him and trust Him. He guides us to our purpose in life!

Good things happen when we trust and follow God with our whole hearts! Godly things.

You know what really struck me today about our reading? God doesn’t punish Solomon directly—his son will lose much of the kingdom. I wonder if Solomon’s “punishment” was the realization that he missed the biggest treasure of all: an intimate relationship with God? That he spent much of his life investing into his earthly treasures and missed the biggest treasure of all—God. Matthew 6:12 says “For where your treasure is, there your heart also will be.”

May we be women who see our treasure in God, and God alone.

Day 173: Read Proverbs Chapters 30-31

My Takeaways:

“Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.”
Proverbs 31:30

The last chapter of Proverbs is all about the type of woman King Lemuel’s mother is urging him to find. If this is Bathsheba talking to Solomon, how interesting! She warns Solomon against the very thing thing his dad struggled with: “don’t spend your energy on women.” Amid this warning, she gives him some godly advice for living.

She’s a wise lady. I feel she learned all this the hard way, watching her husband rule as king. She is mentioned a few times in Scripture as a woman whom Solomon respected and honored…and listened to. I love that!

And she has the best advice for her son when it comes to finding the right lady.

She has noble character and is trusted by her husband.
She is good to him and contributes good to their lives.
She is a hard worker.
She provides for her family.
She is an entrepreneur, doing wise business deals.
She is strong and doesn’t depend upon anyone else.
She cares for the needy.
She is resourceful and makes things her family needs.
She is confident at the future.
She speaks wisdom and loving instruction.
Her children love her and bless her.
So does her husband.

We can look at King Lemuel’s mother’s list and think: this lady is impossible to find!

And yet…we finally get down to her “secret sauce”—her “superpower”—of living this wise life, we find it in Proverbs 31:30: she fears the Lord.

Oh, friends, it’s our theme again we have been reading about since Genesis! It’s all over the Bible! The whole reason she is able to live out this list of wise traits in her life comes from walking in God’s ways.

She loves God.

She respects Him.

She obeys Him.

She lives out her love for Him.

And because of this, she lives out all the other traits in her life—they are an overflow from her relationship with the Lord.

Investing in our relationship with God can change everything, ladies. We allow the fruit of the Spirit to emerge in our lives in small ways and profound ways, in life-changing ways!

God can do the impossible in our lives when we yield to Him (another theme in the Bible). Our lives are a vapor on this earth, let’s spend our vapor well by walking in the Lord’s ways and following Him.

Our kids may not always call us blessed but when our time is done on earth and the Lord calls us home, may our kids and family say this: “She loved the Lord and walked with Him.”

So, instead of giving our Proverbs 31 lady the side eye, let’s challenge ourselves to see what virtues can emerge in us and our lives from our own fear of the Lord!

Day 174: Read 1 Kings Chapters 12-14

My Takeaways:

Well, here we go again, friends (I feel like we are back in Judges). I feel like this now becomes a crazy rollercoaster of evil rulers, mixed in with a few godly rulers. Buckle your seatbelt!

The thing I keep wondering was this: God spoke to Jeroboam—He promised him much of Israel, and yet, when it comes to fruition, Jerry doesn’t honor God. He rules out of fear and like Tara-Leigh said, “Fear will drive you to unholy ends.”

It sure does. Jerry caves to idolatry and when God rebukes him and withers his hand, it sure does get Jerry’s attention! But not in a way that changes him…for when it’s healed by a prophet, he goes back to his old evil ways.

Funny…when his boy gets sick, Jerry doesn’t go to those others gods….he sends his wife to the God for help or healing. It reminded me of when David’s son died. The sickness of the boy and his subsequent death changed David—he turned back to God with a repentant heart.

Jerry had a chance to do the same but Scripture says nothing else about him, other than his house will be wiped out.

My God Shot comes from God’s promise to the house of David…though King Rehoboam is nothing like his father, God doesn’t take the kingship away from him. He still allows Rehoboam to reign over the southern kingdoms. He is faithful to the promise He made to David, even though David’s descendants aren’t faithful to God.

And King Rehoboam didn’t rule in wisdom like his dad; in fact, the land falls into terrible idolatry. Was this a continuation of his father’s sin of bowing down to his ladies’ other gods in his older age? Is history repeating itself?

Sigh. Can we go back to David and Solomon?

Day 175: Read 2 Chronicles Chapters 10-12

My Takeaways:

A humbling.

My definition: something that happens as a result of your decisions, in which you must submit to and live with. This has the power to change you.

Example: King Rehoboam and the Israelites submitting themselves to Lord, amid an Egyptian invasion. Instead of getting destroyed, God grants the deliverance, but they live with the consequences of this invasion: they lose valuable possessions from the temple and they lose the peace that Solomon lived with for forty years.

My God Shot today was this: Amid King Rey’s evil reign, he “humbled himself and the Lord’s anger turned away from him.” God relented from destruction because of Rehoboam’s humble submission to the Lord.

This is grace! This is mercy! This is compassion!

And yet.

It wasn’t enough to change him because Scripture says, “Rehoboam did what was evil, because he did not determine in his heart to seek the Lord.”

Humblings have the power to change us and the direction of our lives. I am thinking of Peter and his denial of Christ. I am thinking of Paul and Jesus’ intervention in his life. And I am thinking of David and God’s punishment for his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of her husband Uriah.

Sadly, King Rey never let his humbling change his heart. He never determined in his heart to seek God after getting humbled. His humbling was temporary.

Friends, humblings aren’t fun. In fact, we have to be willing to say: “I was wrong” or “That wasn’t right.” It’s a willingness to change our behavior to follow God closer than before. To lay our pride aside and submit to God’s way.

King Jeroboam and King Rehoboam never did…and sadly, the people followed their lead.

Let us be people of the light who follow the light even when we get blinded by the light. God’s discipline comes with love, grace, mercy, and compassion.

And best of all, it comes with restoration.