March 4, 2017
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in John? Here’s today’s reading:
John 14 (ESV)
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”… Continue Reading
*If you click “Continue Reading”, you will leave this page and navigate to “bible.com” where you can read the rest of the chapter. Be sure to come back to this page to share what God has revealed to you by commenting below.
Already registered? Click here to log in.
Not registered? Click here (LHCC members only)
Those famous words of Jesus in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” resonates in a new way for me this morning.
The exclusivity of this statement is staggering and is often what people dislike about Jesus the most – that He claims to be the ONLY WAY to God.
Thank you, Father, for providing A WAY to be reconciled to You. You didn’t have to provide a Way and I certainly don’t deserve it.
Jesus, my Redeemer, You paid my debt and set me free! Oh, how I worship You!
I will sing of my Redeemer
and his wondrous love to me;
on the cruel cross he suffered,
from the curse to set me free.
Sing, O sing of my Redeemer!
With his blood he purchased me;
on the cross he sealed my pardon,
paid the debt, and made me free.
I will tell the wondrous story,
how my lost estate to save,
in his boundless love and mercy,
he the ransom freely gave.
I will praise my dear Redeemer,
his triumphant power I’ll tell:
how the victory he gives me
over sin and death and hell.
I will sing of my Redeemer
and his heavenly love for me;
he from death to life has brought me,
Son of God, with him to be.
Sing, O sing of my Redeemer!
With his blood he purchased me;
on the cross he sealed my pardon,
paid the debt, and made me free.
Philip P. Bliss (1876)
This good hymn brings back the joy of my first love, coming to faith in Jesus, March 15, 1958! I praise God
that “with His blood he purchased me; on the cross he sealed my pardon, paid the debt, and made me free”
Amen, Bea! AMEN!
On the front page of my first Bible, I wrote down a commitment to read God’s Word daily. In the last 58 years since then these Words of Life have never failed me. I noticed , though, that whole sections of every Bible I have owned, have well used pages and whole sections not so well used…the tough books in the O.T.
I was encouraged by a friend to “look for God’s heart; His character, His purposes…” in those books that are harder to read. I drew hearts in the margin of my Bible when I gained a new glimpse of God and His love. I’ll pass that advice on!
I’m now reading in the Book of Jeremiah, the Prophet – I’ll share weekly. I used to refer to the Books of the Prophets as “Doom and Gloom” but now I see so much of God, His love and longing for the return of His people to Himself. He offered blessing time and again…such as 42:11 “…Do not be afraid declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you…I will show you compassion …” Sadly, they rejected God’s way. They did what they thought was best and found calamity. I pray this will be a reminder to me. “God’s thoughts are not my thoughts, His ways are not my ways”.
I read the whole of Lamentations this morning, having meant to read just one chapter. The prophet Jeremiah’s description of the horrors in Jerusalem gripped me, bringing to mind those living under siege in Syria and Iraq. In the case of Lamentations, God had poured out His long-promised judgment on Jerusalem (Lamentations 2:17), and she had fallen to her enemies (Lamentations 1:8-9). The scenes Jeremiah was witnessing were so horrible, he was sick to his stomach, vomiting (Lamentations 2:11).
What struck me: Even as Jeremiah despaired of what had befallen his people, his hopelessness was turned around as He remembered God’s goodness, compassion, and righteousness (Lamentations 3:22-40). Proclaiming their responsibility for the calamity that had befallen them, he called upon his brothers and sisters to repent and turn back to God.
I’m starting Lamentations today, Michelle. I appreciate the insight you gained into God’s heart.
When I try to post my comment, a notice comes up saying I said something like that before ? ? ?
Any suggestions about what I’m doing wrong?
Hi Bea! Glad you’re reading and sharing here!
What might have happened is that you posted a comment but when you didn’t see it appear on the website, you posted it again and saw the notice?
Michelle and I have to approve comments before they appear on the website to keep spam out.
Let me know if that’s what happened.
Scott
Today is Good Friday, and I read John 14. “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” (John 14:21)
I asked Scott to explain what it means to keep Jesus’ commandments. What a beautiful teaching I heard. Praise God.
Love begets love begets love.
Praying and meditating today on the miracle of Christ in us, His love lived out in us and through us as we live in Him and He in us. Abiding in Christ.