How do you view your life and the world around you? Do you view your circumstances through the lens of Scripture or do you allow your circumstances to dictate how you “see” God? It seems the people of Zechariah’s day began to allow the latter. They needed some encouragement to refocus on God and keep going. Is it possible that God’s encouragement through the prophet, could encourage you and me, as well?
Then, as we continue reading the book of Revelation, we’ll look at the seven bowl judgments: incurable sores, water turned to blood, intense heat, darkness, floods, earthquakes, and unbearable pain. And there is only one way to avoid God’s judgment.
Welcome to “God’s Word Day by Day.” I hope yours was a very Merry & Blessed Christmas.
Well, we’re nearing the end of our reading for the year. I pray that you are preparing to begin again in the coming year or perhaps you plan to make reading through the Bible your goal for the first time. Even if you have tried before and quit somewhere along the line, I want to encourage you to recommit to that goal. I started several times before I completed it.
I’m not sure what year I did so successfully, but it was over 20 years ago. Several years later, I committed to sending a daily email to encourage the ladies in our women’s ministry to read through their Bibles. That daily email became this blog. Reading through the Bible each year has impacted my life in ways I could only have imagined.
I haven’t done it perfectly and don’t expect I ever will. I have fallen behind at times and had to catch up. I’ve burned the midnight oils and had to set my alarm for the wee hours of the morning because I needed to get a post out. But it is always a labor of love.
The plan I follow takes us through all of God’s Word in a year. Each day we read some in the Old Testament, some in the New, a passage in Psalms, and another in Proverbs. I list the readings each day and provide free printables for those who like journaling (at the bottom of each daily email). You can sign up here if you would like to join us.
So, what is your goal for Bible reading and study in the coming year?
Now on to today’s readings …
Today’s Readings:
Zechariah 1-3
Psalm 147.12-20
Proverbs 30.21-23
Revelation 16
How Do You “See” Things?
Zechariah 1-3:
What Kind of Lens?
God’s people had spent 70 years in captivity in Babylon (1.12). Now the first group of exiles, including Zechariah, had returned to Jerusalem.
They had begun rebuilding the temple but then had become indifferent, more focused on their personal lives than God’s agenda (Hag. 1.1-11). God used the prophet Haggai to call them to repentance and a re-commitment to God’s priorities as we saw in yesterday’s post..
Now Zechariah was to encourage them and keep them moving ahead. He reminded them of God’s promises, especially the promise that Messiah would one day come and inhabit the temple.
I imagine the people returned to Jerusalem excited to start rebuilding. But when the work turned out to be hard and God’s enemies attacked them (Neh. 4.7-9), they must have lost their enthusiasm. Perhaps the people of Zechariah’s day began to allow their circumstances to dictate what they believed about God.
That can be a temptation for us, too. When things don’t work out the way we had planned or when God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we expected, we weaken or give up altogether. We begin to believe He no longer loves us or conclude that He isn’t really good. We start to see God through the lens of our circumstances, instead of seeing our circumstances through the lens of Scripture.
But look at what God had to say in chapter 2:
8 For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: 9 “Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me. 10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. 11 And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.
In the Israelites’ lives and in ours, God is sovereignly working out His plans, even when they seem slow in coming, they don’t make sense, or when they are uncomfortable for us. But it’s important for us to draw close to Him, get to know His character, study His Word, and understand His promises to us so His Word will become the lens through which we view everything. That’s the only way we’ll stay encouraged and keep trusting Him through it all.
Today’s Other Readings:
Psalm 147.12-20:
Praise the Lord
This passage begins and ends with the admonition to “Praise the Lord!” In this case, the psalmist uses God’s control of nature as proof of His sovereignty and reason to praise Him.
Proverbs 30.21-23:
Social Upheaval
21 For three things the earth is perturbed,
Yes, for four it cannot bear up:
22 For a servant when he reigns,
A fool when he is filled with food,
23 A hateful woman when she is married,
And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress.
When biblical societal roles are overturned, it creates great instability.
Revelation 16:
Seven Bowls of the Wrath of God
We have been reading about God’s judgment during the Tribulation period. If you would like to start at the beginning of the commentary on Revelation, you can use the calendar or the search bar and begin with the December 11 post.
But here in chapter 16, the next phase begins …
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth’ (v. 1).
The First Bowl—foul and loathsome sores (v. 2).
The same Greek word is used to describe the boils that God brought on the Egyptians, those with which Satan tormented Job, and those that covered the body of the beggar Lazarus. John MacArthur says they will be open, oozing, incurable sores.
The Second Bowl—the sea will turn to blood (v. 3).
The word here means the thick, dark, coagulated blood of a corpse. Imagine the death and stench that will result as all the seas turn to blood and all the sea creatures die.
The Third Bowl—fresh water turned to blood (vv. 4-7).
Adding to the misery will be a shortage of fresh water to drink and in which to bathe.
4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying:
‘You are righteous, O Lord,
The One who is and who was and who is to be,
Because You have judged these things.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
And You have given them blood to drink.
For it is their just due.’7 And I heard another from the altar saying, ‘Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.’
The Fourth Bowl—the heat from the sun will be intensified (v. 8).
8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
This will make life even more miserable. It will melt the polar ice caps causing flooding in major cities and making the distribution of food, water, and other resources difficult. Global warming will take place, but at God’s command, not man’s doing.
Even though God’s mercy is still available, most will not repent but will blaspheme God instead (v. 9).
The Fifth Bowl—darkness and increased pain (vv. 10-11).
This is the darkness of God’s increasing judgment and pain so intense that men will gnaw their tongues in a futile attempt to relieve the pain. Yet … they will not repent (v. 11).
The Sixth Bowl—the Euphrates River will dry up (v. 12).
This allows Antichrist’s armies to amass against Israel, yet God is in control. In fact, it sets the stage for the Battle of Armageddon and their destruction (vv. 13-16).
The Seventh Bowl—a great earthquake (vv. 17-18).
The earth will experience the greatest earthquake ever and the city of Jerusalem will be split into three parts. A hailstorm with 100-pound hailstones will cause even more devastation. The earth as we know it will be completely changed and will lead to the destruction of Antichrist’s kingdom and Christ’s millennial reign on earth (vv. 19-21).
Hidden in Christ
But there is a way to avoid God’s judgment on sinful humanity. That is to be hidden in Christ (Col. 3.3) because, as the book of Romans tells us, we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Rom. 3:
9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
Not by Works
19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Jesus came as a man, born of a virgin. He lived the sinless life we never could, died to pay the debt we owe, and took the judgment we deserve. And those of us who put our faith and trust in Him and His work on the cross get to exchange our sin for His righteousness, a righteousness we could never achieve on our own. Instead of judgment, we get eternal life.
To read more about forgiveness for sins and eternal life, you might want to check out one of these posts:
“Do You Live with a Sense of Guilt?”
“Could You Be a Christian in Name Only?”
Tomorrow we’ll look at God’s judgment on false religion.
Coming Up:
In the next few days, we’ll talk about how to face tests and trials, the danger of believing lies, how the Bible is not 66 books, but one, and about the importance of giving our best to God. I hope you’ll join us.
Get Ready for the Coming Year with a Plan for Your Bible Reading
Don’t forget to sign up here for my daily email. It can serve as a gentle reminder to stay on track with your Bible reading and I believe you’ll benefit from the additional background and application comments that I share.
Start today so you can begin the habit and it will be a regular part of your day come January.
My Bible in a Year series will also be on YouTube this year. You can subscribe now and preview the first video here.
You can also follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Just click on the social media icons. But nothing replaces having the daily devotion pop up in your inbox each day. It, usually (once in a while life gets in the way), goes out at 6 a.m. MST. Also, don’t forget to check out our sister site Joyful Marriage Ministries.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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