January 10   Genesis 19-20 Psalm 7:1-8 Proverbs 1:28-31 Matthew 8:1-17 Looking Back   “Then his wife, from behind him,  looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”  Genesis 19:26 LSB   When Abraham and Lot separated, Lot went to Sodom and settled down.  He lived in this evil town and had grown comfortable there.  He and his wife built a life there along with their two daughters who had met young men and were pledged to be married.  Lot was aware of the evil around him, but

January 9   Genesis 17-18 Psalm 6:6-10 Proverbs 1:24-27 Matthew 7 Bold And Persistent   “Then he said, ‘Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?’ And He said, ‘I will not destroy it on account of the ten.’”  Genesis 18:32 LSB   Abraham was not afraid to approach God in intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah.  The Lord revealed to him that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sin and the evil of their ways

January 8   Genesis 15-16 Psalm 6:1-5 Proverbs 1:20-23 Matthew 6:19-34 Do Not Worry   “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Matthew 6:33-34 NIV   It seems irresponsible not to worry about tomorrow.  It is drilled into our heads when we become adults that we need to plan ahead, prepare for a ra

January 7   Genesis 13-14 Psalm 5:7-12 Proverbs 1:17-19 Matthew 6:1-18 The Importance Of Prayer   “Our Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, Amen.”  Matthew 6:9-13 KJV   There is a saying we often

January 6   Genesis 11-12 Psalm 5:1-6 Proverbs 1:15-16 Matthew 5:27-47 A Name For Ourselves   “And they said, ‘Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into Heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name; lest we be scattered over the face of the whole Earth.”  Genesis 11:4 LSB   Since the beginning of time, Satan has appealed to man’s desire for importance.  He enticed Eve with the idea of being “like God, knowing good from evil.”  In this pass

January 5   Genesis 9-10 Psalm 4 Proverbs 1:10-14 Matthew 5:1-26 Blessed   “ Blessed are the poor in spirit…blessed are those who mourn…blessed are the lowly…blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…blessed are the merciful….blessed are the pure in heart…blessed are the peacemakers….blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness…blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because o

January 4 Genesis 7-8 Psalm 3 Proverbs 1:8-9 Matthew 4 God Is Our Help   “Then God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the Earth, and the water subsided.”  Genesis 8:1 LSB   “But You, O Yahweh, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.  I was calling to Yahweh with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain.”  Psalm 3:3-4 LSB   Noah had just experienced the most

January 3   Genesis 5-6 Psalm 2:7-12 Proverbs 1:7 Matthew 3 The Fear Of The Lord   “The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; Ignorant fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7  LSB   Most people associate fear with negative connotations.  This is often accurate, but fear can also be a good thing.  Fear is the thing that keeps us from picking up a snake we see in the yard or from reaching into a cage at the zoo to pet a lion.  Fear is the thing that keeps us

January 2   Genesis 3-4 Psalm 2:1-6 Proverbs 1:5-6 Matthew 2 Father Of Lies   “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which Yahweh God had made.  And he said to the woman, ‘Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’  And the woman said to the serpent, ‘From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God said, ‘You shall not eat from it, and you shall not

January 1   Genesis 1-2 Psalm 1 Proverbs 1:1-4 Matthew 1 God With Us   “’Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.’”  Matthew 1:23 LSB   “God with us.”  That simple, three-word phrase is the gospel in a nutshell.  That is the thing that makes Christianity different from all the other world religions.  It is the thing that makes the Christian life possible.  The Creator and Lord of

December 31   Malachi 3-4 Psalms 150 Proverbs 31:28-31 Revelation 22 The Wife of Noble Character   “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.  She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.  Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”  Proverbs 31:25, 26, 30 NIV   The end of one year and the beginning of the next is an excellent time to examine our lives and ask God to sho

December 30   Malachi 1-2 Psalm 149 Proverbs 31:24-27 Revelation 21 Eternity   “Then I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth, for the first Heaven and the first Earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them.  They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be n

December 29   Zechariah 13-14 Psalm 148:7-14 Proverbs 31:20-23 Revelation 20 Judgment   “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”  Revelation 20:15   There are different interpretations about the Judgment Seat of Christ and when that occurs for different groups of people.  I believe this explanation is consistent with Scripture, but I am not dogmatic about it.  At some point in the future, a trumpet will sound in Heaven an

December 28   Zechariah 11-12 Psalm 148:1-6 Proverbs 31:15-19 Revelation 19 The Second Coming Of Zion’s King   “On that day, when all the nations of the Earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations.  All who try to move it will injure themselves.  The people of Jerusalem are strong because the Lord Almighty is their God.  They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child

December 27   Zechariah 9-10 Psalm 147:10-20 Proverbs 31:10-14 Revelation 18 The Coming Of Zion’s King   “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!  Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!  See your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”  Zechariah 9:9 NIV   The book of Zechariah is filled with prophecies about the first and second coming of Jesus.  Biblical scholars have identified over 100 prophecies in this short book.  31 wer

December 26   Zechariah 7-8 Psalm 147:1-9 Proverbs 31:6-9 Revelation 17 Just Do The Right Thing   “And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.’”  Zechariah 7:8-10 ESV   “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.  Open

December 25   Zechariah 5-6 Psalm 146 Proverbs 31:1-5 Revelation 16 Praise The Lord, O My Soul!   “Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord, O my soul!  I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being…Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made Heaven and Earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.  Th

December 24   Zechariah 3-4 Psalm 145:17-21 Proverbs 30:29-33 Revelation 15 Olive Oil   “And he said to me, ‘What do you see?’  And I said, ‘I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it, also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.’  Then I answered and said to the angel who was speaking with me sa

December 23   Zechariah 1-2 Psalm 145:14-16 Proverbs 30:24-28 Revelation 14:15-20 Big Lessons From Small Creatures   “Four things on Earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:  Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;  hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locust have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces.”  Prover

December 22   Haggai 1-2 Psalm 145:8-13 Proverbs 30:21-23 Revelation 14:1-14 Priorities   “So now, thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Set your heart to consider your ways!  You have sown much, but bring in little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a bag with holes…You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; and you bring