Sunday--Philippians 4. My pastor extols people who have "steady as she goes" attitudes. That's what I thought of when I read "Let your moderation be known unto all men." I know for a fact I didn't use to be a moderate person. Every time I read a chapter, I feel God slowly bending my heart into the shape He wants it.
Monday--Colossians 1. Twice Paul says that the gospel was preached to every creature. I thought about that a minute. As far as I can tell, three times in history has every single person on earth known about God and the gospel: Creation, the Flood, and when the disciples turned the world upside-down. Now, not everyone has heard. How sad that three times Christians dropped the ball.
Tuesday--Colossians 2. I think every day this month, the word thanksgiving (or a variation of it) has been in every chapter I've read. I am so glad the reminder has been there. I am thankful I can read the Bible every day. I am thankful we can tell others about the Bible. I'm also thankful that Paul was so thankful and that he was faithful to remind us to be, also.
Wednesday--Colossians 3. Heaven-minded. Speaking truth. Merciful. Kind. Humble. Meek. Long suffering. Forgiving. Charitable. Peaceable. Thankful. Learning and teaching the Bible. Song in the heart. Too many to just remember without writing down.
Thursday--Colossians 4. I wonder if Paul was naturally good with names or if Tychicus and Onesimus had to remind him. Either way, it's an example that a good leader knows who he's leading. I would imagine that those people, hearing their names being mentioned by Paul, would be encouraged to keep doing good, and that it would make them want to encourage others to also do good.
Friday--Jude (the whole book!). Hm, everyone knows these two verses, "And of some have compassion, making a difference, and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." It seems like all that the "wise" people I know can talk about is how important compassion is and if you don't have compassion on people, you will never win them because they have to see you care first. And while I totally see their point, I know my personal preference is not to have compassion, so naturally I question their all-inclusive approach. According to Jude, you should not have compassion on everyone. So my question is, why do all the "spiritual" people I know only see this verse, and much more importantly, how will I know when to have compassion and when to "save with fear"?
Saturday I'm starting a new thing with Proverbs. Stay tuned next week to see Proverbs 1-8.