Today’s reading covered Psalms 46 through 69. Psalms is so long that I cannot believe I have already read half of it. This schedule really pushes you through the Bible.

I found two texts almost back to back that I know as praise songs. I love this first song, sung by Steven Curtis Chapman.

Be still, and know that I am God:
I will be exalted among the heathen,
I will be exalted in the earth
Psalm 46:10.

O clap your hands, all ye people;
shout unto God with the voice of triumph
Psalm 47:1.

I couldn’t find a video for the version of this song that I’m familiar with. But it was an old campfire song that we loved to sing.

I am really enjoying reading through Psalms. I only wish I could slow down a bit to savor them. This morning I read Psalms 25 through 45. As I was reading, I kept looking for praise song lyrics and found several more.

Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.

Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths
Psalm 25:1-4.

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together
Psalm 34:3.

As the hart panteth after the water brooks,
so panteth my soul after thee, O God
Psalm 42:1.

Listening to these praise songs makes me really content. They bring back a lot of really good memories and I feel close to God. Singing praises to Him is one of the very best forms of worship.

Today I read Psalms 1 through 24. As I was reading through these Psalms, I was looking for verses that I know are praise songs. I found a few. With Psalm 8:9, some translations show “majestic” instead of “excellent.”

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Psalm 8:9

Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah
Psalm 24:10.

For this last Psalm, I’m not sure if verses 1 and 2 are contemporary songs. Verse 3 is a well known praise song, but I loved verses 1 and 2 and had to include them in my list.

I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised:
so shall I be saved from mine enemies
Psalm 18:1-3.
The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock;
and let the God of my salvation be exalted
Psalm 18:46.

I’m still trying to catch up with my reading after having missed both Sabbath and Sunday. Today I finished reading Job (should be on Psalm 45). Tomorrow I’ll try to read through Psalm 45 and then I will be only one day behind. Hopefully I can catch up fully by this weekend.

Job is still a bit confusing to me. I understand the basic story. Satan attacks Job because God says that Job is perfect. Job mourns his losses but doesn’t curse God. Job’s friends chastise Job for harboring secret sin when Job hasn’t done anything wrong. Another friend sticks up for Job but lectures him about not portraying God correctly. God tells Job that Job isn’t God. Job gains back all his prior wealth (plus some) and has a second set of children.

I don’t understand why Elihu was lecturing Job. I also don’t understand the exchange between God and Job. I’m going to add this book to my list of Bible topics to come back and study later this year. While I am reading through the Bible quickly, I miss the in-depth study.

I missed a second day (yesterday) in the Bible in 90 days program. I’m pretty bummed about it, but I’m trying to catch up. I’m half way through Job but should be around Psalm 24. Tomorrow, I’m planning on finishing up Job and starting Psalms.

Job’s story is a real tear jerker. He lost everything but his wife and his own life. All in one day, he lost his cattle, his servants, and his children. That’s like losing your family and all your wealth. Unfortunately, Job’s friends are accusing Job of harboring secret sin. They believed that God was punishing Job for something.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read Job, but I’m looking forward to seeing what God’s response is.

Today’s reading covered the entirety of Nehemiah. This is the first time I’ve read Nehemiah as one story. It’s only 13 chapters, but there are still a few genealogy and city lists. Thankfully, most of it was really interesting.

The story is about Nehemiah rebuilding the Jerusalem. He received permission from Artaxerxes to return to Jerusalem and repair the city. There were several setbacks along the way, but ultimately, Nehemiah was successful. After the project was complete, Nehemiah reads the entire law to the people. In return, the people confess their sins and ask for God’s forgiveness. Included in this confession is an admission to how often Israel backslides.

But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the land of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies
Nehemiah 9:28.

Many times, Israel did evil before the Lord. Many times, the Lord left them under the hand of their enemies. Many times did Israel repent and cry unto the Lord. And many times did the Lord “deliver them according to [His] mercies.” I am so glad our God is merciful.

I have arrived at the period of the captivities. Today’s reading covered 2 Chronicles 36 through Ezra 10. That’s all of Ezra.

Most of the reading was about the rebuilding of the temple. Were they allowed to build the temple or weren’t they? Was the king going to allow the Israelites to rebuild the temple or was a group of naysayers going to convince the king that Israel would rebel against him once the project was complete?

The story summed up as follows:

And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia
Ezra 6:14.

Today I read 2 Chronicles 23-35. I think Chronicles does have some additional information than what Kings covers. But I have a hard time remembering the difference between each king, much less the differences between the stories in Chronicles and Kings. Sometime I’ll have to make a list…

This was an interesting text:

And he [Amaziah] did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart
2 Chronicles 25:2.

Amaziah kept God’s commandments and did the right things. But his heart didn’t match up with his actions. That means it would be possible for me to do the right things but not have a heart that is one with God. Is that having works without faith?

But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests
2 Chronicles 29:34.

I thought the above text was really interesting as well. Position is also no guarantee of a perfect heart. The priests had a constant reminder of God’s love and commands. And yet here was an example of everyday people being more upright in heart than the leaders. This would also prove to be the case in Christ’s day.

I’m not a priest, nor a king, but I hope that God can give me a perfect heart like His. I want to love like God does, not love like a selfish human being loves.