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I love how I keep finding more and more wonderful characteristics of God. Today’s reading (Matthew 7) had a lot of interesting verses and I keeping finding passages I want to study further.

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
Matthew 7:11

God is generous! God is family. In this verse, Jesus is speaking to His disciples and calls God their Father. God is my Father. And He is a gift giver.

Father, thank You for being so good to me, for being my Father. Thank You for giving us the Sabbath, a day to rest and spend with You. Please be with me today. Spend time with me. Teach me. Thank You for the good gifts You give if we just ask. Please help to me to remember that You are good and worthy to be praised. Amen.

Today’s reading was full of little nuggets of truth. There are many verses that I could spend all day contemplating. However, I had to pick just one! As I’m still looking for truth about God, I picked:

S: Scripture

Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

O: Observation

God forgives.

A: Application

Such a simple observation, but something I struggle with. God forgives. We forgive others and God forgives us. There are no grudges, no reminders that we have sinned, just simple forgiveness. This verse doesn’t say I have to earn my forgiveness, that I have to undergo physical torture or mental anguish. It is just a very simple reminder that “your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” My heavenly Father will also forgive me.

P: Prayer

Father, please help me to forgive others. Help me to accept Your forgiveness. Thank You that we don’t have to live in the past but can instead look forward to a future with You. Help me to remember how loving and kind You are instead of being afraid. Thank You for never giving up on me!

Today there was so much packed into the reading. Words of encouragement, the sermon on the mount, further explanation of the Torah. However, during this study of the Gospels, I am trying to focus on what I can learn about God Himself. I hope to discover further insight into some of the questions such as: “Is the God of the Old Testament different than the God of the New?” “Is God the Father more demanding/frightening than God the Son?”

S: Scripture

Matthew 5:2 “Then He opened His mouth and taught them saying:”

O: Observation

God wants us to have wisdom and knowledge. Jesus sat down and personally taught the disciples, explaining the Torah to them.

A: Application

I don’t have the opportunity to talk to Jesus face to face. But I can still read His words in the Gospels. In this chapter, Jesus shares encouragement, further clarification on the law, and instruction on how to be more like the Father. We are not left in the dark.

P: Prayer

Lord, thank You for sending Jesus to this earth. Thank You that I can learn more about You through the words that Christ taught His disciples while He was here. Please help me to listen and learn more about You. Amen.

S: Scripture

Matthew 4:16 “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”

O: Observation

I love the line “light has dawned.” These people were given a great opportunity to see Christ. Simply by Him being in the area, the people who were formerly in darkness saw a great light. In their life, light had dawned.

A: Application

I need to focus more on Christ and less on me. The Bible has a great deal to say about me and what I do or don’t do, what I believe or shouldn’t believe. However, the Bible is a revelation about God. HE is the most important part in it.

P: Prayer

Father, thank You for giving me time every morning to read about You. Please help me to focus on You and what I can learn about Your character instead of being selfish and wondering what I can get out of the reading. Thank You for sending Jess to this world, a great light in the darkness. Amen.

S: Scripture

Matthew 2:6 “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.”

O: Observation

Another Old Testament prophecy fulfilled. Jesus would come out of Bethlehem. Another promise for the people. That Ruler will shepherd the people. God’s people. We are His.

A: Application

God cares about the details. He has promised us many things in the Bible. I just need to be more aware. I am God’s. Jesus was sent to shepherd God’s people. I belong to God.

P: Prayer

Thank You Lord, that I belong to You. Thank You for giving me a place to belong. Thank You for caring about the details and showing Me that You are all powerful. Help me to see You better and to follow You.

God is so good!

S: Scripture-Write the ONE scripture that I feel God is using to speak to me in today’s reading.

Matthew 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

O: Observation-What might He be telling me with that scripture?

Jesus means “the Lord is Salvation.” There is depth in everything about God, even down to naming His Son. Jesus, the Lord is Salvation, for He will save His people from their sins.

A: Application-How can I apply it to my life?

There is so much to know about God and so much depth in the Scriptures. I need to pay attention to the details so that I can understand Jesus better. He is my Salvation.

P: Prayer-What is my prayer to ask God in helping me to make that application?

Father, I ask that You help me to focus on You during this reading time. Help me to understand You better so that I am not afraid of You.

Amy, over at Mom’s Toolbox, is hosting a new Bible study called Blogging Through the Gospels. Starting tomorrow, we’ll be taking a 14 week trip through the Gospels.

I’m really excited to begin this study. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot in Romans and Psalms but have felt a bit aimless without a structured study. This couldn’t have come at a better time! I’m not sure how much I’ll blog about it, if it will be every day or several times a week. But I will definitely be keeping a personal journal throughout the reading.

Week 1 reading schedule
Day 1 devotional guide

Won’t you join us? This is an excellent opportunity to know Christ better!