Day 183 One-Year Daily Bible Reading – 2 Kings 20:1–22:2; Acts 21:18-36; Psalm 150:1-6; Proverbs 18:9-10
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Let Every Thing that Hath Breath Praise the LORD!
Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
Psalm 150:1-6
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Behold, I Will Heal Thee
In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake. And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.
2 Kings 20:1-7
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A Strong Tower
The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
Proverbs 18:10
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Paul Declared What Things God Had Wrought Among the Gentiles
And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
Acts 21:18-19
When They Heard It, They Glorified the Lord
And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: and they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
Acts 21:20-25
The Accomplishment of the Days of Purification
Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.
Acts 21:26
The People Followed After, Crying, Away With Him
And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done. And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him.
Acts 21:27-36
Paul returned to Jerusalem and met with some of the leaders of the church. They discussed issues involving Gentile believers and the observance of Jewish law. Paul preached the Gospel and that it was available for anyone and everyone who believed on Jesus to enter into relationship with God. So, in the eyes of the devout Jews, Paul had abandoned his faith and deserved to die. When Paul went into the temple, a mob formed. (Doesn’t that sound like today?) The soldiers arrested Paul and carried him out as the people cried, “Away with him.” The Holy Ghost had led Paul back to Jerusalem and Paul would never be a free man again.
There is a lesson for us as we read about Paul’s life and ministry. He shows what becoming Christlike looks like. Paul knew his life was nothing without his relationship with God and he chose to live his life as a living sacrifice to God. If he was to live or if he was to die had no bearing on his obedience or his sacrifice.
Heavenly Father, I come before you today, and I praise You!!! I praise You in this sanctuary this morning. I praise You for Your mighty acts in my life and the lives of those in my world. I praise You according to Your excellent greatness. I praise You with my mouth, my hands, my feet, my dance. May every movement I make and every step I take be an instrument of praise to You. May every word of my mouth line up and be as pure as Your holy Word. May my life be as a pleasing aroma. Please help me, Father, to walk in obedience to You and Your Word – a living sacrifice. I love You, my God – Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. I love You! I am nothing without You, and I want nothing today but that You would work in and through me today! Use me for Your purposes and Your Glory! In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen! Amen!
