Day 251 One-Year Daily Bible Reading – Isaiah 1:1–2:22; 2 Corinthians 10:1-18; Psalm 52:1-9; Proverbs 22:26-27
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Cease to Do Evil, Learn to Do Well
And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Isaiah 1:15-17
Though Your Sins be as Scarlet, They Shall be as White as Snow
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Isaiah 1:18-20
Come Ye, and Let us Walk in the Light of the LORD
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.
Isaiah 2:2-5
Brought Low
Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: and upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, and upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he shall utterly abolish.
Isaiah 2:10-18
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Bold Against Some which Think We Walk According to the Flesh
Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: but I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
2 Corinthians 10:1-6
Paul finished his instructions regarding helping people experiencing poverty and dealt again with false apostles working to discredit him in Corinth. They accused Paul of being base, vile, and a boaster. They said he lived in the flesh. Paul denies the criticisms and says that though he did live in the flesh, he did not war after the flesh. His weapons were not carnal but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds.
What is evident when we’ve pulled down the strongholds?
- Strongholds are Destroyed – We destroy the reasonings of the accusers, whether the accusations are toward us personally, our church, or the entire body of believers. We eliminate the ideas and philosophies used to nullify the Word of God and the Gospel. We pull these strongholds and demolish them – putting Satan’s demons to flight and lifting high the Cross of Christ.
- Imaginations are Cast Down – We reject and destroy all theories and philosophies, beliefs, religions, and any system put in place to defy the knowledge of God.
- And every high thing that exalteth itself against the Knowledge of God –We examine ourselves and ask the LORD to look at our heart, and we then eliminate all pride that has entered our lives.
- Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ – We take every thought prisoner and keep it in captivity to obey Christ. Vain and evil thoughts of all kinds are brought down and made obedient to Jesus. That includes any thinking contrary to holiness, purity, and righteousness.
- Having the readiness to avenge all disobedience – We always stand ready to oppose anything or anyone who opposes the Gospel of Christ. We separate ourselves from them as it regards fellowship (2Cor. 10:6). We can’t do battle effectively with those who are holding intimate places in our lives. We can’t control our sword without letting go when we are also holding hands with the enemy.
Such as We Are in Word by Letters, Such Will We be Also in Deed
Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s. For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed: that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters. For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.
2 Corinthians 10:7-11
We Dare Not Compare Ourselves with Some that Commend Themselves
For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ: not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men’s labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly, to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s line of things made ready to our hand.
2 Corinthians 10:12-16
But He that Glorieth, Let Him Glory in the Lord
But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
2 Corinthians 10:17-18
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Be Not One that Involves Themselves in Others’ Finances
Be not thou one of them that strike hands, Or of them that are sureties for debts. If thou hast nothing to pay, Why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
Proverbs 22:26-27
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And I Will Wait on Thy Name
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: And I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.
Psalm 52:8-9
