A Magnolia's Heart Beats

Tuesday's Together (in the Word)

Welcome to Tuesday's Together (in the Word). We are reading our Bibles daily this year, following a plan available at DeeDee's blog, I Have No Greater Joy... As DeeDee said, our intention is to be accountable to read the Word together this year.

This week I read:

Psalm 1-2, Luke 1-4, and Proverbs 1. Certainly all of it spoke to me. I love God's written Word. I'm so grateful for the privelege of having it in my home, the freedom to read it without fear of persecution, and as I purposed in September, 2007, I intend to use it! I love to read, and there came a time last year when I realized that as much as I loved to read, I wasn't reading God's Word enough. I picked up my Bible and read through it more than once. I was truly thirsty for His Word, and it filled my cup to overflowing.

It can do the same for you. You don't have to read it through 3 times one year, but by reading at least some every day you can hide His Word in your heart! You'll grow much closer to Him than you ever imagined you could be.

Have you ever had one of your children or grandchildren run to you and say, "Will you read this to me?" That's how I felt about it when I first began to really read the Bible. If you look at it as a whole, it can be sort of overwhelming. I thought the OT was going to be boring in parts and I'd get bogged down in the begats and begots. I needed help!

I took it to the Lord and said, "Will You read this to me?" I was amazed. The begats and begots were important. I recognized names when I would read them later. The sacrifices and laws were even important, because they were for a reason. And they showed up in different parts and helped me understand certain situations that arose and stances that people took because of them.

This week, I loved reading this about how John would prepare the way before Christ. I loved the tender words of his earthly father Zechariah as seen above.

"to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,..."

John was the forerunner. He was the one who would make way for the actual Giver of salvation through the forgiveness of our sins. He wasn't the one who would forgive sins himself, but he was the one who prepared the hearts of those would see Christ. Oh, the privelege!

What spoke to me was the actual reason why God forgives our sins given here.

"because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven"

The Greek word for mercy is eleos, which means:

1) mercy: kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them
a) of men towards men: to exercise the virtue of mercy, show one's self merciful
b) of God towards men: in general providence; the mercy and clemency of God in providing and offering to men salvation by Christ
c) the mercy of Christ, whereby at his return to judgment he will bless true Christians with eternal life

How great is God's love and mercy for us?

"to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."

Oh, how He longs to shine on us, bringing us out of darkness!

The Greek word for shine is epiphainō, which means:

1) to show to or upon
a) to bring to light
2) to appear, become visible
a) of stars
3) to become clearly known, to show one's self

God tells us often through His Word that He wants to be known. He reveals Himself in so many ways! He shines on us, bringing to light His loving mercy and drawing us out of darkness to become visible as His children.

He puts our feet on paths of peace. One of the most peaceful things I can do is read the Word of God.

The Greek word for peace is eirēnē, which means:

1) a state of national tranquillity
a) exemption from the rage and havoc of war
2) peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord
3) security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous)
4) of the Messiah's peace
a) the way that leads to peace (salvation)
5) of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is
6) the blessed state of devout and upright men after death

I love the third definition! Peace and harmony make and keep things prosperous. Who would choose to sit in darkness when God's Light could shine upon us and move us onto the pathway of peace knowing that? I can't imagine!

I just thought this was such a sweet passage. I hope you'll join us in reading your Bible daily. Be sure and visit DeeDee for more information and to read her post as well as others who are participating.

Blessings & Hugs,