Daily Reading Week 45
Sunday
Philippians 4 (Scripture Focus Verse 7)
Discover:
Old covenant festivals were joyful gatherings for God's people, but they only hinted at the deeper joy we new covenant believers have—celebrating salvation with full understanding.
Our culture cheapens joy, tying it to perfect relationships and material success. The "Don't worry, be happy" slogan echoes this, pushing happiness as a command to drown out fears.
Scripture does command an attitude too: rejoice! Paul centers Philippians on joy, calling it a fruit of the Spirit that every believer should show. Thanks to the Holy Spirit, our joy isn't chained to circumstances—we can "rejoice always" (Phil. 4:4).
That doesn't ignore pain or grief. Jesus was a "man of sorrows", so sadness has its place. It only turns sinful when it spirals into constant despair. As God's image-bearers, we can feel grief, like over a loved one's death, and joy simultaneously: sorrow for lost fellowship, but deep gladness knowing death is defeated by Christ's resurrection. We await its full end in the new heaven and earth.
Death's defeat is just one reason for fullness of joy in the Lord. Jesus gives us church fellowship, daily provisions, comfort in trials, and endless blessings. Today, let's count them all and rejoice!
Respond:
1. How would you describe “peace that surpasses understanding”?
2. When have you experienced God’s peace in a way that surprised you?
3. What does it mean for God’s Spirit to “guard your heart and mind”?
Monday
John 14 (Scripture Focus Verse 27)
Discover:
Friedrich Nietzsche, a giant in modern philosophy, slammed Christianity for draining courage and passion, claiming it stops people from becoming "supermen" who ditch traditional morals and create their own in a meaningless world.
But Nietzsche missed the mark—his atheism blinded him to courage as a core Christian virtue. Scripture overflows with calls to bravery, grounded not in self but in God's presence: "Be strong and courageous... for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you" (Deut. 31:6).
Christianity isn't passive pondering—it's active mission: "Make disciples of all nations" (Matt. 28:18–20). Yet the church often falters here, hindered by fear of consequences. Cowardice isn't feeling fear; it's letting fear paralyze action. True courage starts with fear—doing the right thing anyway.
Believers can push through fear because God is with us via the Holy Spirit. In John 14, Jesus says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled" (v. 1), promising the Spirit as our "Helper" or "Comforter" (v. 16). "Comforter" stems from Latin cum forte—"with strength"—highlighting the Spirit's role in empowering us with divine courage.
The Holy Spirit dwells in us to fuel courage. Will we follow His lead and obey God, even when terrified of the fallout? Don't rely on your own grit—trust God's Word and act, fears and all.
Respond:
1. What differences do you see between the world’s peace and Jesus’ peace?
2. Why do you think peace is described as a gift?
3. How can you rely on Jesus’ peace this week?
tuesday
Isaiah 26 (Scripture Focus 3)
Discover:
In Isaiah, God promises that after exile, He'll shield His returned people with His own power—making Jerusalem safer than any wall or fortress. Our safety has always been, is, and forever will be in God's hands alone. We don't rely on our strength or anyone else's—just Him. He holds us secure, and His promise guarantees we’ll never lose our salvation.
Too many Christians miss this and live gripped by fear: fear of temptation, fear of falling away. But God Himself guarantees our growth and glory—not because we earn it, but because He’s faithful. Saved by grace, kept by grace, secured by His power forever. Our future doesn’t depend on our defenses—it rests on Christ alone.
Chapter 26’s song was written before captivity to give hope during it. It assured the people: Jerusalem would rise again, God’s city triumphing over man’s. This is our song too. Freed from sin’s captivity, we’re promised a secure place—in Jesus. Nothing can separate us from His love. We are His, and in Him, we’re safe.
Respond:
1. What thoughts tend to stir up your anxiety?
2. How does fixing your mind on God bring you peace?
3. What practice could help you refocus your thoughts on Him today?
Wednesday
Romans 8 (Scripture Focus 26)
Discover:
Believers often wrestle with prayer: Am I praying God’s will? If not, will He still use my prayers? How can I know He hears me?
Paul tackles this head-on in Romans 8. After promising future glory in verses18–25, he zooms in on our present weakness in verses 26–27. Our prayers are never perfect—limited knowledge, lingering selfishness, and the fall’s effects keep us from fully grasping God’s will. Yet we’re told to pray according to His will. How?
Here’s the comfort: God never grades our prayers on their own. The Holy Spirit takes our fumbling words—even our wordless groans—and reshapes them into perfect, Spirit-led pleas that match God’s will exactly. He intercedes with us and in us “with groanings too deep for words”. The Father always hears the Spirit’s prayers and always answers yes.
So don’t stop praying when you feel weak or clueless. The Spirit’s perfect intercession guarantees your prayers are effective. As Dr. Douglas Moo says, even when we ask for the wrong things, “we can depend on the Spirit’s ministry of perfect intercession ‘on our behalf.’” The bottom line is your perseverance and hope don’t hinge on prayer perfection—they rest on the Spirit who prays perfectly for you.
Respond:
1. How does it comfort you to know the Spirit prays for you?
2. What situations have left you unable to find words?
3. How can you rest in God’s peace even when you feel weak in prayer?
THursday
John 16 (Scripture Focus Verse 33)
Discover:
Life brings trouble—that’s the hard truth. The good news is that Jesus has overcome the world as he tells us in John 16:33. These two realities shape the life of every believer.
The book of Habakkuk shows us how to hold these truths together. Habakkuk lived in Judah during a time of deep moral decay, just before Babylon conquered the nation. Troubled by God’s tolerance of evil, he cried out: “How long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?” (1:2–4).
This struggle isn’t unique to Habakkuk. Scripture is full of similar prayers—Job’s laments, the cries in Psalms 3–7, 12, 13, 73, and more. Evil persists, and often it hits close to home. Life is hard for God’s people.
So what do we do? We pray. When we look at Scripture, we see two patterns of God’s deliverance:
Type A: A threat arises, God’s people pray, and He removes the threat. Jehoshaphat’s story in 2 Chronicles 20 is a great example—three armies came against Judah, the people prayed, and God delivered them.
Type B: A threat arises, God’s people pray, but the trouble remains. Deliverance is promised, but only after suffering runs its course. Habakkuk faced this reality: Babylon would judge Judah, and exile was coming. Yet God assured him that judgment on Babylon would follow, and His saving purposes would stand.
Habakkuk’s response teaches us how to live through Type B seasons—with trust and joy in God’s promises:
“Though the fig tree should not blossom… yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength… “ (Hab. 3:17–19)
Even when disaster comes, God’s story ends in hope. Type B situations still lead to Type A endings—our Savior will fulfill His loving purposes.
Respond:
1. Why do you think Jesus warned us we would have trouble?
2. What does it mean to “take heart” in anxious times?
3. How does Jesus’ victory bring peace to your present struggles?
Friday
Galatians 5 (Scripture Focus 22)
Discover:
Galatians 5:19–21 doesn’t list every work of the flesh, and verses 22–23 don’t name every fruit of the Spirit. To get the full picture, we need the whole Bible.
If you belong to Christ, you’ve crucified the flesh (Gal. 5:24)—a done deal and an ongoing fight. Jesus won the war at the cross, but sin can still twitch like a body on a tree. When it does, nail it back up and say no. As Luther put it, the faithful “feel the lusts… but they obey them not.”
Walking in the Spirit means staying armed with Scripture, faith, prayer, and the sacraments. It also means staying humble—never thinking too highly of yourself, never boasting, never envying. That’s the meekness Moses modeled as shown in Num. 12:3 and the world still scorns. Politicians won’t admit mistakes, philanthropists love the spotlight—but we follow Jesus, repenting to God and each other. Humble hearts are the ones God fills with grace and His Spirit.
Respond:
1. How does peace grow as fruit in your life?
2. What gets in the way of God’s Spirit producing peace in you?
3. What daily choices help you walk in step with the Spirit?
Saturday
Isaiah 32 (Scripture Focus 17)
Discover:
In Isaiah’s day, Judah faced a crisis: Assyria had crushed Israel and now eyed the south. Some leaders urged King Hezekiah, “Trust God and sign a treaty with Egypt.” Sounds reasonable—until Isaiah delivered God’s clear word: Egypt’s help is worthless. Trusting horses and chariots instead of waiting on the Lord would only bring disaster.
Our hearts are idol factories—slow to learn, quick to forget. So, God lets affliction do its teaching work. For Judah, that meant famine and ruin: fields choked with thorns, Jerusalem a ghost town. Only when everything else failed would the people turn back.
But grace waits on the far side. Once they repented, God promised to pour out His Spirit, turning wasteland into garden and hard hearts into lovers of righteousness. Just as the Spirit hovered over chaos to bring life, He would renew His people.
Old-covenant saints knew the Spirit, but we live in the age of His fuller outpouring—empowering every believer, advancing the kingdom. What a privilege! Let’s never stop listening to His voice.
Respond:
1. How does living in right relationship with God lead to peace?
2. Why is God’s peace described as “quietness and confidence”?
3. Where in your life do you need this kind of lasting peace today?