YouVersion Reformation Reading Plan, day 226

Matthew 26:36-75 §

Strange that Jesus calls Judas “friend” (verse 50). How often are we told to rejoice that Christ names us friends (citing, for example, John 15:15). All of Judas’ story is strange. How great a patient forgiveness Jesus shows in this instance. I do not mean to imply Judas is ultimately forgiven, merely that Christ gives him such grace to continue calling him “friend”.

We know from John 18:10 that the disciple who strikes the high priest’s servant, severing the man’s ear (verse 51), is Peter. How strange that he has any chance of denying that he was with Christ in the garden when he is called out by the servant girl. It’s audacious in the extreme for him to proclaim, “I do not know what you mean” (verse 70). In what ways am I audaciously disclaiming any relationship with my LORD?

I Chronicles 21 §

Satan stands against nations by inciting their leaders to ignore God and His commands (verse 1).

And David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, and in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

I Chronicles 21:16

What a call to repentance! In my sin, God, please let me see the angel with a drawn sword in his hand, to remind me that You are holy.

Then the LORD commanded the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. …but David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

I Chronicles 21:27, 30

How many times has God forgiven me, and I still refuse to seek his face because I am afraid of his judgement? The angel puts his sword away, and yet David still fears.

I Chronicles 22 §

“With great pains I have provided for the house of the Lord 100,000 talents of gold, a million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weighing, for there is so much of it; timber and stone, too, I have provided. To these you must add.”

I Chronicles 22:14 (emphasis added)

To these you must add.

I Chronicles 23 §

Four thousand men are required to praise God with the instruments David made for praise (verse 5). Out of the thirty-eight thousand Levites (those qualified for priestly service), more than ten percent had musical praise as their main duty. Do we place enough emphasis on this today?

And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening…

I Chronicles 7:30