Monday, January 31, 2022
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Thursday, January 20, 2022
THURSDAY 20TH JAN 2022-THE LOVE OF LEARNING
Love of Learning
Bible in a Year:
Let the wise listen and add to their learning.
When asked how he became a journalist, a man shared the story of his mother’s dedication to his pursuit of education. While traveling on the subway each day, she collected newspapers left behind on seats and gave them to him. While he especially enjoyed reading about sports, the papers also introduced him to knowledge about the world, which ultimately opened his mind to a vast range of interests.
Children are wired with natural curiosity and a love for learning, so introducing them to the Scriptures at an early age is of great value. They become intrigued by God’s extraordinary promises and exciting stories of biblical heroes. As their knowledge deepens, they can begin to comprehend the consequences of sin, their need of repentance, and the joy found in trusting God. The first chapter of Proverbs, for instance, is a great introduction to the benefits of wisdom (Proverbs 1:1–7). Nuggets of wisdom found here shine a light of understanding on real-life situations.
Developing a love of learning—especially about spiritual truths—helps us to grow stronger in our faith. And those who have walked in faith for decades can continue to pursue knowledge of God throughout their life. Proverbs 1:5 advises, “Let the wise listen and add to their learning.” God will never stop teaching us if we’re willing to open our heart and mind to His guidance and instruction.
Today's Scripture
Insight
A prominent characteristic of Hebrew poetry is parallelism. A second line either mirrors the first or contrasts it. In the case of Proverbs 1:5, the second line mirrors and develops the idea introduced in the first, which is called “synthetic” parallelism.
The first line of the couplet, “Let the wise listen and add to their learning,” says wisdom isn’t a once-and-done endeavor. The wise can always learn more. But the second line develops the idea further: “and let the discerning get guidance.” The word for “guidance” comes from the nautical world where shipmen would pull on ropes to steer a boat. In context, “guidance” has the sense of practical steering through life. The parallelism in the proverb highlights that continual learning is important, but also that it should lead to steering a better course through the waters of our lives.
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Monday, January 17, 2022
Sunday, January 16, 2022
Saturday, January 15, 2022
Friday, January 14, 2022
Thursday, January 13, 2022
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Monday, January 10, 2022
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Wednesday, January 5, 2022
Tuesday, January 4, 2022
Monday, January 3, 2022
Sunday, January 2, 2022
SUNDAY 2ND JAN. 2021-FRESH START EFFECT
Fresh Start Effect
Bible in a Year:
[Put] on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
When Bryony turned thirty, she was sad to still be in a sales job she’d never liked. She decided it was time to stop procrastinating and find a new career. For David, New Year’s Eve had him looking in the mirror vowing this would be the year he lost weight. And for James, it was watching another month pass without his angry outbursts decreasing. Next month, he promised himself, he would try harder.
If you’ve ever vowed to change at the start of a new month, new year, or a major birthday, you’re not alone. Researchers even have a name for it: the fresh start effect. They suggest that at calendar points like these we’re more prone to assess our lives and try putting our failures behind us to start over. Wanting to be better people, we long for a fresh start.
Faith in Jesus speaks powerfully to this longing, offering a vision of what our best selves can be (Colossians 3:12–14) and calling us to leave our past selves behind (vv. 5–9). It offers this change not by decisions and vows alone, but by divine power. When we believe in Jesus, we become new people, and God’s Spirit works in us to make us whole (v. 10; Titus 3:5).
Receiving salvation in Jesus is the ultimate fresh start. And it doesn’t need to wait for a special calendar date. Your new life can start right now.
Reflect & Pray
How have you seen the fresh start effect at work in your life? What’s stopping you from receiving God’s gift of a new life now?
Jesus, I give up my own plans to follow Yours. Please give me a fresh start!
To gain a better understanding of the Bible this year.
Today's Scripture
Colossians 3:1–10(NIV)
Insight
In Colossians 2, Paul established that we’ve “died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces [or basic principles] of this world” (v. 20). Then he asked these believers in Jesus, “Why do you keep on following the rules of this world” (v. 20 nlt). He’d noticed they were lapsing into a legalistic form of religion. Paul said, “These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion . . . . But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires” (v. 23 nlt).
In chapter 3, Paul turns our focus instead to Christ: “Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is” (v. 1). We’re to “put to death . . . whatever belongs to [our] earthly nature,” that is, our sinful tendencies (vv. 5, 8–9). This may well include things the world would consider “religious.” Instead, we’re to be guided by the Holy Spirit—the only lasting way to change our behavior.
By: Tim Gustafson