Notes from my Bible Study for April 8, 2010

Today's Reading: Psalm 98, Leviticus 4:1-5:13, Isaiah 2, 1 Corinthians 16

Psalm 98 - 1a - Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! - There are several times in the Psalms that you see the instruction to sing to the Lord a new song. I like that God wants us to create new songs for Him. In other words, He doesn't want our spiritual lives to stagnate. We ought to be trying our best to learn new things about God every day. That isn't going to happen if we don't spend time praying, reading, and living in fellowship with other believers.

Have you ever heard a travelling speaker use the same stories over and over when they come to preach? Maybe it's because I was a youth pastor for so many years, but I remember hearing guys speak and wondering if God had done anything in their lives in the past 20 years! I heard the same stories year in and year out. When we are intimately connected to God, we grow, and growth brings about a new song. Let your life be a living symphony for Him.

There is another thing that I love about this Psalm. It's the many different ways to worship. From instruments to nature singing, the psalmist shows that creation sings God's glory. So should we!

Leviticus 4:1-5:13 - We've already read about a number of the offerings that the Children of Israel were instructed to give to God. Now we come upon the laws for sin offerings. It's interesting to note the classifications of people. God clearly had laws for all of his people. There are implicit instructions given for how an offering to atone for sin should look. This chapter is an important reminder for New Testament believers that sin has consequences. God has called us to live holy lives.

Isaiah 2 - 5 - O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord - Isaiah was right in the middle of prophesying God's message to the nation when he called the nation to immediate repentance. Can you relate to Isaiah? I can. Whether it's my own stubbornness or the stubbornness of someone else, far too many of us have experienced the pull away from God. Don't go! Stay faithful. Instead, replace the desire to run away with the desire to walk in the light of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 16 - The apostle Paul ends his first letter to the Corinthian believers with instructions on how to collect offerings for the saints gathered across the ancient near east world. He also tells them that he hopes to see them on his future travels. Paul's letter closes with personal greetings. I love that the Bible includes these greetings. We get a glimpse into Paul, the man. We get an even deeper understanding of the church, their bond to Paul, and how they grow spiritually.