Thoughts in July

July 22

Did you know God says in Hosea 13:4 “and besides me there is no savior.” Isn’t that a beautiful thought? I looked up “savior” in the BibleGateway app, and there are 35 references to savior in the Old Testament, but it never caught me until today. I just had to dwell in the thought for a moment. For truly, I know no God but Him, because there is no soul-satisfaction in life without Him.

Yet I have been the Lord your God
ever since the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.

July 14
Have you ever wanted a straight forward statement about what you are to do with all the days of your life? I found it in today’s reading of Micah 1-7. Micah 6:8 says:

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

As I think about the three things that are “good,” that is to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God, there is a lifetime of doing good crammed into those nine words.

July 13
I’m reading the Bible chronologically, and I highly recommend that you do that too. It’s especially helpful when you are going through 1 and 2 Kings, because 1 and 2 Chronicles gives so much more information about each king.

Today I was reading Isaiah 9-12. Isaiah 9 is where we get our Christmas verses about “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…” (verse 2) and “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…” (verse 6) But there are three verses between them that are interesting reading. You will want to do a little more investigating. :)

I especially like Isaiah 11:1-9. Oh, how my soul cried out to God, “Yes, Lord, we need this kind of peace now.” I think you will say the same thing when you read it. https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/chronological/2022/07/13?version=NIV