Day 122, 31st December: Joshua, John and Psalms
Be Radical
By Robin Killick
Today’s readings
Joshua 21:20-22:34
John 3:1-21
Psalms 55:1-11
How’s your year been? What were your highlights? Looking back, do you feel amazed, pleased, satisfied, disappointed, ashamed, or are there elements of each? How is your relationship with God? Today’s passages are an absolutely fantastic way to end 2012.
They contain amazing truths and challenges. I will focus on one of each. One amazing truth is that God Loves You – John3:16 says it clearly. He values you so much that he sent Jesus so that the world (which definitely includes you) could be saved. Looking back, it doesn’t matter about what you’ve done in the past, whether you’ve screwed up badly or grown dramatically in your faith.
We’re given a choice about Jesus – believe, or don’t believe. Having made that choice however, we need to be born again. Don’t misunderstand this as Nicodemus did – it’s spiritual, not physical. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that his affect on our lives is clear for all to see. As I look outside, snow is swirling all around. The effect of the wind is obvious. Is the work of the Holy Spirit obvious in your life?
The New Year brings a new opportunity to answer that question. Having been ‘born again,’ the challenge for all Christians is to live it out, which comes across clearly in Joshua. It seems a long time ago since Numbers 32, but two of the tribes of Israel had asked to be given land on the east side of the Jordan River, not the west with the rest of the nation. Moses granted this request if the men promised to help until the rest of the Promised Land was won. Now their task is completed – God is giving them their Promised Land, and peace (verses 1-4). God always keeps his promises (Joshua 21: 43-45). They did a great job! Joshua blesses them, but also issues a challenge – “keep it up! Love God, keep his commandments, commit to him and serve him with all your heart and soul.” (verse 5)
As I write, England are 1-0 up in the Ashes cricket series against Australia. Great stuff, but the challenge is to keep it up. The same can be applied to us. What might Joshua’s challenge look like in practice? Make some New Years Resolutions – it would be a great opportunity to apply it in your life. Pray, think carefully, and be radical!
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Today’s picture was taken by…
Mummy Snuggs. Thank you and Happy New Years Eve!
If you’d like to take your own picture to potentially be featured on the blog, then get your Soul Survivor Bible in One Year, and take a picture of yourself – and your Bible – at some interesting or colourful location. Then email it to us at editor@soulsurvivor.com.
The pictures will need to be a pretty good resolution (we use 640px by 360 px so at least as big as that), landscape photos work best and if you include the day of the reading in the picture then make sure you send it to us a good few days before that reading, so we have time to include it in that day’s post! We’ll credit all photographers!
The Bible in One Year with Soul Survivor 
Yea, Jenny’s right, just keep going back on the little calender thingy and get to Jan 2013 🙂
I’ve encouraged my youth group to do this with me this year and had a go at writing one myself ‘coz we couldn’t get on. Here’s mine from yesterday
January 4th 2014
Day 126 Soul Survivor BIOY
Judges 4:1 – 5:31
John 4:43 – 5:15
Psalm 57: 1 – 6
‘Go’
Ok, so as the guys at Soul Survivor seem to be having a technical blip with their comments on the day’s readings, I thought I’d have a go!
Some amazing passages today (if you’re a 9 year old boy) full of blood and guts and gore! Deborah – what a woman! Jud 4:14 “Then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?’” Some context here… Basically – yet again the people of God had given up on God and gone off and done their own thing, and once again they find themselves living with the consequences – separation from God. No one was prepared to stand up and do the right thing. Enter Deborah – a woman (cultural blooper. She does what God tells her to do ‘coz no one else has the guts. – Girl power! The result? Victory for the people of God…. and Worship (check out the whole of chapter 5).
What about the New Testament passage? By this time Jesus is a bit of celebrity and is going back to his hometown. You’d have thought that he’d have had the red carpet treatment yet to me – (I may be wrong) he sounds a bit hacked off with them. vs 48 “unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders … you will never believe” but even if he was cross with their lack of faith, look what happens. Jesus tells the man to GO, “your son will live” … and of course he does. And that’s not the end of it. In the next bit when he asks another man if he really wants to be well he tells him to get up, pick up his mat and walk…. In other words GO. The result in both cases… they’re healed because they obey the instructions and then they worship God (What else would they do!). – You know what’s coming next don’t you, and what hits me hard… Are we doing what God has asked us to do? – Are we prepared to ‘Go’?
With God’s help we can. And finally that’s what the Psalm is about. It’s not in our own strength that we do anything – believe me I’ve tried. The Psalmist is crying out to God for help and mercy. “I cry out to you most High, to God, who fulfils his purpose for me”
So, there you go, my first attempt at doing what Soul Survivor has been doing for a couple of years now.
I’m going to go now!
Steve Lock Youth Worker Gilgal Baptist Church Porthcawl
I tried to post the web link for last year’s blog which is the same anyway but because it has a web address, it looks like it needs moderating. Searching for Soul Survivor Bible in one year 2nd January should find it.
I’ve emailed them too. Hope it’s up soon.
I (and someone else) emailed Soul Survivor, and they’re working on this site.
Is bible in a year going to be supported in 2014? Was very useful having the site when using iPad 🙂
Ah,that’s a shame, no 2 JAn yet either. Missing you guys 🙂 Will continue with the hardcopy bible
Can’t get the link to January 1st :-(. Guess I’ll just have to search in the archives of another year. Happy New Year everyone. Hope 2014 is a year of walking closely with God.
Haha! England are 1-0 up in the ashes are they? I think you need more than a mustard seeds worth of faith for that to happen 😉 lol
Happy New Year every one :).