Reading from Wednesday, November 17

Hey. Past couple days have been absolutely nutso with work. 16 hour day yesterday.

Reading for November 17
Ezekiel 35:1-36:38
This is really neat. God begins talking directly to Israel. Not the people, but the actual physical land of Israel.

⁹ I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown, ¹⁰ and I will cause many people to live on you—yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. ¹¹¹² I will cause people, my people Israel, to live on you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; you will never again deprive them of their children.

I will increase the number of people and animals living on you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

James 1:1-18
Before I started this project, James had been my favorite book of the Bible. I'm not sure why, I just liked the way it was delivered and written. I tried to memorize the first few verses about a year ago - let's see if I still got it:


Consider it pure joy, brothers when you face trials of many kinds. For we know that through trials you will gain perseverance, and through perseverance, something...ah I lost it...let's see what it actually is...Hey I was actually pretty close:

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I think in the back of my mind, this was sort of the reason why I started doing this in the first place and why I like having conversations with people with varying viewpoints: I know it will be a challenge and will test my faith. I think they key to the whole thing though is verse 4 there. By "letting perseverance finish its work in me" I will be moving past what had challenged me and on to a resolution that makes me stronger for having gone through it. I think for me, finishing the Bible and discovering what the big picture really means to me will be moving closer to letting perseverance finish its work in me...

Psalm 116:1-19
 ¹ I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;
   he heard my cry for mercy.
² Because he turned his ear to me,
   I will call on him as long as I live.

Would anyone else have a different reason for loving God? The whole relationship between God and man is basically founded on the idea of mercy. God comes into this relationship expecting to forgive, and we, after a while, expect to be forgiven. No human to human relationship could ever thrive with that dynamic. Sorta crazy to think about.

Proverbs 27:23-27
 ²³ Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
   give careful attention to your herds;
²⁴ for riches do not endure forever,
   and a crown is not secure for all generations.
²⁵ When the hay is removed and new growth appears
   and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
²⁶ the lambs will provide you with clothing,
   and the goats with the price of a field.
²⁷ You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family
   and to nourish your female servants. 

Goodnight.