February 12

Exodus 34:1 - 35:9

Matthew 27:15-31

Psalm 33:12-22

Proverbs 9:1-6

"What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord,

Whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.

The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race.

From his throne he observes all who live on the earth.

He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do."

Psalm 33:12-15 (NLT)

When I am reading the Bible, there are times when the words have a physical effect on me. I will read a verse or a passage and then I will feel like the words are hitting me in the face, like I'm being stopped in my tracks, like I'm being shaken awake. This is one of my favorite things about reading God's word. It reinforces the fact that the Bible is alive and has power. It is so much more than words on the page, it has the power to transform lives and change who we are.

I experienced this when I was reading Psalm 33 today. The Lord looks down from His throne in heaven and sees the whole human race. Here's the part that hit me in the face: verse 15 says that God made our hearts so he understands everything we do. Wait a minute, most of the time I don't understand what I do. I do the wrong thing, I deliberately disobey God and hurt other people, I worry about things that I have no control over, I am selfish and fight to get my own way, I fill my head with impure thoughts, and I don't understand why I do it. But I serve the God who created my heart and understands all the things I do... and He loves me anyway. Wow. 

In the passage from Matthew 27, we read a portion of what Jesus went through because of our sinful hearts. God understands everything we do and He knew what had to be done in order to bring us back to Him. And He did it. I can't help but say "Wow" again.

This is my fourth time reading through the Bible with Grace Church and I will never stop being amazed at the new things that God is revealing to me. There are also things that He reveals to me over and over because He knows that I need constant reminding. Like the fact that there is nothing I can hide from Him. That He loves me no matter what. I certainly hope that all of you are experiencing this as well, that you are feeling God speak to you through His word. It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will stir in all our hearts as we read and change us and strengthen our relationship with Him.