Daily Bible Reading

I've really been enjoying reading through this One Year Chronological bible. And I'm excited to be in the middle of March and find that I'm still on track with my reading! You know, for a time this was a discipline that I was trying to develop - now I just look forward to it every day. :)

So March 16th finds me in Deuteronomy and I loved this passage that I read today and just thought I'd share this from my journal this morning:

And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?
To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Your forefathers who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.

-Deuteronomy 10:12-22

In Deut. 9 and 10, Moses is reminding the Israelites of how God rescued them time and again and has brought them now to the promised land. He makes sure that they know that it isn't because of their righteousness, because they are a 'stiff-necked' people and "have been rebellious against the Lord ever since Moses has known them." (9:24) What stood out to me today is how Moses talked about interceding for them so many times, "reminding" the Lord of His promise to them and asking Him to spare them one more time... it reminded me of the Holy Spirit and how He does that for me today. Over and over again, despite my rebellious and stiff-necked ways, the Holy Spirit pleads to God as my advocate, counselor, and comforter. Praise God that we always have one who intercedes for us on our behalf!

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

-Romans 8:26-28