This Bible reading plan takes you through most of the Holy Scriptures each weekday of the year. Each day has three Bible readings:
You're welcome to read one, two, or all three of the readings every weekday. And if you fall behind, don't worry! You can either use the weekends to catch up or you can simply dive in to the reading for that day, even if you've missed a few days, weeks, or even months!
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10:1 I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!—2 I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
7 Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. 8 For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. 9 I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” 11 Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. 12 Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.
13 But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. 15 We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, 16 so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another’s area of influence. 17 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
(ESV)
I saw a headline this past Monday that captured my attention: "More Americans Say They Have No Religion." The article that I read went on to talk about how more and more Americans are claiming to be areligious. A survey conducted by Trinity College in Hartford, CT found that a full 15% of Americans claim to be areligious, up from 14.2% in 2001, and 8.2% in 1990. What I found especially fascinating about this survey, however, was not just the bare and alarming numbers, it was the fact that this survey tabulated people who were areligious rather than atheistic. In other words, there are some people in this category who are probably indeed rigorously atheistic. They have a thought out, reasoned out disbelief in God. They are intellectually hostile toward him. Others in this category of areligiosity, however, are not necessarily logically or intellectually hostile to God, they simply do not care about him. They do not care to worship him, think about him, give thanks to him, discover him, or love him. For these people, God's existence is a mere fringe relic on the outskirts of their consciousness. Other things are more important.
Interestingly, these findings parallel those of another survey from April 2007, this one conducted by the Gallup organization, as to why people do not attend church. This study was divided into two sections. One section surveyed the "practical" or "thought-out" reasons why people do not attend church. The number one reason for not attending church in this category was a strong disagreement with organized religious teaching. The other category gave "practical" or "default" reasons why people do not attend church. The number one reason given in this category was, quite mundanely, that people do not have time. In other words, like those who are areligious, those who do not attend church fall into two categories: those who are actively and academically hostile toward the worship of God and those who simply do not care. For this latter group, the worship of God is a mere fringe relic on the outskirts of their consciousness. Other things are more important.
In our reading for today from 2 Corinthians 10, Paul addresses how we, as Christians, should care for those who either intellectually oppose or flippantly dismiss God: "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (verses 4-5). Here we find our two categories of those who eschew religious engagement: "arguments" and "pretension." The Greek word for "arguments" is logismos, meaning "reasoning." These are those who stand in reasoned, albeit incorrect, opposition to God. The Greek word for "pretension" is hupsoma, meaning "lofty thing." This word describes those things which we elevate to a more privileged position in our schedules and calendars than God.
Paul says, "We demolish these strongholds." That sounds harsh. Do we really want the wrecking ball of the gospel flung at our intellectual critiques of God or our important appointments in place of God? Paul's answer is, "Yes." But why? "So that we can take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." The reason we demolish the strongholds of academic argument and passive pretension is so that those who don't think about Christ will start thinking about Christ and so that those who don't care about Christ will start caring about Christ. In other words, Paul reminds us that, by God's grace and by the strength of his Spirit, a study by Trinity College and a survey by Gallup need not forecast of the foreboding future of Christ-followers in our world. The trend can be reversed! And we are God's agents of reversal!
Do you know someone who is an atheist or strongly disagrees with "organized religion?" Ask them to tell you more about why they believe what they believe and then compassionately and sensitively share with them your faith. And begin to demolish a stronghold. Do you know someone who does not care about God or never has enough time to go to church? Invite them to church this weekend. And if they refuse due to a scheduling conflict, invite them to accompany you next weekend. And begin to demolish a stronghold. For when the strongholds of this world are demolished by our witness, that is when the message of Christ's love, Christ's grace, and Christ's salvation can take a strong-hold on a human heart. And that's a stronghold we can all rejoice in.
44:1 “But now hear, O Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!
2 Thus says the LORD who made you,
who formed you from the womb and will help you:
Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
4 They shall spring up among the grass
like willows by flowing streams.
5 This one will say, ‘I am the LORD’s,’
another will call on the name of Jacob,
and another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’
and name himself by the name of Israel.”
6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel
and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
“I am the first and I am the last;
besides me there is no god.
7 Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.1
Let him declare and set it before me,
since I appointed an ancient people.
Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.
8 Fear not, nor be afraid;
have I not told you from of old and declared it?
And you are my witnesses!
Is there a God besides me?
There is no Rock; I know not any.”
9 All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. 10 Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.
12 The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil.2 He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. 14 He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”
18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” 20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
(ESV)
God lays claim to His chosen people on the basis of the fact that He is the One who created them, who "formed you from the womb." He tells them to "fear not" in spite of the fact that Isaiah has prophesied their forthcoming exile into captivity. God reminds them that they have no reason to fear the idols of their enemies, for God alone is God. "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god." Jesus claims this title for Himself in the book of Revelation when He says: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." (Revelation 22:13). God knows the future, and He knows that Israel has nothing to fear, since the LORD will surely fulfill His plan of salvation through them. Isaiah warns that those who fashion idols will be put to shame. All the craftsmen who employ their skills in fashioning an idol are fools. They expend their strength and exercise their skills in vain. The same wood that the craftsman uses to carve an idol, he burns in the fire to warm himself and cook his food! God has blinded their eyes to their own folly. All who places their trust in anything but God is just as foolish as those who fashion idols out of metal, wood or stone. Trusting in wealth, position or power is also utter folly. There is none that can save us except God alone. In Him we place our trust!
39:1 I said, “I will guard my ways,
that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle,
so long as the wicked are in my presence.”
2 I was mute and silent;
I held my peace to no avail,
and my distress grew worse.
3 My heart became hot within me.
As I mused, the fire burned;
then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “O LORD, make me know my end
and what is the measure of my days;
let me know how fleeting I am!
5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
6 Surely a man goes about as a shadow!
Surely for nothing1 they are in turmoil;
man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!
7 “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in you.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions.
Do not make me the scorn of the fool!
9 I am mute; I do not open my mouth,
for it is you who have done it.
10 Remove your stroke from me;
I am spent by the hostility of your hand.
11 When you discipline a man
with rebukes for sin,
you consume like a moth what is dear to him;
surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah
12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD,
and give ear to my cry;
hold not your peace at my tears!
For I am a sojourner with you,
a guest, like all my fathers.
13 Look away from me, that I may smile again,
before I depart and am no more!”
[1] 39:6
(ESV)