Thanks for joining us on this journey of building a consistent habit of reading our Bibles every day. The Bible reading plan we are using this year can be found here: One Year Bible or here on the Bible app. As always, if you miss a day, don’t feel compelled to go back and catch up. Just skip it and start back on today’s date. I am reading the NLT this year, but feel free to use whatever version you prefer. Now here are some thoughts from today’s readings:
I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness.
– Psalms 40:10
People today like to think that if you live a decent, moral life, that’s the greatest witness you can have. But the Bible simply doesn’t jive with that. No where in the Bible does it equate living a good life with sharing the gospel. Living a holy lifestyle is definitely something God wants for and from all of us, but it simply isn’t the same as actually telling someone about Jesus. Your life can either support your witness or destroy it, but it doesn’t actually do the witnessing.
Maybe you have heard this quote used before: “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” – Francis of Assisi. The rub is, he never said that, and would have never said that. He was an advocate for sharing the gospel with your words. For more on this, check out this article. This quote is shared all the time to make people think you can actually “preach the gospel” without ever actually preaching the gospel.
The truth is, God is glorified when we talk about Him. David says here that he’ll tell the whole “great assembly” how good God is and how great the things He’s done are. Once we hit the New Testament, we learn that Christ gives us all this goal. We all have the same calling: to share with others how good God has been in our lives. That takes words. And we should back it up by living a life that shows on the outside the transformation Jesus is doing on the inside. It’s not by my life or by my words; it’s both. But often we are not bold enough to use words. Pray for that boldness and then step out in faith and start sharing your story of how Christ Jesus has changed your life!