2020 Bible Vision

Michelle Horn

7.21.2020

Isaiah 17-20

Summary

Chapter 17 is a continuation of thought from chapter 7 and is fulfilled later in the invasions of Tiglath-pileser and Sargon. Chapter 18 seems like a prophecy of doom but is more of excitement and a rallying of troops. Chapter 19 covers a period of internal conflict and tells of the disintegration of Egypt that is to come. Chapter 20 is a warning about these nations being stripped of power and taken captive.

Key Verse

At that time gifts will be brought to the Lord Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers- the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the Lord Almighty.

Isaiah 18:7

This was an aggressive nation that was feared far and wide. They were powerful on their own and even they knew they were no match for the power of God. They acknowledged this and offered gifts to God in submission of what was rightfully his.

It really does not change my view of God. It is just further proof of God being the ultimate power. The gifts that these people gave were gifts that a defeated side would give the winning side. They recognized that they were no match for God’s power and bowed before him in submission. Unfortunately, I struggle epically with fully submitting to God. I am stubborn to the bone also my enneagram is 6. I am continually working on it in my relationship with God and with others.

There will come a day when we will all bend a knee and confess Jesus is lord. It will not just be certain nations like in today’s reading but every person of this world. He has all authority and power over heaven and earth.

Bradley Horn 

7.20.2020

Isaiah 13-16

This was a very dark read, but it def. is a big wake up call in many regards. When reading through these prophecies, I couldn’t help but picturing the Hulk with all the powers from the other avengers; slaying and destroying everything in its path. God aint messing around when it comes to the wicked not obeying and being in a deep relationship with him. Unlike the Babylonians, scripture said what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah will happen to them. We all know what happened it wasnt good. God will totally wipe out life as if it didn’t exist. That goes to show the power from the Almighty and the seriousness. God showed compassion for Jacob people and Iseral.

Isaiah 16:5 “In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it one from the house of David one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness.” 

Why?   It helps to cling on the fact that the Messiah (Jesus) is being referenced here that soon Jesus will be our judge that seeks justice and righteousness not some leader that will lead us astray/ it’s a huge Faith builder for sure.  WHO/WHAT ARE YOU FOLLOWING???

My vision changed after this read while I noticed that even though nations were being wipped out, it brought others to mourning and to lower themselves to lamenting and repenting.  

In a time right now, I think to myself. is this a time that God is trying to wake me up from my slumber, or trying to get me to snap out of it whatever the case maybe. Trying to get us to see the big picture here. 

the next action step would be taken a step back during very difficult times and have a faith check and what am I going to do about it. have self-pity or actually rely on God and have faith that moves mountains. (Proverbs 3) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths staight.” 

I saw Jesus in these prophecies when it ended with people weeping and waling towards the end of the reading. Ultimately, Jesus will oppress the proud and show favor to the humble at the end of the day.  God will bring us low if he needs to to help us see him and to understand His path of righteousness.    

Eddy Gonzalez

7.18.2020

Isaiah 9-12

Summarize the day’s reading in one paragraph. 

Isaiah in chapters 9-12 begins with addressing the coming of the Messiah, and Gods anger toward Israel for turning to idols, and the Assyrian nation. He goes on to prophesize about the New Jerusalem, heaven on earth, and ends with songs of praise.

What is one key verse? Why? 

The wolf with live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and the little child will lead them.

Isaiah 11:6

That verse speaks to the peace we will have in heaven, and helps me rise above my circumstances, knowing that this peace is a promise from God.

How does what you read change your vision of God? 

Instead of looking at what is going on in the world right now, and blaming God for it, I know that God is working toward an expected end, a New Jerusalem where there will be no more death, sorrow, or crying, and no more pain.

How does what you read change your vision of yourself or others?

This makes me less critical of myself and others, knowing that God is working in all of us to lead us to the New Jerusalem.. 

How will you Go With God because of this reading? (What is an action step?) 

I will be less critical of God and what is happening in the world.

Where did you see Jesus in these chapters? (What made you think about Jesus?) 

I see Jesus as Isiah describes him. Wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father and Prince of peace. 

Sophia Schmidt

7.17.2020

Isaiah 5-8

Summary

Chapters 5 through 8 chronicle Isaiah as a prophet and his vision of judgment upon wicked people.  It begins in chapter 5 as he prophesies the end of the wicked people of Judah.  Isaiah is then needed to warn the people of Judah of their impending doom; he sees that the people will hear his warnings but not respond.  This leads to Isaiah doubting his own abilities to be a worthy follower of God. The last chapters are about Ahaz and his reluctance to heed Isaiah’s warnings.  

What is one key verse and why?

Isaiah 6:5-7: “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”  Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tings from the altar.  With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

These verses are so impactful for me because they show a sinful person acknowledging their sin for the first time.  We all have that moment where we finally “see” God and this forces us to acknowledge and come to terms with the sin in our lives.  We know God = We know our sin.  This can be a really hard thing to accept but the important thing to remember is we then have the opportunity and the privilege to be forgiven and saved by God.

How does what you read change your vision of God?

This passage allows me to see how God sees us as sinners and does not turn His back on us.  God has a willingness to save us and give us grace that is incredibly overwhelming and beautiful.

How does what you read change your vision of yourself or others?

I think, “woe is me,” far too often, especially when confronted with my own sin or when affected by the sins of others.  Quickly, this will lead to negativity and judgment of myself and everyone around me.  My perception needs to change by remembering that God knows me and knows I am worthy of forgiveness.

How will you go with God because of this reading?

I will work to communicate better with God.  Sometimes crying out and admitting I have “unclean lips” is necessary to becoming closer to God and allowing His forgiveness to wash me clean.

Where did you see Jesus in these chapters?

What is Jesus known for? Loving us and saving us.  We see Jesus forgive sinners time and time again through the New Testament.  Amen!

Kyle Mathis

7.16.2020

Isaiah 1-4

Summarize the day’s reading in one paragraph

Isaiah, the prophet, is prophesying a vision he received from the Lord. In the vision, the Lord talks about the detestable things that Israel were doing in the sight of the Lord, how the whole nation was rebelling against God. He goes on to talk about how Jerusalem and Judah will be judged according to the things that they have done and even talks about how the rulers will be ruled over by children. At the end of the reading, he provides comfort with the Branch of the Lord where those who are still obedient to the Lord and follows his commands and decrees, they will be lifted up and will be taken care of by the Lord in a new Jerusalem.  

What is one key verse?  Why?

Isaiah 4:5-6- Then the Lord will create over all Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain. 

This verse is important because he is bringing back hope for a new Jerusalem for those who follow his commands and regulations. Just like back in the earlier times of Israel, God lets the people know that he will guide them through troubling times. The heat of the day, the storm and the rain seem to be tests from other nations around them and sin in their community as well but God promises that he will protect them from that if they follow him and turn from their ways of sin. 

How does what you read change your vision of God?

It shows that God is very forgiving and compassionate. Although all around Jerusalem and Judah, people are sinning and doing detestable things in the eyes of the Lord, God still sees the hope that the people need. He still gives the people hope that if they change their ways, he will protect them and exalt them which shows his forgiveness of his people even though they have been sinning. 

How does what you read change your vision of yourself or others?

It shows me that God is compassionate and sometimes I forget that. I could sin and expect to do something for God as a way to make it up; but at the end of the day, we just need to repent and turn from our ways of sinning and God will forgive us just like he gave the chance to be forgiven and forgave his holy people. 

How will you Go With God because of this reading? (What is an action step?)

I think that we should thank God on a continual basis for forgiving us because in our culture, it is very hard to get people to forgive you. I think that we should be quick to forgive our brothers and sisters just like God is quick to forgive us. Sometimes it can be very hard to forgive a brother and sister, but remember that Jesus would forgive that brother and sister. 

Where did you see Jesus in these chapters? (What made you think about Jesus?)

I saw Jesus in the way that God forgives his people. Jesus forgave many people that came up to him for healing and miracles. Multiple times in the gospels, Jesus says, “Your sins are forgiven”. Jesus forgave the people and died for us so that we could have the chance to have our sins forgiven as well.

LaShaunte Mitchell

7.15.2020

Song of Songs

Summary

        Song of Songs, also called Songs of Solomon is an interesting read. It is a collection of poems involving a man, a woman, and some friends. Throughout the Song of Songs. The man and woman are searching for each other, longing for one another. The texts are very descriptive. There is a theme in Song of Songs of longing, seeking, and finding or losing. This pattern continues until the end of the poems where it is not concluded. Throughout the passages they refer to each other as “Beloved “. Many don’t believe that these texts were written by or to Solomon, especially because he had over 700 wives and concubines, but that it was written in his era of reign. 

Key Verse

        Throughout these passages of descriptive words there laid a scripture of warning. The scripture is repeated three times, Song of Songs 2:7, 3:5, and 8:4. It reads, “Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.” This verse seems pretty practical but is deeper after first glance and harder to put into practice. This passage says to me, be patient, don’t pursue a relationship until that person seeks you and desires you. (I don’t know if this is how it was meant to be interpreted) But the idea of sitting in wait is so unnatural to the American mind where you’re so accustomed to always be moving and being productive. 

Vision of God

        During this reading I attempted to see God as pursuing me in the way that the man pursued the woman. It was a bit weird. But the usage of words, the longing, the seeking. It seems like so much effort, that it is a bit overwhelming. To be so emotionally invested into finding me. It warmed my heart. It made me think how can I be worthy, how am I worth all of this effort. But I realized I am not. It is because of his love for me. It is his love that drives him to pursue in such a passionate way. Not anything that I do or did. Not because of my looks. Not because of what I can do for him. Gods love is abounding and overwhelming. He pursues all of our hearts.

Vision of Self

        These passages also made me put myself in the position of the woman. The woman pursuing God. It made me think an I putting in this effort? Do I describe God in this way? passionately? It made me ask myself, how do I see God and how would I describe him to someone else? I am not big in giving words of affirmation and am even worse at receiving them. But this challenges me in my prayer life to really worship God in my prayers. To lift him high with words of praise. 

Application

        After reading these passages, I am encouraged to pursue Good more intently. To see him in my life. Logically I know he’s there, I know he has a hand in everything. He has plans for me. I will take steps to see his hand and acknowledge them more regularly. I know he’s always seeking me, pursuing me, so I don’t have to wait on him to love me but I do need to accept that I am worthy of his love and his grace. I will praise him with more passion and awareness.

Jesus

        Jesus is another example of God pursuing me. He went to the extreme to create Jesus so that we can be together. Creating a physical being for him to dwell in then to come and live on Earth. Through a common life, where he lived as a servant, not admonished. Who lived with trials and persecutions and died in the worse way for ungrateful people. All in hopes that I would seek him. Jesus is the ultimate act of God’s Love and his pursuing of Me. The laying down of one’s life. 

Gabriel Cross

7.14.2020

Ecclesiastes 7-12

Summarize the day’s reading in one paragraph

Life is meaningless.  No matter what one does, the truths of life cannot be changed.  There is suffering, God is our ruler, and people die.  Therefore, everyone should enjoy life.  Even wise people die.  Sometimes the righteous get bad things and sometimes the wicked get nice things.  Therefore, worrying about the intricacies of life is meaningless.  Just enjoy your time on Earth while you can, since our lives are fleeting.  It seems Solomon was pondering his own life as he was getting closer to death and was looking back at his own life and what it entailed.

What is one key verse?  Why?

There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 8:14-15

There are a lot of things to question in life.  Sometimes, it is better to trust in God and believe in his truth, even when bad things are happening to righteous people.  When life seems unfair, The Lord is still with us.

How does what you read change your vision of God?

This passage shows me that God loves us all, and reminds me that His love and human love look different.  God wants us to seek a relationship with Him and love Him, but that doesn’t mean evil ceases to exist.  Solomon was given wisdom as a gift, yet his life was filled with sin and wickedness.  Doesn’t mean God doesn’t love him.

How does what you read change your vision of yourself or others?

This reading helps me to better understand those that are very often extremely joyful.  No matter what happens, God is always good and is always present.  Since we don’t know the future, that is a universal truth that will never change.  That is truly a reason to be joyful.

How will you Go With God because of this reading? (What is an action step?)

I will complain less and work to be less jealous of those that seem like they “have it all” because the things of this world are fleeting.  I will be a light of joy to those around me so that they can better understand the beauty of God’s work on our lives.

Where did you see Jesus in these chapters? (What made you think about Jesus?)

Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God. Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?”

Ecclesiastes 8:2-4

Solomon is talking about earthly kings, but Jesus’s obedience to God, the true king, is unparalleled.  I think his ability to obey, even when it was hard, is something to look to for guidance and replicate.

Jennifer Gonzalez

7.13.2020

Ecclesiastes 1-6

Summarize the day’s reading in one paragraph. 

King Solomon reaching the end of his life ponders its meaning and even with all his wealth and wisdom, all is vanity (vanishing) without God. We have a need, hunger, drive for these things. Air to breath, food to eat. We want wealth, wisdom, love and security. We toil for it, search for it, and it’s never enough. There is something more, we find ourselves dissatisfied with life, this emptiness we cannot fill.  Only through a relationship with God will be ever truly be able to enjoy our lives, and be satisfied. 

What is one key verse? Why? 

“There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw that is was from the hand of God

Ecclesiastes 2:24

In short, all good things come from God. We need that relationship, that fellowship, walking in the Garden with Jesus. His holy spirit in us fills that void, removes the vanity to a wholeness. This in turn fills us with joy, peace and rest. Only God can do that. 

How does what you read change your vision of God? 

God gives meaning to our lives. Without a connection, without His holy spirit we will always be wanting.

How does what you read change your vision of yourself or others?

My vision for myself and others is wanting that void to be filled by God and to understand that only God can fill it. Truly, money, possessions, none of those things can bring happiness. 

How will you Go With God because of this reading? (What is an action step?) 

I will go with God by walking in the garden with Jesus every day. Making Jesus a part of every little thing, not just the big things. Striving to be in constant communion with Him. 

Where did you see Jesus in these chapters? (What made you think about Jesus?) 

I think of Jesus with the knowledge that only with a relationship with Him will I ever feel complete. 

Cassie Bryant 

7.11.2020

Proverbs 30-31

Summarize the day’s reading in one paragraph. 

The sayings of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him. He shares from his mother’s wisdom and then describes her character in great detail. A wife of noble character is described in every aspect of her life from the moment she wakes up to when she ends her day. It even shares how her actions honored not just herself but her whole family.

What is one key verse? Why? 

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,

    for the rights of all who are destitute.

Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Proverbs 31:8-9

I found this very reflective of the wisdom needed for handling injustices going on today. These were words of wisdom from a mother to her son. We have a responsibility to spread good to all people because God values all his children. Those who are christian parents, our duty is to train our children in how to treat others.

How does what you read change your vision of God? 

God desires for us to strive to be holy like him in our lives. We can do this in every little thing we do and not just in big gestures.

How does what you read change your vision of yourself or others?

The Proverbs 31 woman can often make me compare my life to hers. I think in some ways that is good and at times not. I allow this passage to be a motivator of what it looks like to be a woman of high faith and character. The tasks in my life may look different but the work ethic could be imitated. 

How will you Go With God because of this reading? (What is an action step?) 

I will strive for high faith and character in my discipleship looking for ways I could push myself to honor God even in the everyday tasks of life. 

“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

Where did you see Jesus in these chapters? (What made you think about Jesus?) 

Jesus worked diligently to teach and spread the word of God. He was the true example of who we should imitate.

Alex Bryant

7.10.2020

Proverbs 25-29

These 5 chapters contain more of the Proverbs of Solomon and cover a variety of topics, ranging from humility, gossip, wisdom, character, money, righteousness, and many more.

One section that especially stuck out to me was Proverbs 26:4-5. 

“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. 

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.”

These two proverbs occur back to back and seem to directly contradict one another.  What this tells me is, like with all proverbs, discerning how and when to apply them is just as if not more important than knowing them at all.

What this tells me about God is that he wants us to dig into his word and search out how to apply it. Wisdom is found all throughout his word, but like many Proverbs say, it is not accessible to the sluggard. We have to put in the work as well if we want to truly discover wisdom and how to apply it.

This passage reminds me that not everybody responds the same to things.  People are complex and unique.  In certain scenarios it is a fool’s errand to try to point out a fool’s folly, thus an attempt to do so makes you a fool yourself. There are other times when pointing out someone’s folly will help to humble them and prevent them from continuing in it. We must be discerning to know which response is appropriate for the situation.

As a result of this reading I will make more of an effort to be discerning in my interactions with others, and rely more on God and wisdom to help me know the right way to respond to things.

Jesus was a master of discernment.  He always knew exactly what to say or do in every situation, and he treated each person he interacted with exactly how they needed to be treated in that scenario; sometimes with tremendous grace and compassion, and other times with sharp correction.  He knew all peoples’ thoughts and hearts.