Bible Reading for February 20

Read through the Bible in a Year

with notes by Pastor Chuck Smith

Matthew 19:1-15

Many of the mothers were bringing their children to Jesus, wanting Him to bless them.  The disciples were concerned that this would take up too much of His time and they thought they were protecting Him by keeping them away.  But He said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  Then He proceeded to lay hands on them.

I love it that Jesus is always touchable.  Never to busy or too pressured to take time, even with children.

Acts 26:1-18

So our prayer for our unsaved loved ones is that the Lord delivers them from the power of Satan, who has blinded their eyes to the truth.  We pray that their eyes be opened so they can actually consider the claims of the gospel without this heavy prejudicial pressure Satan has put upon their mind, He has blinded them!

Paul wrote to Timothy that through our gentleness, patience, and humility "they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."  (2 Timothy 2:26).

Psalms 42

Every man has a thirst inside him; a spiritual thirst that can only be satisfied by a relationship with God. "As the deer pants, my soul for You. O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." Jesus stood up on the last day of the feast of Tabernacles and announced, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink" (John 7:37). Jesus told the woman at the well. "Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst" (John 4:14)

There are people who are trying to fill their spiritual thirst with physical things. It doesn't work. You end up thirsty. There are others how are trying to satisfy that thirst with emotional experiences, but that, too, leaves you dry.

David expressed the reality of every person: Deep down inside we all have a thirst that can only be quenched by a personal relationship with God.

Leviticus 14-15

Some of this doesn't make for very interesting reading, and I commend you for working your way through these passages in Leviticus.  But if you study some of these rules and regulations closer, it is amazing how many of these ancient rituals match up with a modern understanding of medicine and proper hygene.  You can read Dr. S.I. McMillan's book None of These Diseases to learn more of the details; but these instructions, in many cases, were four thousand years ahead of their time as medical science.  God, the Great Physician, the One who designed the body also knew how to preserve it.