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Enjoying the Journey

Take a journey with me. A journey unlike most I take. Most of the times I go somewhere, I’m in a hurry – so intent on getting to the destination that I don’t take the time to enjoy the scenery during my time spent travelling. I’m not just talking about my trips back to South Dakota to visit relatives or other road trips I take with my family, but also the journey I take through God’s Word. So often I have rushed through it, trying to read as much as I can to make sure I can keep up with my daily through-the-Bible-in-a-year reading plan.

Photo of a Journey

Don’t get me wrong, those reading plans are great; any time we are in God’s Word it is a good thing. I’ve read through the Bible in a year a couple of times, and I learned a lot. But so often I became focused on the destination that I was distracted from enjoying the journey. I focused too much on checking another book off the list, and spent too little time considering what God was saying through that book of the Bible.

Recently I’ve started reading the Bible in smaller chunks, just a dozen or so verses at a time, but reading them a couple times, slowing down to contemplate on them, meditate on them, and to let the Holy Spirit talk to me through them. Not focusing so much on the destination, but enjoying the journey.

But taking this enjoyable journey by myself is, well, kind of lonely. I need some company. I want you to join in with me. Stop back here each weekday as we read through a book from God’s Word, a chapter or less each day, with a few thoughts from me as well. Remember, your comments are always welcome!

In His Peace,
Pastor Burma

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Enjoying the Journey - 2/20-2/24

I will try to send out a quick summary or question for each of the passages the rest of the way through Mark.  Here are the readings for this week are from Mark 12 and 13.  These all happen during Holy Week, the week in which Jesus would be crucified. 

  • Monday, February 20, 2012:  Mark 12:35-40 – This passage is part of Jesus’ confrontation with the religious leaders of the day.  He uses it to warn the people about those who say one thing but do another.
  • Tuesday, February 21, 2012:  Mark 12:41-44 – Stewardship is not about how much you give, but the faith you place in the one who gave it to you!
  • Wednesday, February 22, 2012:  Mark 13:1-13 – This begins Jesus’ discussion about the end of times.  At times He is referring to the destruction of Jerusalem, others to the persecution of the Church, and others to the end times.  For the most part, he is speaking in this section about the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 a.d. (about 40 years in the future).
  • Thursday, February 23, 2012:  Mark 13:14-27 – Jesus begins with the focus on the destruction of Jerusalem, but quickly moves to His second coming, even quoting from the Old Testament to show what it was taking about.
  • Friday, February 24, 2012:  Mark 13:28-37 – Jesus warns us to be ready, to look for the signs, but not to worry about trying to figure out the hour or the day.  Simply treat each day as it might be the day He returns.

Readings for week of February 13

Due to time constraints, I will not be posting daily updates to Enjoying the Peace. Each Monday I will be posting a weekly schedule. Hopefully I will post a few comments about one of the readings at least once a week. Thanks for your understanding. I hope that after Easter things might slow down enough for me to resume the daily posts. The readings for this week are as follows:

  • Monday, February 13, 2012:  Mark 10:17-31
  • Tuesday, February 14, 2012:  Mark 10:32-45
  • Wednesday, February 15, 2012:  Mark 10:46-52
  • Thursday, February 16, 2012:  Mark 11:1-11
  • Friday, February 17, 2012:  Mark 11:12-26

Readings for week of February 7

Due to time constraints, I will not be posting daily updates to Enjoying the Peace. Each Monday I will be posting a weekly schedule. Hopefully I will post a few comments about one of the readings at least once a week. Thanks for your understanding. I hope that after Easter things might slow down enough for me to resume the daily posts. The readings for this week are as follows:

  • Monday, February 6, 2012:  Mark 10:17-31
  • Tuesday, February 7, 2012:  Mark 10:32-45
  • Wednesday, February 8, 2012:  Mark 10:46-52
  • Thursday, February 9, 2012:  Mark 11:1-11
  • Friday, February 10, 2012:  Mark 11:12-26

Readings for week of January 30

Due to time constraints, I will not be posting daily updates to Enjoying the Peace. Each Monday I will be posting a weekly schedule. Hopefully I will post a few comments about one of the readings at least once a week. Thanks for your understanding. I hope that after Easter things might slow down enough for me to resume the daily posts. The readings for this week are as follows:

  • Monday, January 30, 2012: Mark 9:14-29
  • Tuesday, January 31, 2012: Mark 9:30-37
  • Wednesday, February 1, 2012: Mark 9:38-50
  • Thursday, February 2, 2012: Mark 10:1-12
  • Friday, February 3, 2012: Mark 10:13-16

Monday, January 16, 2012: Mark 7:1-13

Click Here – Mark 7:1-13

After a break of a couple of chapters, the Pharisees are back attacking Jesus. Remember that the Pharisees were legalists, not just demanding obedience to the 10 commandments, but to 613 rules mostly made up by men. One of the rules had to do with washing of hands before the meal. According to the Pharisees, it was a SIN to eat with unwashed hands, not simply a matter of bad hygiene.

Jesus confronts them with a passage out of Isaiah. The problem with legalism is that religion is no longer a based upon that faith relationship with God, but it becomes about obeying the rules. The more the focus is placed on the rules, the less and less it is focused on our relationship with our Living God.

Who is this Jesus? One who wants us to have a relationship with us based upon our trust in Him, and not our saying the right words or doing the right things.

Friday, January 13, 2012: Mark 6:53-56

Click Here – Mark 6:53-56

The interesting question to ponder is this: Were they people healed because they believed that Jesus was the Savior, or because they believed that He could heal them? I think it was because they believed that He could heal them. Notice that they didn’t come to Him to hear Him preach, but to see the miracles and to have those they cared for healed.

Not that healing people was not important. It was very important! It just wasn’t why Jesus came to this world. He came not to be a healer, but to be the Savior!

Who is this Jesus? One who can heal not just physically, but more importantly, He can heal us spiritually!

More Articles...

  1. Thursday, January 12, 2012: Mark 6:30-52
  2. Tuesday, January 10, 2012: Mark 6:14-29
  3. Monday, January 9, 2012: Mark 6:7-13
  4. Friday, January 6, 2012: Mark 6:1-6
  5. Thursday, January 5, 2012: Mark 5:21-43
  6. Wednesday, January 4, 2012: Mark 5:1-20
  7. Tuesday, January 3, 2012: Mark 4:35-41
  8. Monday, January 2, 2012: Mark 4:26-34
  9. Friday, December 23, 2011: Mark 4:21-25
  10. Thursday, December 22, 2011: Mark 4:13-20

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