May 8, 2025 – Bible Recap Journal

Psalms 25, 29, 33, 36, 39

Common Theme
These psalms highlight the contrast between God’s steadfast character and humanity’s frailty, emphasizing our need for divine guidance, mercy, and trust in God’s sovereign power. In the face of personal weakness or worldly chaos, the righteous find stability by fearing the Lord and hoping in His steadfast love.

Questions
– What does it look like to wait on the Lord while surrounded by uncertainty or opposition?
– How does recognizing God’s power and steadfast love reshape our response to fear or sin?

God Shot
God is shown as sovereign in power (Psalm 29), full of steadfast love and faithfulness (Psalms 25, 33, 36), and attentive to our cries even in silence (Psalm 39). He delights in righteousness and mercy, not just raw strength—His justice and love anchor the universe, even as He invites the humble to trust and walk with Him.

May 7, 2025 – Bible Recap Journal

2 Samuel 6–7; 1 Chronicles 17

Common Theme
God desires to dwell among His people, but His presence must be honored with reverence and obedience. Though human plans may seem noble, God sovereignly establishes His own purposes and promises to fulfill them by His grace.

Questions
– How can I cultivate a heart that honors God’s holiness without becoming casual or presumptuous with His presence?
– What does God’s covenant with David teach me about His long-term plans versus my immediate desires?

God Shot
God is both holy and near—He will not be approached carelessly, as seen in Uzzah’s death, yet He delights to dwell with His people, blessing the house of Obed-edom and promising David an everlasting kingdom. He is a covenant-keeping God who initiates grace, not because of human merit, but because it pleases Him to establish His name and extend His kingdom through whom He chooses.

May 6, 2025 – Bible Recap Journal

Psalms 89, 96, 100–101, 105, 132

Common Theme:
God is faithful to His covenant and worthy of joyful, obedient worship. These psalms celebrate His righteous rule, His mighty acts on behalf of His people, and His call for holiness in leaders and worshipers alike.

Questions:

  • How does remembering God’s past faithfulness shape our present trust and praise?
  • What does it look like to worship God with both joy and integrity?

God Shot:
God is the eternal King who remembers His promises, works wonders in history, and reigns with justice and steadfast love. He delights in righteousness and invites His people into joyful worship rooted in His faithfulness and holiness.

May 5, 2025 – Bible Recap Journal

Psalms 1-2, 15, 22-24, 47, 68

Common Theme:
God reigns with righteousness and calls His people to holiness, trust, and worship. He is a just King who defends the righteous, judges the wicked, and is worthy of reverent awe and joyful praise.

Questions:

  • What kind of person does God welcome into His presence?
  • How does trusting in God’s sovereignty shape my response to hardship and injustice?

God Shot:
God is a righteous King who delights in purity, justice, and truth. He defends the afflicted, exalts the humble, and reveals His glory to those who seek Him with clean hands and a pure heart.

May 4, 2025 – Bible Recap Journal

1 Chronicles 13–16

Common Theme:
God’s presence is central to the life and worship of His people, and approaching Him requires both reverence and obedience. These chapters show Israel’s renewed commitment to God’s ways, especially in restoring the ark and instituting proper worship.

Reflection Questions:

  • What does this passage teach me about the importance of honoring God’s holiness in worship?
  • How am I tempted to approach God on my own terms rather than according to His revealed will?

God Shot:
God is holy and not to be approached casually—when David first tried to move the ark without following God’s instructions, judgment followed; but when he returned with reverence and obedience, joy and blessing came. God desires to dwell with His people, but He insists on being worshiped in truth and according to His ways.

May 03, 2025 – Bible Recap Journal

Common Theme (Psalm 106–107)

God’s mercy remains constant despite Israel’s repeated rebellion; He responds to their cries with deliverance. His steadfast love endures even when His people forget His works and break covenant.

Questions to Consider

  • What does it reveal about God that He repeatedly rescues people who continually rebel?
  • How should I respond to the pattern of God’s mercy and my forgetfulness?

God Shot

God is a covenant-keeping Redeemer who abounds in steadfast love, even when His people betray Him. He hears their cries in distress, remembers His promises, and acts not because of their worthiness but because of His mercy and faithfulness to His name.

May 2, 2025 – Bible Recap Journal

Psalm 133

Common Theme

Psalm 133 celebrates the beauty and blessing of unity among God’s people. Harmony among brothers is portrayed not just as good, but sacred—bringing God’s favor and refreshment like anointing oil or morning dew.

Questions to Consider

  • Why does God so highly value unity among His people?
  • What specific actions promote or disrupt the kind of unity described here?

God Shot

God is the source and sustainer of true unity, and He delights in seeing His people dwell together in peace. He commands His blessing where unity reigns—because it reflects His own nature and the harmony of His purposes.

God’s Sovereignty in Joseph’s Story

The story of Joseph and his family in Genesis (chapters 37–50) is a deeply layered narrative that shows how God sovereignly works through human dysfunction to bring about redemption and blessing. Despite betrayal, favoritism, deception, and generational sin, God transforms what was meant for evil into a means of salvation—not just for Joseph, but for his entire family and even the surrounding nations during a time of famine.

The Joseph story is the culmination of Genesis and encapsulates recurring biblical themes: the rise of the humble, the testing and transformation of character, the reconciliation of estranged family, and God’s providential use of suffering. The structure and symbols—dreams, robes, deception, and reversal—echo earlier Genesis narratives and point ahead to the Messiah. Ultimately, Joseph’s journey from the pit to the palace illustrates that God’s purposes are not thwarted by human failure; He orchestrates even the darkest circumstances to preserve His promise and bring life where death seemed certain.

Accountability

From Charles Swindoll:

1. Have you been with a woman anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising?

2. Have any of your financial dealings lacked integrity?

3. Have you exposed yourself to any sexually explicit material?

4. Have you spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer?

5. Have you given priority time to your family?

6. Have you fulfilled the mandates of your calling?

7. Have you just lied to me?

Friday, April 18, 2025

Summary and Key Takeaways from Jeremiah 17–21

Summary

Jeremiah 17 – Judah’s Sin and the Heart

  • Judah’s sin is deeply engraved on their hearts.
  • Those who trust in man are cursed; those who trust in the Lord are blessed.
  • The human heart is deceitful and desperately wicked.
  • A call to keep the Sabbath as a sign of obedience.

Jeremiah 18 – The Potter and the Clay

  • God illustrates His sovereignty through a potter reshaping clay.
  • If a nation repents, God relents; if it rebels, He judges.
  • Judah refuses to turn back, prompting God’s warning of disaster.
  • A plot against Jeremiah arises, and he prays for justice.

Jeremiah 19 – The Broken Jar

  • Jeremiah breaks a clay jar to symbolize irreversible judgment.
  • Judah’s idolatry and child sacrifices provoke God’s wrath.
  • The Valley of Hinnom (Topheth) will become a place of slaughter.

Jeremiah 20 – Persecution and Personal Anguish

  • Pashhur, a priest, persecutes and imprisons Jeremiah.
  • Jeremiah declares judgment against Pashhur and Jerusalem.
  • Jeremiah laments his calling but ultimately reaffirms his trust in God.

Jeremiah 21 – God’s Final Word to Zedekiah

  • King Zedekiah seeks a favorable word from the Lord about Babylon’s invasion.
  • God declares that Jerusalem will fall and only those who surrender will survive.
  • The royal house is warned to execute justice and avoid further judgment.

Key Takeaways

  • Sin Hardens the Heart: Persistent sin sears the conscience and invites judgment (Jeremiah 17:1–10).
  • God Honors Trust and Obedience: Those who trust in God flourish like a well-watered tree (Jeremiah 17:5–8).
  • God Is the Sovereign Potter: He shapes nations based on their response to Him (Jeremiah 18:1–10).
  • Judgment Can Become Irreversible: Continued rebellion leads to irrevocable consequences (Jeremiah 19:10–11).
  • Faithfulness May Bring Suffering: Jeremiah’s struggles show the personal cost of prophetic obedience (Jeremiah 20:7–18).
  • There Comes a Point of No Return: God sometimes commands surrender as the only means of survival (Jeremiah 21:8–10).
  • Leaders Are Called to Uphold Justice: The fate of the royal house is tied to their response to injustice (Jeremiah 21:11–12).