by Don Ruhl

Read the Bible in a Year This evening read Luke 19:28--48

The Stones Cry Out!

The people praised Jesus, but the Pharisees demanded of Jesus that He silence His disciples.

40 But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out" (Luk. 19:40).

I can make the argument that Jesus merely spoke metaphorically, that is, He did not mean literally that if He silenced His disciples, the stones would pick up their praise and continue to magnify Jesus. On the other hand, I can make the argument that He spoke literally. Jesus is the Creator, and creation, even inanimate creation, will become animate and praise Him, if we do not praise Him.

The question is what about me; am I like the disciples and the stones, or am I like the Pharisees?

Don Ruhl Church of Christ 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon 97526-1310 541-476-3100

by Don Ruhl

Read the Bible in a Year This morning read First Kings 1 and 2

The King Bowed to His Mother

Bathsheba approached her son Solomon, the new king of Israel. Watch what Solomon did,

19 Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne and had a throne set for the king’s mother; so she sat at his right hand (1 Kin. 2:19).

Magnificent! Before whom does a king bow? None, other than his mother! If he is the king with the power of life and death, who then is his mother that the king bows before her?

Think about your mother today. Why should you honor her? How should you honor her?

Don Ruhl Church of Christ 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon 97526-1310 541-476-3100

by Don Ruhl

Read the Bible in a Year This morning read Second Samuel 23 and 24

Eight Hundred At One Time

When you read Second Samuel chapter 23, sit back and be prepared to be amazed by the exploits of the men of David. He did an amazing thing in defeating Goliath, but David was not the only amazing warrior in those days. Here is how the list of the mighty men begins,

8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time (2 Sam. 23:8).

If he had killed eight hundred in a long military career, that would be impressive enough, but this man performed this feat in one battle! Keep reading and you will see what these men did by the strength of God and the leadership of David. If these exploits were not in the Bible, we may not believe them. When you finish reading, think of how we can accomplish magnificent things in the spirit, defeating the enemies of God through the argumentation of the truth.

Don Ruhl Church of Christ 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon 97526-1310 541-476-3100

by Don Ruhl

Read the Bible in a Year This evening read Luke 19:1--27

He Just Wanted to See Jesus

Jesus was passing through the town of Zacchaeus,

3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature (Luk. 19:3).

He did not want anything from Jesus. He had no request for a miraculous healing. He had no request to mediate a dispute. He did not even want to give anything to Jesus. This short man just wanted to see Jesus. I can understand that. Can you understand that? I would have loved to see Jesus when He was on the earth. Having an image in the mind is not enough.

This man did what he was able to have his wish fulfilled. Therefore, he ran ahead, climbed a tree, and waited for the Lord to approach. Zacchaeus' strong desire to see the Lord, and his effort to figure out what he had to do to see Him, paid off. The Lord stops, speaks to Zacchaeus, and says that He wants to visit Zacchaeus in his home. The man only wanted to see Jesus. That is how it is with the Lord Jesus. We get much more from Him than we ever imagined.

What are you willing to do to see Jesus? We shall all see Him at the Judgment, but what are you willing to do to see Him as a Friend and not a Foe on that day?

Don Ruhl Church of Christ 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon 97526-1310 541-476-3100

by Don Ruhl

Read the Bible in a Year This morning read Second Samuel 21 and 22

After Three Years David Asked God

Look at the time that passed before David asked the Lord why there was a famine in the land,

1 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, "It is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites" (2 Sam. 21:1).

Why did David wait three years before he inquired of the Lord about the reason for the famine? My guess is that he initially just thought that it was the regular weather cycle. If today is sunny and beautiful, but tomorrow is stormy, are you going to wonder if the people of your area have sinned to make one day different from the other? In fact, the lack of rain in the days of David may have been welcomed for a while. I am sure they liked sunny days just as we do. After the first year or two, they still may have seen it as simply part of the cycle that weather experiences.

Then one day, he decided to ask the Lord if there was a reason for the famine. Sure enough, there was a spiritual reason. It is good, therefore, to seek the Lord daily that we might always be in harmony with Him.

Don Ruhl Church of Christ 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon 97526-1310 541-476-3100