Bible Reading Plan | Devotion for the week of August 29, 2021

Weekly reading: Proverbs 29-31; Psalm 41-44

Passage referenced: Psalm 41:9-12; 42:11; 43:2; 44:8; Proverbs 29:11,22; 30:15; 31

This week’s devotional writer is Rachel Luce. Rachel is a Junior at Tippecanoe Valley High School. In this devotional, Rachel provides some reflection on each of the week’s seven chapters. As such, you might consider waiting to read this until you’ve finished all the week’s reading or read one reflection per day.

Proverbs 29

Have you lost your temper this year? Month? Or even week? Proverbs 29:11 & 22 say, “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end… An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.” As easy as it is to lose your temper, these verses warn us against that behavior. As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers. We should not be adding to the flames, but instead, we should work on putting them out.

Proverbs 30

“The grass is always greener” is a phrase most people have heard and many believe to be true. The Bible even speaks about it. Proverbs 30:15 talks about two daughters who are always wanting more. They say, “Give! Give!” but are never satisfied. As Christians, we know in our heads that God will always be enough, but we need to learn that in our hearts.

Proverbs 31

Most Christian girls have read Proverbs 31 at least once during their walk with God. It can be a guide on how to be a strong Christian woman. If we know this to be true, why don’t we just do want it says? We live in a fast-paced world where we barely have time to stop and provide food for our family or help the poor and needy. As Christian women, we need to step up at follow the guide that God has given us.

Psalm 41

As I have gone through my school career, my friends have changed every year. It always made me feel like something was wrong with me, or I wasn’t a good friend. The older I got, the better I understood myself and realized nothing was wrong with me. All the friends I had lost were just because the timing wasn’t right, or we weren’t a good fit. Psalm 41:9-12 teaches us that although friends may turn their backs on us, God has mercy on us. He has seen our integrity and will lift us up! Our enemies will not triumphant over us because we have the power of God living inside of us.

Psalm 42

Psalm 42:11 says, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.” To break all of that down, you need to think of a time when your soul was so dark, and you felt like you couldn’t see the end. It was probably a very sad time, and you felt hopeless. Then think about once you got through the pain and the hurt. You probably praised and worshiped the King. While that is so important, we need to remember to praise Him through the hurt and the pain. When we feel broken, that is when God draws near. He uses those times to strengthen us and build our endurance for the kingdom. We must remember to worship even through the hard times.

Psalm 43

When you are going through hard times, does it feel like you are alone? Do you feel hopeless? Does it feel like no one understands you? While you may feel that way, you are not alone! God is always there by your side. Psalm 43:2 states, “You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me?” Often, we feel rejected by God when we can’t feel Him close. But this is far from true. God actually draws closer to the broken-hearted. He is there to dry our tears. Just remember that even when we feel alone, God won’t leave us alone.

Psalm 44

Humans love recognition. It is just how most of us are. We enjoy being glorified for the good deeds we do. Psalm 44:8 shows us that although we may boast about our lives, the only one who deserves glory is God. He should receive all the praise because without Him we would have nothing. – Rachel Luce

• Do you have questions about this week’s Bible reading? We’d love to help! Rather than relying on the first thing, you find on the internet, email us at biblequestions@warsaw.cc. We are more than happy to answer that nagging question you have, provide you with some clarity, or point you in the right direction for further study.