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April 21, 2025 Daily Reading- Read the Bible in 1 Year
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Thank you for joining me as we learn about the connection between Passover, First Fruits, and Shavuot (Pentecost) today. As part of understanding and observing the festivals that God has appointed for us to observe we count the Omer today and then we will have our daily Bible reading session!
Here is the link for a downloadable devotional if you would like to count the Omer for yourself. It has been put out by the Messianic Congregation Shoresh David in Florida: https://www.shoreshdavid.org/download/counting-the-omer-booklet/
In our proverbs reading today we will read the topics of Friends, Being Brave and Full of Hope, and Happy and Sad. In our daily application we will discuss choosing our friends wisely because Proverbs 13:20 tells us: Being around wise people makes you wise; being around fools hurts you and Proverbs 24:1-2 tells us not to wish we could be like people who sin. Don't even want to be with them. They plan to do mean things. They talk about making trouble. We will connect this idea with the feast of unleavened bread, where leaven is removed from our homes for 7 days since it represents sin. Like yeast, a little sin grows quickly and spreads throughout our heart, so we need to be mindful of what we put into minds , which we talked about previously. We need to be careful about the company we keep so we are not influenced negatively by those around us. Instead, we should the hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" and keep company with HIM!
If you would like to join me LIVE for the daily reading you can register to attend on my site, here: https://www.inthefamilywaycoaching.com/schedule
Registration for the live event is a tiered pricing event, so you are not required to pay to attend, only if you feel led. If you feel led to support this event with either a paid live registration or a monthly membership then I will give back to YOU by sending you a printed copy of the monthly calendar on sugar cane paper along with a set of stickers for the month to keep track of your daily commitment to read the Bible with me every day.
Monthly memberships to support this event can be purchased on my site, here: https://www.inthefamilywaycoaching.com/offering_packages
Please note, while this FREE online event is a family friendly event and the Bible we are using is suitable for ages 7 and up, you must be 18 or older to support this event by purchasing any monthly membership or by registering for the live event, whether registration for the live event is done with or without supporting the event with a paid registration.
If you enjoyed today's reading and feel like God has lit YOUR light today, please click the LIGHT button (it looks like a HEART or LIKE button) and consider subscribing to or following my channel, if you have not done so already. If you know someone who might be interested in reading the Bible with me this year please SHARE today's reading with them! It's never too late to join in! Let's help this event grow and together we can spread the word about reading God's Word!
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Transcript
Introduction and Daily Bible Reading
00:00:02
Speaker
Hello everybody, today is Monday, it's April 21st, 2025, and you are here with Robin at In The Family Way Coaching. We are here for our daily Bible reading.
00:00:14
Speaker
We are going through the Bible this year and we are using the Day by Day Kids Bible, which has been written by Karen Henley. And if you are keeping track with your calendar, it's time to get that out and mark it off for today because you're about to hear the Bible today.
00:00:31
Speaker
I am so glad that you are here joining me, whether you are listening on your favorite podcast or app, or whether you are watching via YouTube or Spotify or on my website. However you are here, I am so glad that you are listening.
00:00:46
Speaker
We have a lot to do today, and i have got to get going for work, so I'm going to try to hurry on along through this today.
Counting the Omer and Its Significance
00:00:55
Speaker
Today we are also going to be counting the Omer.
00:00:58
Speaker
The Omer is the number of days from Passover to Shavuot. ah I think Shavuot. Shavuot. ah And that is also known as the day of Pentecost for those of us Christians.
00:01:13
Speaker
So we are going to be counting those 50 days off. And if you are following along, you can just repeat after me. at First we say a blessing, and then we count the day of the Omer.
00:01:26
Speaker
God has commanded us to count seven Sabbaths after the Passover, and then to celebrate um with Shavuot.
00:01:38
Speaker
Let's see, here we go.
00:01:43
Speaker
First, we have the blessing, so if you'd like to participate, just go ahead and repeat after me. Blessed are you, o Lord our God, King of the universe, who has set us apart by your commandments and has commanded us to count the Omer.
00:02:07
Speaker
Today is the first day of the second week. And day eight, I have counted the Omer.
00:02:19
Speaker
I forgot to bring it in with me today, but I was actually given a book ah entitled 50 Days from Passover. Let me get that out really quick. Let me pause this real quick and then I'll show you the book I'm reading.
Book Introduction: 'From Passover to Pentecost'
00:02:37
Speaker
The book is entitled From Passover to Pentecost. And it is written by Cynthia Schneider. And you can pick this up on amazon.com. And ah it is just a little devotional. You can see it's not that thick.
00:02:52
Speaker
These are the bookmarks of the person who gave them to me, who gave this book to me to share. And it is awesome. And so it's ah very short. they It has just a two-page little devotional for each day.
00:03:09
Speaker
But it has something wonderful in here that I will read to you. And I love this. This is why we are counting the Omer. Not simply because God has commanded us to and we are simply obeying.
00:03:22
Speaker
That's a good reason to count the Omer as well because he has commanded us to count the Omer. But why? God has a reason for why. I've heard other people speak and and they say, oh, you don't ask God why he won't tell you.
00:03:37
Speaker
I don't believe that. I am a why person. And it's part of looking for the good that God works into everything. I want to see amazing things from God.
00:03:48
Speaker
And that shows up in the why he did it. Not just to see what he's doing, but why he does things. After all, he tells us that he has given us ah ah not a spirit of fear, but a spirit of peace, a spirit of love, and a sound mind.
00:04:09
Speaker
He wants us to think, he wants us to understand. And although his ways are higher than our ways, we can still try to do our very best to understand. And he tries to put things in such a way that we can.
00:04:23
Speaker
So let me read to you this page from Passover to Pentecost by Cynthia Schneider.
Understanding Jewish Feasts
00:04:30
Speaker
And it says, the Jewish feasts and celebrations outlined in the first five books of the Bible are given to God's children to help us stay focused on him as our source and strength.
00:04:44
Speaker
He knew that we as mortal vessels in a fallen world are easily distracted and enticed away from on a relationship with him.
00:04:56
Speaker
He also knew that we must be in relationship with him to receive the fullness of his life and beauty. The holy days and celebrations throughout the Hebrew calendar help God's people remember him and look to him in humility, love, and appreciation for his faithfulness.
00:05:19
Speaker
These holy days of the Lord also teach us the key truths of redemption and help us anticipate and receive Jesus' new good gifts.
00:05:32
Speaker
That is an excellent reason to count the Omer.
00:05:37
Speaker
It's to help us anticipate him and to look forward to him and to be reminded of him throughout these times. And they aren't just ah for the Old Testament, for older Jewish believers, because and the Messianic Jews recognize Jesus in each one of these original feasts, whereas we as Christians may miss that connection.
00:06:01
Speaker
Because I know that I've never been to a church that teaches these things. But God has put it on my heart to know and be drawn to these for him. Why else would I be so interested in doing them?
00:06:15
Speaker
I have felt God's call for me on these for ah for a while, and he has really pulled me toward him this year for to start these. And so I cannot help but share that with you, my listeners here.
00:06:28
Speaker
So thank you for listening to me as we counted the Omer today and as we obeyed God. And now we have a little more understanding as to why. and we've been learning a little bit more each day about what these days do for us and what they signify with the message that God has been trying to give us for all of these years.
00:06:48
Speaker
He continues to give us. So let's head into our proverb
Proverbs: Wisdom and Influence of Friends
00:06:53
Speaker
reading for the day. We have only one more day after today, tomorrow, where we will be in the book of Proverbs. And then we will go back to ah the rest of the stories.
00:07:05
Speaker
Our first section of Proverbs is entitled, Friends. People who do right say helpful things to their friends, but sinful people lead their friends to do wrong.
00:07:21
Speaker
Being around wise people makes you wise. Being around fools hurts you. A friend will love you all the time.
00:07:33
Speaker
Brothers and sisters help you through hard times. Some people think they have many friends, but the real friend is the one who stays closer than a brother.
00:07:46
Speaker
Don't wish you could be like people who sin. don't even want to be with them. They plan to do mean things. They talk about making trouble.
00:07:59
Speaker
A person who leaves home is like a bird that leaves its nest.
00:08:05
Speaker
Sweet smelling perfume makes you feel happy. Friends make you happy too, and they tell you what's right.
00:08:14
Speaker
Don't forget your friends. Don't forget your father's friends. Be happy to get help from a neighbor who lives close by. That's better than going to a family member who lives far away.
00:08:28
Speaker
People who help robbers are enemies to themselves. They don't dare tell the truth to the judge.
00:08:36
Speaker
Wise people see danger coming. They go somewhere to be safe. But foolish people keep going and they get into trouble.
00:08:48
Speaker
People who do wrong are headed for traps. People stay out of trouble when they are careful.
00:08:55
Speaker
Live so that people will say good things about you. That's better than being rich. Be happy when people look up to you. That's better than having silver or gold
00:09:10
Speaker
You may fuss with your neighbors, but don't tell their secrets to anyone else. If you do, people may say that you talk too much. Then people will never say good things about you again.
00:09:24
Speaker
Our next section is entitled, Being Brave and Full of Hope.
00:09:30
Speaker
Don't be afraid of trouble that comes all of a sudden. Don't be afraid of trouble that sinful people have. God is the one you can trust and he will keep you from being trapped.
00:09:44
Speaker
Trouble makes sinful people feel very bad, but people who do right have a safe place. They have a safe place even if they face death.
00:09:55
Speaker
The lazy person says, there's a lion outside. He says, I'll be killed in the street.
00:10:03
Speaker
If you can't handle trouble, you're not very strong.
00:10:08
Speaker
People who do wrong run away, even if nobody's chasing them. But people who do right are as brave as a lion. You're happy when you get what you want, but fools don't like to turn away from sin.
00:10:25
Speaker
Don't let yourself want what sinful people have. Always think about how wonderful God is. Then many good days will come to you, and you will always have hope.
00:10:40
Speaker
Happy and sad is our last section. Each person has sad times and each person has happy times that nobody else quite understands.
00:10:51
Speaker
Even while you're laughing, your heart can be sad. Happy feelings can turn into sad feelings. When you're happy, your face shows it, but a sad heart makes your spirit feel unhappy.
00:11:06
Speaker
A happy heart can make you feel well, but a sad heart makes your bones feel dried up. You can keep going when your body is sick, but how do you deal with sadness?
00:11:19
Speaker
Someone might sing songs to a sad person, and that's like taking away his coat on a cold day. It's like putting salt on a sore place and making it hurt even more.
00:11:31
Speaker
People who do wrong are trapped by their own sin. But people who do right can sing and be happy. Looking happy gives people joy.
00:11:42
Speaker
Good news gives people good health. Good news might come from far away. It's like cold water coming to a thirsty people.
00:11:54
Speaker
And that's the end of our reading today.
00:11:58
Speaker
We had a lot of different things that were wonderful to read about today. But today we're going to go back to the beginning of our friends section for our daily application.
00:12:09
Speaker
Being around wise people makes you wise. Being around fools hurts you. So our lesson here today is to choose our friends wisely.
00:12:21
Speaker
We've read here in the Proverbs that iron sharpens iron. Who you are friends with can influence our own behavior.
00:12:33
Speaker
It says, don't wish you could be like people who sin. Don't even want to be with them. They plan to do mean things. They talk about making trouble.
00:12:48
Speaker
So we have to be careful about the company we keep because that's part of protecting what goes into our minds. We don't want to hear the things that they plan. We don't want to see the evil things that they are doing.
00:13:00
Speaker
And they can influence us and influence our behavior. We had the time of Passover and we just got through finished with the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the the reason we do the Feast of Unleavened Bread is that we are supposed to remove the yeast, the leaven from our homes for seven days and eat bread without leaven.
00:13:21
Speaker
And the reason that we do that is because the the leaven or the yeast signifies sin. And just a little bit, just who you hang around with, can permeate from inside and affect us badly.
00:13:36
Speaker
It's like that saying that says, one bad apple spoils the whole bunch. So we have to be careful and choose our friends wisely because just a little sin takes root with that little seed and it can grow and grow within us.
00:13:53
Speaker
And we don't even realize that it's happening, but it starts to make us insensitive to the things that we need to be sensitive to. such as saying mean things about people and going along with it.
00:14:06
Speaker
Oh, look at that person. Look at the way they're dressed or look at the way they look funny. And we don't think that it's that it's bad, but it's those little things that if we really think about it, is that something that we would say to Jesus?
00:14:20
Speaker
Is that something that we would say to our friend Jesus? I don't think so. If it's something you wouldn't want God to hear you say, then it's something we shouldn't be thinking.
00:14:31
Speaker
Because remember, Jesus taught us that even thinking about committing sin, you've already done it because it starts in our minds. So we have to be careful about the company we keep.
00:14:43
Speaker
And if we are finding that the company we are keeping is not good for us, then we need to be able to be strong enough to to step away from these people and not be around their influence.
00:14:56
Speaker
It's like watching TV shows or listening to music that is not healthy for us. All of these things are ways to get into our ears and into our minds. They get into our eyes and they get into our minds.
00:15:09
Speaker
And remember, we need to protect what goes into our minds so that we don't think about sins and we don't start doing them in our mind. And then they come out of our mouth And they happen with our hands or with our feet.
00:15:21
Speaker
And we start doing things that we shouldn't be doing.
Guarding Against Sinful Influences
00:15:24
Speaker
And before we know it, we're not even thinking about them. They just seem normal to us. And we don't want them to become commonplace and normal because those are strongholds for our enemy to build within us.
00:15:36
Speaker
And we want to make sure we don't give him any part of us because we are to be holy and set apart, special for God. We belong to God. Jesus bought and paid for us with his blood.
00:15:49
Speaker
So we belong to him. He ransomed us. He paid for us.
The Comfort of Hymns
00:15:54
Speaker
And one of the things I was thinking of this morning with the friends is that there is and an old hymn called What a Friend We Have in Jesus.
00:16:01
Speaker
And so I thought I would share that with us as we close today. I don't remember the tune, so I won't sing it, but ah that was one of the things that first came to my mind.
00:16:13
Speaker
And this hymn was written by Charles Converse in 1868.
00:16:21
Speaker
What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. Oh, what peace we often forfeit!
00:16:35
Speaker
Oh, what needless pain we bear! All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble everywhere?
00:16:48
Speaker
We should never be discouraged. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
00:17:00
Speaker
Jesus knows our every weakness. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Are we weak and heavy laden? Cumbered with a load of care?
00:17:13
Speaker
Precious Savior, still our refuge. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Do your friends despise and forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer.
00:17:26
Speaker
In his arms he'll take and shield you. You will find a solace there. Blessed savor Savior, you have promised, you will all our burdens bear.
00:17:39
Speaker
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to you in earnest prayer. Soon in glory, bright unclouded, there will be no need for prayer.
00:17:52
Speaker
Rapture, praise, and endless worship will be our sweet portion there. Amen.
00:18:02
Speaker
Well, thank you for joining me today as we have considered the company we keep and what a friend we have in Jesus.
Conclusion and Call to Action
00:18:11
Speaker
And I hope that you feel that God has lit your light today.
00:18:14
Speaker
And if you do, then please click that light button that looks like a heart or a thumbs up. And let's shine the light on God's word so that we can spread the word about reading his word.
00:18:28
Speaker
Thank you so much for you today, whether you are listening or watching. And I will be here for everyone again tomorrow. Have a fabulous day, everybody.