Day 120

Judges 11:1–12:15; John 1:1-28; Psalm 101:1-8; Proverbs 14:13-14

AS WE END the fourth month of our adventure through the Bible this year, we began the Gospel of John —the final narrative describing Jesus’ earthly life and ministry. By way of reminder, the first three Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are known as the synoptic Gospels because, although they are written to differing audiences, they share many of the same stories. John’s Gospel has a different tone and texture than the other Gospels do. In fact, it is about 90 percent different from the other Gospels, giving us new context and perspective for Jesus’ life and ministry.

John knew the stories that had already been written because He was actually there, and rather than retelling the same stories, He essentially wrote the rest of the story. This is important because while the other Gospels were meant to offer the story of Jesus, along with a compelling reason to believe, John wrote his Gospel to those who already believed. He wrote it to strengthen and deepen the faith of those who had already come to know Christ. Let’s drink deeply from the words of this old saint who sat with Jesus as we move our way through the final of the Gospel narratives.

In Psalms today, we find King David making a list of things he will and will not do:

I will sing of your love and justice, LORD. I will praise you with songs. I will be careful to live a blameless life. . . . I will lead a life of integrity in my own home. I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them. I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil. I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride. I will search for faithful people to be my companions. . . . I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence. My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked and free the city of the LORD from their grip.

This is not a bad list to hold on to, and it’s not a bad list to hold up against our lives. Reread Psalm 101, and invite God to speak to the areas of your life that may need some maintenance.

MEDITATION:

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.