June 2

Uniting Nations
Bible in a Year:
2 Chronicles 17–18
John 13:1–20
He will judge between the nations.

Today's Scripture & Insight:

Isaiah 2:1–5
The longest international border in the world is shared by the United States and Canada, covering an incredible 5,525 miles of land and water. Workers regularly cut down ten feet of trees on both sides of the boundary to make the border line unmistakable. This lengthy ribbon of cleared land, called “the Slash,” is dotted by more than eight thousand stone markers so visitors always know where the dividing line falls.

The physical deforestation of “the Slash” represents a separation of government and cultures. As believers in Jesus, we look forward to a time when God will reverse that and unite all nations across the world under His rule. The prophet Isaiah spoke of a future where His temple will be firmly established and exalted (Isaiah 2:2). People from all nations will gather to learn God’s ways and “walk in his paths” (v. 3). No longer will we rely on human efforts that fail to maintain peace. As our true King, God will judge between nations and settle all disputes (v. 4).

Can you imagine a world without division and conflict? That’s what God promises to bring! Regardless of the disunity around us, we can “walk in the light of the Lord” (v. 5) and choose to give Him our allegiance now. We know that God rules over all, and He will someday unite His people under one banner.

By: Karen Pimpo

Dear God, I acknowledge Your sovereignty over every power in the world today! You reign above it all. Amen.

June 1

In God’s Hands
Bible in a Year:
2 Chronicles 15–16
John 12:27–50
The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

Today's Scripture & Insight:

1 Thessalonians 5:12–28
Turning eighteen ushered in a new era in my daughter’s life: legally an adult, she now had the right to vote in future elections and would soon embark on life after graduating from high school. This shift had instilled in me a sense of urgency—I would have precious little time with her under my roof to impart to her the wisdom she’d need to face the world on her own: how to manage finances, stay alert to world issues, and make sound decisions.

My sense of duty to equip my daughter to handle her life was understandable. After all, I loved her and desired for her to flourish. But I realized that while I had an important role, it wasn’t solely—or even primarily—my job. In Paul’s words to the Thessalonians—a group of people he considered his children in the faith because he’d taught them about Jesus—he urged them to help one another (1 Thessalonians 5:14–15), but ultimately he trusted their growth to God. He acknowledged that God would “sanctify [them] through and through” (v. 23).

Paul trusted God to do what he couldn’t: prepare them—“spirit, soul and body”—for the eventual return of Jesus (v. 23). Though his letters to the Thessalonians contained instructions, his trust in God for their well-being and preparedness teaches us that growth in the lives of those we care for is ultimately in His hands (1 Corinthians 3:6).

By: Kirsten Holmberg

Father, thank You for being the initiator and finisher of my spiritual growth. Please help me to trust You for that good work. Amen.

May 31
Sorrow and Joy

Bible in a Year:
2 Chronicles 13–14
John 12:1–26
No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping.

Today's Scripture & Insight:
Ezra 3:8–13
Angela’s family reeled with sorrow as they experienced three bereavements in just four weeks. After the one involving the sudden death of their nephew, Angela and her two sisters gathered around the kitchen table for three days, only leaving to buy an urn, get takeout, and attend the funeral. As they wept over his death, they also rejoiced over the ultrasound photos of the new life growing within their youngest sister.

In time, Angela found comfort and hope from the Old Testament book of Ezra. It describes God’s people returning to Jerusalem after the Babylonians destroyed the temple and deported them from their beloved city (see Ezra 1). As Ezra watched the temple being rebuilt, he heard joyful praises to God (3:10–11). But he also listened to the weeping of those who remembered life before exile (v. 12).

One verse especially consoled Angela: “No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise” (v. 13). She realized that even if she was drenched in deep sorrow, joy could still appear.

We too might grieve the death of a loved one or mourn a different loss. If so, we can express our cries of pain along with our moments of rejoicing to God, knowing that He hears us and gathers us in His arms.
By: Amy Boucher Pye

Loving God, in this world we experience pain and suffering. Spark joy in me as I look to You for hope and peace. Amen.

May 30

The God Who Restores
Bible in a Year:
2 Chronicles 10–12
John 11:30–57
I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.

Today's Scripture & Insight:

Ezekiel 37:4–14
On November 4, 1966, a disastrous flood swept through Florence, Italy, submerging Giorgio Vasari’s renowned work of art The Last Supper under a pool of mud, water, and heating oil for more than twelve hours. With its paint softened and its wooden frame significantly damaged, many believed that the piece was beyond repair. However, after a tedious fifty-year conservation effort, experts and volunteers were able to overcome monumental obstacles and restore the valuable painting.

When the Babylonians conquered Israel, the people felt hopeless—surrounded by death and destruction and in need of restoration (see Lamentations 1). During this period of turmoil, God took the prophet Ezekiel to a valley and gave him a vision where he was surrounded by dry bones. “Can these bones live?” God asked. Ezekiel responded, “Lord, you alone know” (Ezekiel 37:3). God then told him to prophesy over the bones so they might live again. “As I was prophesying,” Ezekiel recounted, “there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together” (v. 7). Through this vision, God revealed to Ezekiel that Israel’s restoration could only come through Him.

When we feel as if things in life have been broken and are beyond repair, God assures us He can rebuild our shattered pieces. He’ll give us new breath and new life.

By: Adam Holz

Dear God, parts of my life seem like they’ll never be restored. I’ve tried to fix them on my own, but my only hope of restoration is found in You. Amen.

Transforming Power
MAY 30, 2023

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
2 Timothy 3:16

Recommended Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17
Years after the Budik people in Senegal heard the Gospel, the Budik believers showed little evidence of spiritual growth, and the church itself wasn’t growing. But one event changed everything. “The Budik believers received the New Testament in their own language.” As one believer said, “Because [of] the Word of God that was brought to us… now the Word is available to everyone…. Now when we have meetings, everyone brings their Bibles, and they’re using the meetings to learn and grow more than they were able to before.”1

The transforming power of God’s Word is the same no matter the language or the culture of the person studying it. When we read and study God’s Word, our life is changed. We begin to grow in our Christian walk, and we are equipped to live a life that is different from the world.

Take a few minutes today to thank God for the gift of His life-changing Word!

Bible study has torn my life apart and remade it. That is to say that God, through his Word, has done so.
John White

1Ian Fallis, “The Importance of the Book,” Ethnos360, March 13, 2018.