Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #144

Riding on a Donkey

Zechariah 9

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 9) "Rejoice with all your heart, people of Zion! Shout in triumph, people of Jerusalem! Look! your King is coming to you: He is righteous and victorious. He is humble and rids on a donkey, on a colt, a young pack animal."

My Thoughts

This is a prophecy spoken by the prophet Zechariah about Jesus. It was specific that Jesus would be riding on a donkey. Why did that matter though? Couldn't anyone ride on a donkey? Well, they could yes, but unless they were a king, it wouldn't matter.

For a king to enter a city riding on a donkey meant the he was entering in peace and with the intention of peace. When a king rode a horse, he was going to war. It would not have been a very good feeling for the residents of a city if a king came riding in on a horse. They would have been frightened.

Jesus did fulfill this prophecy, like every other, but I want to focus on Zechariah's passage since that's where this comes from. Since this is before Jesus was even born yet, and it was I think hundreds of years before, that probably meant that the culture would have changed by the time Jesus was physically around. I don't know one hundred percent if that symbolism of riding a donkey meant the same thing in Jesus time as it did when Zechariah spoke.

So how do we apply what is written here in Zechariah to our own lives? We already know that Jesus is peaceful, so what more does this mean for us? Well, we can do the same thing. Be peaceful. Show people that we are not out to win arguments or be the best Christian or to convert as many people as we possibly can. Because we should not be doing those things.

I will probably say these same things when I get around to the part where we read about Jesus actually fulfilling this prophecy, but that may be a long time off, so it'll be a refresher. Anyway, that aside. What we should be focusing on is sharing the love Jesus has for us and for this world and making that known. Teaching is fine, and in fact good. Trying to be your best is also good. Just don't do these things without your heart being in the right place.

If someone has their information wrong about Jesus, by all means, correct them. Lovingly. Don't argue, but correct them. It may even open a door to talk more. Always try to be your best, stay far away from sin and do what is good and right. Do so because you want to and because you love God. Do not do so because you have to or for hopes of getting something out of it. Don't focus on converting people or changing their beliefs, but rather on relationships with them and loving them and sharing God's love. That way if they change, it is their own choice and not yours.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #143

Mountain of the Lord

Micah 4

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 1-2) "In the last days the mountain of the LORD's house will be established as the highest of the mountains and raised above the hills. People will stream to it. Then many nations will come and say, 'Let's go to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways so that we may live by them.' The teachings will go out from Zion. The word of the LORD will go out from Jerusalem."

My Thoughts

I am going to be honest that I don't fully understand what the mountain of the LORD is all about. The start of Micah 4 says "In the last days..." so I am pretty sure that that is referring to after the rapture and the seven year tribulation takes place. Micah 4 doesn't say much specifically about the mountain, besides that it will be established and people will stream to it to learn His ways so they can live by them.

So I think that this chapter is more of a picture of the way things will be after those times. It tells of the kind of peace there will be. That weapons will be made into tools and that no one will train for war anymore, nor will there be any battles or conflict.

Okay, so if I titled this according to the mountain of the LORD, that's what I should be talking about, right? Well, it still is. God is peaceful and loving, so those are (some of) His ways. Which is said in Micah 4 that people will learn about. That's why weapons will be made into tools, because weapons are not used for anything but fighting.

Now, my question is this: why do we have to wait for all of this to take place before we start being peaceful? The answer is that we don't. When this all takes place, that will happen, because God has said so. Until then, small steps can be taken in smaller and even larger places to make peace. That's something that can be accomplished by individuals making a choice to be at peace with others.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #133

Peace be in this House

Luke 10

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 5-6) "Whenever you go into a house, greet the family with the words, 'May there be peace in this house.' If a peaceful person lives there, your greeting will accepted. But if that's not the case, your greeting will be rejected." (v. 16) " 'The person who hears you hears me, and the person who rejects you rejects me. The person who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.' "

My Thoughts

When I read this chapter of Luke, verses 5 and 6 stuck in my head. I want to focus on just those two verses, without taking them out of the context in which they were written. So Jesus had sent out seventy-two people to the places which He was about to go to. He told them to say these words when they go into a house, and then to stay there.

That was a way that Jesus had told these people to greet the families which they were going to staying at. What came to my mind is that, why can't we do the same thing whenever we enter a place? Even if we just say it to ourselves, "May there be peace in this place." By saying that, we are declaring peace in the place we are in, which is a good thing.

Even if saying this only ends up giving us peace inside, and others are unaffected, that is still a great thing. Through each person's own actions, they affect the world around them, or rather the people, and can leave a positive impact.

This reminds me of something another pastor, who is a friend of mine, said at my church one time. He was saying that whenever we enter a room, we should invite Jesus into that room with us. He was talking to the children at the time, and it was a way for them to remember Jesus and to keep Him at the forefront. Whenever you ask Jesus to be with you, you can rest assured that He most definitely is.

Saying "May there be peace in this place." is a declaration, or a strong prayer, in God. It is also a blessing in that place which is, obviously, better than a curse. Asking Jesus to be with you wherever you are is not redundant. Yes, He already is with you, but when you ask Him to be, it helps you to focus on Him and remember know that He is there.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!