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  Today's Scripture Daniel 3:12–18 (NIV) Insight  Understanding more about the furnace described in  Daniel 3  helps us grasp the miracle that took place. It’s likely the furnace was used for smelting or extracting metals from ore. The ore would be dropped into a top opening of the furnace—likely where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown in. An opening in the furnace's side at ground level may have been where the fire would be fed. This is probably where Nebuchadnezzar watched. Having the furnace “heated seven times hotter” ( v. 19 ) was an idiom for having it heated as hot as possible; some guess this to be up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. This would explain why the soldiers who threw the three men into the furnace were killed instantly ( v. 22 ).

  Reflect & Pray Why is the supernatural comfort of God’s presence encouraging to you? How can you support others who may be facing opposition? Dear God, fill me with Your Spirit so that I can persevere when I feel pressured to give in. I want to honor You by standing strong. To learn more about the book of Daniel and its prophecies, visit  ChristianUniversity.org/OT313 .

    October 31 Lesson 9 God’s Comforting Presence Background Scripture : Psalm 63 Printed Text: Psalm 63 Psalm 63 1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. 3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 4 Thus, will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: 6 When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches. 7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. 8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. 9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. 10 They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a por...

  Bible in a Year : Jeremiah 22–23 Titus 1

Matthew 3:13-17  Baptism of Jesus Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–23 13 ( Matt. 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21, 22; John 1:31–34 )  Then Jesus came ( Matt. 2:22 )  from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.   14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus, it fits for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. 16 ( Mark 1:10 )  When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and ( Or   he )   He saw ( [ Is. 11:2 ]; Luke 3:22; John 1:32; Acts 7:56 )  the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.   17 ( John 12:28 ) And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ( Ps. 2:7; Is. 42:1; Mark 1:11; Luke 1:35; 9:35; Col. 1:13 )  “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” ...

  Today's Scripture Job 1:18–22 (NIV) Insight  When did the story of Job take place? Several factors point to a patriarchal era similar to Abraham’s (circa 2000  bc ), making Job one of the oldest books of the Bible. We see a patriarchal family setting. Job’s wealth is measured in livestock and slaves instead of gold and silver ( Job 1:3 ;  42:12 ;  Genesis 12:16 ). Reference is made to the nomadic Chaldeans ( Job 1:17 ). And Job lives another 140 years after his restoration, which allowed him to see his progeny “to the fourth generation” ( 42:16 ). Job is commended as one who is “blameless and upright; [who] feared God and shunned evil” ( 1:1 ). Thousands of years later, he’s commended as a model of righteousness ( Ezekiel 14:14 ,  20 ) and an example of “perseverance” and unwavering faith in God ( James 5:11 ).

 By; Rev. Lynwood F. Mundy Job 1:18-22 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, ( Job 1:4, 13 )  “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,   19 and suddenly a great wind came from ( LXX omits  across )  across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 20 Then Job arose, ( Gen. 37:29, 34; Josh. 7:6; Ezra 9:3 )  tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he  [ 1 Pet. 5:6 ]  fell to the ground and worshiped.   21 And he said: (   [ Ps. 49:17; Eccl. 5:15 ]; 1 Tim. 6:7 )  “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord ( Eccl. 5:19; [ James 1:17 ])  gave, and the Lord has ( Gen. 31:16; [ 1 Sam. 2:6 ])   taken away; ( Eph. 5:20; [ 1 Thess. 5:18 ])  Blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22 ( Job 2:10 )  In all t...

  Omniscience Whenever I think about the omniscience of God, I usually get very uncomfortable. To think that God knows everything about me usually makes me think of my sinfulness and shortcomings. Scriptures like Galatians 6:7 that say, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” scare me. I remember a story my Dad used to love to tell whenever he would mention this scripture. My grandfather told him that he had to plant all the corn seed before he could play baseball. Dad had a game that day and was anxious to get to it, but I’m sure that my no-nonsense grandfather wasn’t really concerned about baseball; he cared more about seeing that there was enough food for his family to eat. They needed that corn crop to survive. As Dad was planting the corn, he decided that there was no way he could complete the task in time to make his game, so he dug a hole in the far side of the field and put all the seed in the hole. He told Grandpa tha...

  Reflect & Pray What has helped to clear your vision when you’ve lost sight of God? What can you learn from Job that will help you when the storms of life come? Father, forgive me for the times I lose sight of You in the midst of life’s difficulties. Help me to see You with fresh eyes.

  Saturday, October 31, 2020, | Octoechos Twenty-Second Saturday after Pentecost Epistle 2 Corinthians 5:1–10 Gospel Luke 8:16–21 (23rd Saturday)   Byzantine Lectionary (Gregorian) . Faithlife; Bellingham, WA, 2015; 2015. Print. Sat, Oct 31, 2020 (Oct 18, 2020) | Fixed Feasts Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke Dark Vestments On the same date: Twenty-First Saturday after Pentecost Matins Gospel John 20:19–31 Epistle Colossians 4:5–11, 14–18 (Greek) or Colossians 4:5–9, 14–18 (Slavic) Gospel Luke 10:16–21   Byzantine Lectionary (Julian) . Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2016. Print. Saturday, October 31, 2020, | Octoechos Twenty-First Saturday after Pentecost Epistle 2 Corinthians 3:12–18 Gospel Luke 8:16–21 (23rd Saturday)   Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) . Faithlife; Bellingham, WA, 2015; 2015. Print.

  October 31: Speaking the Truth Daniel 11:1–12:12; 2 Thessalonians 3:1–18 ; Job 42:10–17 “And now I will reveal the truth to you” ( Dan 11:2 ). How much better would our world be if more of us were willing to take this kind of stand—to make these kinds of statements? The truth Daniel refers to is the prophecies foretelling what will happen in the Persian Empire. Great power and wealth are coming, and with them comes the fear of how that power and wealth may be used. If we read between the lines of the prophet’s statements in Dan 11 , we can feel the trepidation. He is concerned that wickedness will once again sweep over the land. Such was the case for Paul: “Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may progress and be honored … and that we may be delivered from evil and wicked people, for not all have the faith” ( 2 Thess 3:1–2 ). Paul was aware that unbelievers would seek his life. He wasn’t sure what the future would look like. We can imagine the fear that he must have felt,...

Bible in a Year : Jeremiah 20–21 2 Timothy 4  

Romans 12:3-8 Serve God with Spiritual Gifts 3 For I say, ( Rom. 1:5; 15:15; 1 Cor. 3:10; 15:10; Gal. 2:9; Eph. 3:7 )  through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, ( Prov. 25:27 )  not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly, as God has dealt [ Eph. 4:7 ]  to each one a measure of faith.   4 For (   1 Cor. 12:12–14; [ Eph. 4:4, 16 ])  as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,  5 so ( [ 1 Cor. 10:17 ]; Gal. 3:28 )  we , being m any, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.  6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is   [ John 3:27 ]  given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us  ( Acts 11:27 )   prophesy in proportion to our faith;  7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; ( Eph. 4:11 )  he who teaches, in teaching;  8 ( Acts 15...

  Reflect & Pray Who’s been a spiritual mentor to you? For whom have you been a mentor? And whom might you mentor? Father, I’m thankful for all those who mentored me when I needed them most. Guide me to someone who might need my encouragement today.

  Today's Scripture Titus 2:1–8 (NIV) Insight  The word  self-controlled  used in today’s passage ( Titus 2:1–8 ) is a translation of the Greek word  sṓphrōn,  which means “to be sound in mind.” Self-mastery—mature judgment, proper restraint—is what’s in view. Paul uses a form of this word five times in Titus. Those charged with the spiritual oversight of God’s people were to be “self-controlled” ( 1:8 ). And in a culture where people were known to be “liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons” ( v. 12 ), believing men and women (2:2, 5–6) were to be examples of those who by the grace of God was choosing “to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions” and to instead “live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives” ( v. 12 ).

 By: Rev. Lynwood F. Mundy Titus 2:1-8 Qualities of a Sound Church 2:1 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:  2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience;  3 the older women likewise, that they are reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,  5 to be discreet, chaste, ( 1 Tim. 5:14 )  homemakers, good, ( 1 Cor. 14:34; 1 Tim. 2:11 )  obedient to their own husbands, ( Rom. 2:24 )  that the word of God may not be blasphemed. 6 Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded,  7 in all things showing yourself to be  ( Phil. 3:17; 1 Tim. 4:12 )  a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing i ntegrity, reverence, ( Eph. 6:24 )  incorruptibility,   8 ( NU omits  incorruptibility )   sou...