Do-Nothing Sin: November 22-30, 2019 (Fri-Sat): Read through Proverbs, Ezekiel, and John

Have you ever sinned? Of course, you have. That’s our problem. We sin by doing wrong things. A needlessly harsh word is spoken to a loved one, employee, or co-worker. Unethical business practices lead us down a dead-end street. Sexual temptation gets the best of us. Uncontrolled anger spills out. But we sin in our minds as well. We dwell on thoughts that tear us down. Bitterness takes root as we harbor unforgiveness in our hearts. An affair begins in the mind with a co-worker. Self-hate robs our joy because we’re preoccupied with ourselves and not the Lord. Sin is an act, or it can be locked away in our heads. Either way, it brings destruction into our lives and into the lives of others.

However, there is do-nothing sin as well. Sometimes we fail to act. We don’t want to get involved, so we pass up people in need. We don’t have time to serve, so we miss out on ministry and turn a blind eye to servants who are in desperate need of ministry partners. We get preoccupied with our own abilities and neglect prayer or Bible study. We hold on to the gospel as our personal treasure unwilling to see it as a ransom to be shared with the world. God spoke through Ezekiel telling us of the watchman who could see a threat coming but did nothing to warn the people. Whether warned or not, the people were culpable for their own sin, but the watchman heaped sin upon himself by not warning the people. Their blood would be on his hands. It was a do-nothing sin.

As you go about your life this week, avoid committing sin. Think about what’s right and good, but also do the good which you know that you should be doing because if you don’t do it, your doing nothing is contributing to the sin in our land and helping unrighteousness to flourish.

This week you’ll read…

Proverbs 23-31: “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised” (Proverbs 31 CSB).

Ezekiel 32-48: “‘However, suppose the watchman sees the sword coming but doesn’t blow the trumpet, so that the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes and takes away their lives. Then they have been taken away because of their iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood’” (Ezekiel 33 CSB).

John 15-21: “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name” (John 20 CSB).

• November 22 (Fri):
  • Proverbs 23 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
  • Ezekiel 32-33 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
  • John 15 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
• November 23 (Sat):
  • Proverbs 24 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
  • Ezekiel 34-35 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
  • John 16 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
• November 24 (Sun):
  • Proverbs 25 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
  • Ezekiel 36-37 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
  • John 17 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
• November 25 (Mon):
  • Proverbs 26 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
  • Ezekiel 38-39 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
• November 26 (Tues):
  • Proverbs 27 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
  • Ezekiel 40-41 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
  • John 18 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
• November 27 (Wed):
  • Proverbs 28 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
  • Ezekiel 42-43 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
  • John 19 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
• November 28 (Thurs):
  • Proverbs 29 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
  • Ezekiel 44-45 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
• November 29 (Fri):
  • Proverbs 30 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
  • Ezekiel 46-47 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
  • John 20 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
• November 30 (Sat):
  • Proverbs 31 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
  • Ezekiel 48 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)
  • John 21 (CSB) (MSG) (NLT)

CSB are daily readings linked to The Christian Standard Bible on BibleGateway.com.

MSG are daily readings linked to The Message Bible on BibleGateway.com.

NLT are daily readings linked to The New Living Translation on BibleGateway.com.