I just wanted you to see that I have tried the bible in a year thing. Twice, in fact. The X's and the check's. I quit on February 14th. And January 10th. I wish I knew what year it was. 2000? 2002? Somewhere in there. Soon after that I became a checklist rebel. In my eyes, Checklists = Legalism. My bible plan was proof positive that I couldn't even begin to please God by my own merits. Here's what I would do... Pray for the Lord's guidance and plop my bible open to wherever He led. He just always "happened" to plop my bible open to the New Testament. Or wherever Beth Moore led me that morning.
But at some point yesterday, I read and accepted an invitation. I printed out a few plans and made my choice. I am doing the 52 Week Plan and I began today on Tuesday of Week One. What is the difference this time? Only the Lord knows. He nudged me to accept and He's going to be with me through it. I am reading from the New International Version and this makes all of the old familiar passages come alive. And the best part? I have friends to cheer me along and keep me from straying.
I began today in Joshua 1-5. It couldn't have been a more fitting reading for the first day.
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
But at some point yesterday, I read and accepted an invitation. I printed out a few plans and made my choice. I am doing the 52 Week Plan and I began today on Tuesday of Week One. What is the difference this time? Only the Lord knows. He nudged me to accept and He's going to be with me through it. I am reading from the New International Version and this makes all of the old familiar passages come alive. And the best part? I have friends to cheer me along and keep me from straying.
I began today in Joshua 1-5. It couldn't have been a more fitting reading for the first day.
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
God's Word is alive and I can't wait to see all of the new things He has for me to discover this year.
4 comments:
Holy moly. This made me breathe deep and confess in my own heart- and now here- on this comment...
I have tried to read the Bible through- and I am stuck in Kings. I just cannot get past it. I just can't relate. I want to go to Proverbs, Psalms, or the New Testament. I find myself wanting to just "read," rather than read structurally...
I have tried.
And tried.
And tried.
I just have a hard time with motivation.
Would you mind praying for me?
Makay
www.thebirdssay.blogspot.com
My bible too, always flips to the new testament. Then I joined BSF and the study was Isaiah. It changed my spiritual life. The text was so applicable to things today it was astounding. And so many promises from God! I couldn't have done it alone, all I needed was a little motivation. Good luck Joni!
that is awesome, joni. keep up the good work! for the last 11 weeks, i have been studying the book of Daniel by beth moore with a group of ladies. i just can't explain what it means to me.....for looong years, it was just a book of the old testament. now i realize what a man of integrity daniel was!! and how it ties into revelation. don't get me wrong....i am not perfectly knowledgeable now, just more informed and i LOVE studying the Word. we are doing Revelation starting in jan. we "read through" the Bible when the children were all at home....but that is all we did:( NO NOTHING ELSE--ZILCH!! blessings!!
You go girl! I think we've all had times like that. The difference I see is when it's not just a sense of "I should do this", but a "I want a deeper relationship with my Father!" I think it's so hard to get rid of myself. I know what it means to have a relationship and I can still fall into it just being a checklist type of thing. I did a study on the tabernacle, (Beth Moore) and it was awesome. Makes the Old Testament come alive. All the directions God gave them for the construction of the tabernacle really have a lot of meaning. I wish I knew Greek! The meanings of some of the word from the Greek and Hebrew bring it alive, too. It gives meaning that our English just doesn't capture.
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