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In pastures green He leadeth me. Join me on the journey.
What's Going on Here?
We are reading our way through the bible one chapter per day. The idea behind my personal reading plan is to read through books chronologically, but not solely one book at a time. Thus on Monday we read from the books of the law, Tuesday the books of kings and judges, Wednesday the books of Jewish History, Thursday Books of Wisdom, Friday the Prophets, Saturday the Gospels and Sunday the Epistles. The next Monday we pick up at the chapter we left off in ancient history. You may think that this would be disjointed and would cause you to "lose your groove" but I have found the contrary to be true, the threads of promise, redemption and grace show up more clearly as I make my way slowly through these books in a parrallel fashion and when I pick up where I left off a week before I am reminded of things that stood out to me from last week's reading. Journaling is a big part of my processing scripture and fixing particular tidbits in my mind for the purpose of life application. I would love to have you join me!
Basic Reading Plan
Mon (Law): Genesis-Joshua
Tues (Rulers): Judges-Chronicles
Wed (History): Ezra-Psalms
Thurs (Wisdom): Prov-Jer
Fri (Prophets): Lam-Malachi
Sat (Gospels): Matthew-Acts
Sun (Epistles) Romans-Revelation.
The theme I have given each section is general. Joshua is not a book of the law and Psalms is not a book of history. The main chunk of reading in each section is, however, suitably classified as the theme it is under. In order to make the sections even out to have the same general number of books/chapters, this was the closest I could come. Otherwise one would be reading through certain sections (like the Law) for instance, much more often than the wisdom books, etc.
Posts
A Place of Fellowship....
(Fellowship is) an expression of both love and humility. [It] springs from a desire to bring benefit to others, coupled with a sense of personal weakness and need. It has a double motive – the wish to help, and to be helped; to edify, and to be edified. It has a double aim – to do, and to receive, good. It is a seeking by Christian people to know God better through sharing with each other what, individually, they have learned of Him already. J.I. Packer.
A few introductory words of encouragement....
Think of your time feeding on God's Word as a vital aspect of your health and wellness. You wouldn't go a week without brushing your teeth, or eating physical food, don't treat the nourishing of your soul by the Word of God with any less care.
Don't cram multiple chapters if you fall behind of plan, but *do* "back-read" if you have the passion and earnest desire to do so. My habit if I miss a chapter is usually to leave it until that book comes up again the next week (based on my own reading plan) and then read two consecutive chapters rather than the one I am scheduled to read.
Don't be legalistic about the when and how. If you don't get a quiet time in the morning, THAT'S OKAY. Find a moment in the afternoon to grab a drink, sit down and put your feet up, and soak up a chapter. And if that doesn't happen, THAT'S OKAY. Take 15-20 minutes at the end of the day to plump some pillows up in your bed and soak it up before you go to sleep. And if that doesn't happen, IT'S OKAY. Tomorrow is a new day. Don't let the enemy discourage you from spending time in the word TODAY because you didn't YESTERDAY. That's just dumb. Did you get that? DUMB.
If you don't have time to read, meditate. Allow God to bring a passage of scripture to mind and allow yourself to listen. Take time to be quiet in your spirit. While you are washing dishes, folding laundry, vacuuming... cleaning bathrooms.
Spruce things up. Get yourself a PRETTY journal and jot down little things that stand out to you. Use your favourite mug or a pretty glass to pour your favourite drink. Sit in your favourite spot (this could change from day to day and depending on the time of day you read. A sunny spot on the porch in the morning, a wing back chair and a blanket if it's chilly, a garden swing in the shade on a hot afternoon, or plumped up in bed with soft lamplight in the evening. Again, don't be legalistic about the location, pick a happy spot that fits the moment/opportunity.) Oh, and DON'T wait for the pretty journal. Plain lined notepaper or even a crumpled scrap paper will work just FINE until you get one....
Remember while you read, God's word is FOR YOU. yes, it was written to a particular audience in a particular time in history and for a particular reason. But it was also written with YOU in mind, TODAY in mind, and is designed to give you strength and wisdom for the journey.
Claim ONE part of the passage and take it to heart. Read through the chapter without too much introspection at first and see what part most stands out to you. Go back and look at that part more specifically and ask yourself what is in there for YOU?
Ask relevant questions. I usually look at a passage with 2 questions in mind. 1. What does this passage tell me about God's character? 2. What does this passage tell me about humanity (ie, ME, in relation to God? a final and very important question to ask is "What does this passage require of me on a practical level?" Write down one attitude, practice or truth you want you live out TODAY in light of what God has just revealed to you. This is how we take ownership of the Word of God and allow it to relate to us and shape us on a personal level.
Build yourself a monument. As I ponder a passages relevance to me I journal the thoughts that arise. Jotting them down somehow cements my convictions in my mind, almost like laying out stones in a monument so I can go back to that place later and be reminded. I also use those notes to come here and share my thoughts later with others.
Keep your actual quiet time concise. This will help make it more likely the habit will continue to happen on a regular basis. Better to spend 15 minutes in the word daily, than 1 hour once a week.
Don't require absolute "alone" and uninterrupted time (without kids around). If they are around, they can learn to not interrupt you for 15 minutes, just like you spend time with other people when they are around, you can spend time with the Lord with them around too.
Think of God’s Word as a love letter to you. When you read stories of God’s wrath in the Old Testament, think about WHAT love paid the price for all that wrath and how a hand that once smote anyone who dared touch the ark of His covenant now beckons YOU to draw near to the throne of grace. Read everything in light of who God is and how much He loves mankind that in spite of our being so deprived, His love story reaches out, encompasses us, washes us clean, and seeks to draw us near.
May you seek Him, may He be found by you, and may you be blessed on the journey.
Don't cram multiple chapters if you fall behind of plan, but *do* "back-read" if you have the passion and earnest desire to do so. My habit if I miss a chapter is usually to leave it until that book comes up again the next week (based on my own reading plan) and then read two consecutive chapters rather than the one I am scheduled to read.
Don't be legalistic about the when and how. If you don't get a quiet time in the morning, THAT'S OKAY. Find a moment in the afternoon to grab a drink, sit down and put your feet up, and soak up a chapter. And if that doesn't happen, THAT'S OKAY. Take 15-20 minutes at the end of the day to plump some pillows up in your bed and soak it up before you go to sleep. And if that doesn't happen, IT'S OKAY. Tomorrow is a new day. Don't let the enemy discourage you from spending time in the word TODAY because you didn't YESTERDAY. That's just dumb. Did you get that? DUMB.
If you don't have time to read, meditate. Allow God to bring a passage of scripture to mind and allow yourself to listen. Take time to be quiet in your spirit. While you are washing dishes, folding laundry, vacuuming... cleaning bathrooms.
Spruce things up. Get yourself a PRETTY journal and jot down little things that stand out to you. Use your favourite mug or a pretty glass to pour your favourite drink. Sit in your favourite spot (this could change from day to day and depending on the time of day you read. A sunny spot on the porch in the morning, a wing back chair and a blanket if it's chilly, a garden swing in the shade on a hot afternoon, or plumped up in bed with soft lamplight in the evening. Again, don't be legalistic about the location, pick a happy spot that fits the moment/opportunity.) Oh, and DON'T wait for the pretty journal. Plain lined notepaper or even a crumpled scrap paper will work just FINE until you get one....
Remember while you read, God's word is FOR YOU. yes, it was written to a particular audience in a particular time in history and for a particular reason. But it was also written with YOU in mind, TODAY in mind, and is designed to give you strength and wisdom for the journey.
Claim ONE part of the passage and take it to heart. Read through the chapter without too much introspection at first and see what part most stands out to you. Go back and look at that part more specifically and ask yourself what is in there for YOU?
Ask relevant questions. I usually look at a passage with 2 questions in mind. 1. What does this passage tell me about God's character? 2. What does this passage tell me about humanity (ie, ME, in relation to God? a final and very important question to ask is "What does this passage require of me on a practical level?" Write down one attitude, practice or truth you want you live out TODAY in light of what God has just revealed to you. This is how we take ownership of the Word of God and allow it to relate to us and shape us on a personal level.
Build yourself a monument. As I ponder a passages relevance to me I journal the thoughts that arise. Jotting them down somehow cements my convictions in my mind, almost like laying out stones in a monument so I can go back to that place later and be reminded. I also use those notes to come here and share my thoughts later with others.
Keep your actual quiet time concise. This will help make it more likely the habit will continue to happen on a regular basis. Better to spend 15 minutes in the word daily, than 1 hour once a week.
Don't require absolute "alone" and uninterrupted time (without kids around). If they are around, they can learn to not interrupt you for 15 minutes, just like you spend time with other people when they are around, you can spend time with the Lord with them around too.
Think of God’s Word as a love letter to you. When you read stories of God’s wrath in the Old Testament, think about WHAT love paid the price for all that wrath and how a hand that once smote anyone who dared touch the ark of His covenant now beckons YOU to draw near to the throne of grace. Read everything in light of who God is and how much He loves mankind that in spite of our being so deprived, His love story reaches out, encompasses us, washes us clean, and seeks to draw us near.
May you seek Him, may He be found by you, and may you be blessed on the journey.
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5 comments:
"I will judge you for the way you have lived." v3
When I read verses like these I always have questions about what redemption looks like. I know there is now no *condemnation* for those who in Christ Jesus. But that does not mean that there will be no *judgement*. No trial where our words and deeds will be judged and weighed in the balance. I know that no man can through word or action attain a perfect standard of holiness, which is what God desires for us, and that we are lost souls whose only hope is Jesus Christ.
That said, I think that the Bible is a continuous neverending story about the pursuit of holiness and how God continues to tell us over and over, YOu are a redeemed person. I have taken you out of the gutter, I have adopted you into my family, I have clothed you in raiments of righteousness. Now ACT like it.
And I do believe, from verses like this that are peppered as a continuous theme through scripture that apart from what some people seem to believe (that christians will only be rewarded, not judged), that we will indeed ALL be judged for our words and actions.
I don't believe scripture says anywhere that we will not be JUDGED. Just that we will not be CONDEMNED. We will be acquitted, by the blood of the lamb.
Our actions are important. They will be rewarded or rejected when our time for judgement comes.
Other verses that came to mind as I pondered that this morning were Mat 16:27 "The Son of Man will come again with His Father's glory and with His angels. At that time, He will reward them for what they have done."
"He has been very kind and patient, waiting for you to change, but you think nothing of his kindness. Perhaps you do not understand that God is kind to you so you will change your hearts and lives. But you are stubborn and refuse to change, so you are making your own punishment even greater on the day he shows his anger. On that day everyone will see God's right judgments. God will reward or punish every person for what that person has done." Romans 2:4-6
Mat 12:36-37 "And I tell you that on Judgment Day people will be responsible for every careless thing they have said. The words you have said will be used to judge you. Some of your words will prove you right, but some of your words will prove you guilty."
I know that I have often thought, but He is speaking to the unbelievers in this verse, of course the unbelievers will be judged by word and action and found wanting, because they don't have faith in Jesus Christ for redemption. But I do find it odd that then Jesus wouldn't say to them (if he was speaking only to them) that they would be judged based on faith in his redemptive power alone. As that is the crux of the gospel. There is no other way. That makes me think that these verses about our actions and words being examined are across the board and not just for the one outside the circle of the cross.
John 5:28-29 "Don't be surprised at this: A time is coming when all who are dead and in their graves will hear his voice.... Those who did good will rise and have life forever, but those who did evil will rise to be judged guilty."
I find this verse very disturbing to my interpretational paradigm and I have to stop and think about it at length. We know we are saved by faith alone, but here it is associating "doing good" with eternal life. The only thing that I can figure is the connection that I made before, that one who is saved will grow into good works. Like an uprooted seedling that is rescued and planted by streams of water will flourish and bear fruit, so will a redeemed life be known by its fruit, its good works that in keeping with salvation? So it is not our good works that save us, but our good works will be a "proof" of our salvation?
Lots of questions... I always find this topic to be very thought provoking and gripping.
I tried to edit this comment, (repost it) but it won't let me publish it. I wanted to do a little fine tuning to some of the "I believe" and other sentence structures that make it look like I am sure of this fact, because I'm not. It came across very strong when I posted it and really, all I have is questions and no firm answers. I guess what I meant by I believe, is that from what I can see in scripture, this is what I feel I SHOULD believe.... if that makes any sense. But I don't have enough clarity to be sure that's what I believe yet, just where I'm leaning. Does that make any sense at all???
Yes, PC makes sense! I have often wondered the same thing.
"In chapter 7, Ezekiel predicts the complete destruction of Israel. The wicked and proud will finally get what they deserve. If it seems as though God ignores the evil and proud people of our day, be assured that a day of judement will come, just as it came for the people of Israel. God is waiting patiently for sinners to repent, but when his judgment comes, "none of these proud and wicked people will survive." What you decide about God now will determine your fate then."
Good thoughts PC.
Another verse that comes to mindis Matt 6:19-20
"Do not store up fro yourselvestreasureson earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where theivesbreak in and steal, But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where theives do not break in and steal. "
We are redeemed by faith alone but perhaps what we do and say are the treasures which we store up for ourselves in heaven.
Ezekiel 7: Whew...what a lot of horrible images. There is not security to be found when the Lord has been angered...not in $ (19), not in the prophets (26), all will be destroyed, famine, plague, dying be the sword...God's face turned away (22). I cannot imagine the darkness and despair of such a time.
"I find this verse very disturbing to my interpretational paradigm and I have to stop and think about it at length. We know we are saved by faith alone, but here it is associating "doing good" with eternal life. The only thing that I can figure is the connection that I made before, that one who is saved will grow into good works. Like an uprooted seedling that is rescued and planted by streams of water will flourish and bear fruit, so will a redeemed life be known by its fruit, its good works that in keeping with salvation? So it is not our good works that save us, but our good works will be a "proof" of our salvation?"
That is pretty much how I have seen it and could follow and appreciate your thoughts. We must seek to follow Christ at all times and it will all follow, the change in behavior and such...
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