Monday: Joshua 14
Tuesday: 2 Chronicles 22
Wednesday: Psalm 15
Thursday: Isaiah 19
Friday: Amos 2
Saturday: John 3
Sunday: Galatians 5
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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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19 comments:
Talk about inspiring... Caleb was one stand up guy. "vs 9- that's because you have followed the Lord my God with your whole heart".
I have been lazy again. This week I have felt God saying- Enough! You need Me. Quit being foolish by not making time for Me. I've heard it in a number of places- and I'm listening and ready to do... again.
Another thing that stood out to me was vs 15- I wanted to check out what made Arba such a remarkable man that he got his own verse- apparently the Anakites were giants- must have been something for Caleb to be so confident in God's power to both keep His word AND drive out the Anakites! Yes- Caleb inspires me!
couple things stand out to me. they threw lots to decide who would get which land. we were just discussing the idea of lots at our last small group. The disciples drew lots to decide which follower would take the place of Judas in the circle of the inner 12. when you think about the dynamics of drawing lots I can't help but wonder if we don't take things far too seriously sometimes. I mean, I'm not sure I believe there is some mystic, mysterious power at play forcing that lot to land on the "only right choice from God". I wonder if it isn't more of a "well, God... we're not exactly sure which choice to make here, so we'll leave it up to how the cards fall and believe you'll bring good from the result. In other words, we surrender control and trust that God can and does bring about good things from whatever choice is made when it is made in the right attitude of surrender. Not sure if that makes sense typed out like it does in my head.
Chris, happy to see you here this morning. I was committed to checking in and sharing my thoughts, but it's so much nicer when someone is here to "meet" me :)
I smiled at your little comment about "why he got his own verse". If we were to look at our own lives and wonder what would be said about us in holy writ if one of our contemporaries were writing it... kind of gives one food for thought :)
I like what LAB had to say about Caleb. "Like Caleb, we must be faithful to God, not only at the start of our walk with him, but throughout our entire lives. We must never allow ourselves to rest on our past accomplishments or reputations."
What a challenge for us all.
I am so thankful to belong to families who love the Lord and want to serve and obey Him. Jehosheba was a gutsy lady, preserving the line of her family by protecting the one child who could right the kingdom again. Six years of hiding and watching your back! Looking forward to the resolution of Joash's story in the next chapter!
such a see-saw of rulers for Judah. One obeys the Lord, three are wicked, finally get another one who loves the Lord only to have him followed by more wicked successors...it's exhausting, as I am sure I am to the Lord as well. It's too bad we're all so stupid.
According to vs. 4 and 5 there was not very good advice being given. So when we seek advice we need to listen carefully to what God says through His Word.
"their bad advice led to his death." 2 Chronicles 22:4
the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ His son. This verse has been in my head over and over since teaching club last time and since my last ladies bible study. How the desires and ambitions and lies of the world (it can be subtle and not direct advice) don't lead to fulfillment or fame or joy, but to death. Only a peaceful and absolute surrender at the cross can lead to life and fulfillment.
Psalm 15. What a simple, profound, beautiful challenge for living this morning.
Love that- he who does these things will never be shaken.
Isaiah 19. talk about goose bumps. to have the spiritual revival of a nation like this outlined so pointedly and know that it is yet to come. It makes me sad that the prophetic outcome for my own nation appears to be one more geared to Laodecia and a steady decline of mediocrity and lukewarmness. It makes me long for my own nation to "awaken" and burn with a passionate fire like that. Guess I'm ready for the WJOF theme this weekend!
Nic- is that because Egypt and Assyria are still warring factions?
I get a little lost in the prophecies, not knowing which has already been fulfilled, and which is yet to come.
I checked out vs.20 a bit and found the savior was cross-referenced to the judges that God sent to Israel.
so I'm assuming that today's reading is actually Amos 2? As there are no more chapters in Joel? :)
Chris, I'm not sure how to explain it succinctly, but Egypt plays a big part in end time prophecy, you see it here, it shows up again in Ezekiel 29-31 and I believe in Revelation as well. There will come a time when the nations of the north (Gog and Magog-related to the norther russian areas) will turn against Israel and North Africa, at that time Egypt will turn to the Lord in droves, I believe even before Israel does (Israel is kind of the last man standing in end times prophecy when it comes to "getting" it. Egypt will become a progressively Christian nation and very missional. Kind of like what is happening in China. This is clearly yet to have happened because we have no historical record of it having happened and because the prophecies are intrinsically connected with "that day" the great and final day when the prophetic judgments start to unfold and everything comes to a climax.
I have an in depth bible study on it somewhere if you are interested let me know and I will get it to you.
sorry about that passage mix up, I wasn't following the Passages schedule last week so I missed that.
Even the bravest warriors
will flee naked on that day,”
declares the LORD. Amos 2:16
this verse made me recall these verses in Revelation.
Rev 3:4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white."
rev 3:18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
rev 19:8 Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)
What a contrast. To stand (or be unable to stand) naked and ashamed before the Judge of the universe. Or clothed and justified. In Christ and in the knowledge that we died to self and lived unto Him, and now stand justified in Him.
Galatians 5:6
NCV "For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love."
The Message: "When we are in Christ Jesus, it is not important if we are circumcised or not. The important thing is faith—the kind of faith that works through love."
Just got finished reading this now, after an evening discussion with my hubby about Halloween. It might be hard for others to see the correlation but it has to do with wanting to be "obedient and lawful" and the choices that you make thinking you are somehow remaining ceremonially pure if that makes any sense at all. For them it was circumcision, wanting to do it with that motive, for us it was Halloween, not wanting to do it for that motive. Lately we have been talking in our home how it all boils down to this. Love God with all your heart, and believe on your need for Christ. Period. Our reasons for not taking part in some dressing up and candy collecting are moot points when God is the center of our lives and worship. This verse along with a few other timely things that spoke to us and some good discussion with our kids have been where are heads have been at the past few days. Little M will be so shocked to read this :D
I also find it very important that envy, jealousy and strife are included in the list of practices contrary to the spirit. Strife is not as much of my life as it used to be, but envy and jealousy are still really tender spots in me that can flare up quite nastily. Contrary to the spirit, which is helpful and hopeful, because it means that God's spirit can flood it out of me and fill me up with their counterparts, a grateful spirit and one of happy humility.
Sorry, for the multiple comments, I thought I was done at the first one, but I keep seeing more as I look into this chapter. I am re-reading it in 2 more versions, Had to share this powerful paraphrase from the Message.
"It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on." Gal 5:19-21
oooh... this chapter in the message is just remarkable. Last one, I promise. This chapter was awesome.
22-23But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
23-24Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.
25-26Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.
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