Monday - Genesis 8
Tuesday - Judges 4
Wednesday- Psalm 33
Thursday- Isaiah 37
Friday- Micah 6
Saturday- John 21
Sunday- 1 Thess 3
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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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18 comments:
Gen 8:1 Then God turned his attention to Noah...
This got my wheels turning. Some translations say "God remembered." I honestly don't think that can be a good interpretation. Not in the way that we use that word... it implies that He can be "forgetful" of us. I looked up the Hebrew word "zakar" in my Strongs dictionary and it means among other things to "mark" or to become mindful of.
It made me think how I am with my kids. Sometimes I focus special attention on a child that needs it, giving them character training or teaching them disciplines or just giving them special times of nurturing. Other times I let them coast along while I focus my attentions on one of their siblings who are experiencing a special time of growth or challenges. It doesn't mean I have "forgotten" my other kids. There are times that God turns his attention to us on a deeper level than normal, He has a special plan, or some growth He wants to focus on in our lives and He is going to get out His chisel and start chipping away and concentrating on our formation in a more intense way than normal. At other times He backs off for a time and lets us "adjust" and step up to the plate and figure out our role before He steps in and again and chips away some other part off the old block.
It is at once comforting to know that He is never finished, as it is to know that He does give us breathers and times to adjust to our new "do". I like that picture.
Good thoughts PC. I too agree that the word "remembered" is not the best.
Also, what a great example of patience do we see in Noah.
Gen 8
"Countless times throughout the Bible we see God showing his love and patience toward men and women in order to save them. Although he realizes that their hearts are evil, he continues to try to reach them. When we sin or fall away from God, we surely deserve to be destroyed by his judgment. But God has promised never again to destroy everything on earth until the judgment day when Christ returns to destroy evil forever. Now every change of season is a reminder of his promise."
judges 4. the men in this chapter are all completely emasculated, Jael and Deborah are the heroes and the strong leaders, spiritually and even physically. On the one hand, how sad for men when they don't fulfill their God ordained roles to lead, protect and fight for justice and freedom and women arise to fill that need and put them to shame. On the other hand I love to see the wisdom and power of women that God enables to be and do mighty things in His power and for His name. I want to be that kind of woman, but I pray that God will flood our nation with Godly male leaders, in our homes, in our churches, and in society.
Judges 4
“How did Deborah command such respect? She was responsible for leading the people into battle, but more than that, she influenced them to live for God after the battle was over. Her personality drew people together and commanded the respect of even Barak, a military general. She was also a prophet, whose main role was to encourage the people to obey God. Those who lead must not forget about the spiritual condition of those being led. A true leader is concerned for persons, not just success.”
Psalm 33:12 says, "blessed are the people He has chosen for Heritage." The Message writes that;
"Blessed are the people He's put in His will."
that really struck me. I am a child of God. I am written into His will. I am appointed to receive a glorious heritage. It kind of gives me goosebumps in my soul.
Denise, everytime you comment I think "I want that bible!" but then I always re-thing... no, I want Denise to keep commenting so I can be blessed by the thoughts in HER bible :)
Isaiah 37:26-27 "Haven't you gotten the news that I've been behind this al along? This is a longstanding plan of mine and I'm just not making it happen."
Sovreignty of God, choices of men. It came up yesteday in Elle's readaloud, just about took my breath away. Madeleine L'Engle writes, in A Wrinkle in Time;
"How can I explain it to you? Oh, I know. In your language you have a form of poetry called the sonnet...
It is a very strict form of poetry is it not?...
There are fourteen lines, I believe all in iambic pentameter. That's a very strict rhythm of meter, yes?...
and each line has to end with a rigid rhyme pattern. And if the poet does not do it exactly this way, it is not a sonnet, is it?...
But with this strict form the poet has complete freedom to say whatever he wants, doesn't he?...
so...you're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself. What you say is completely up to you."
Very thought provoking treatise on sovreignty and free will! I love knowing that God's will is set, there is no coloring outside the lines, but the colors within the lines, our part in filling the page is not color by number so much as a flexible, transient work of art in process.
Shame on me that I almost went to bed without reading my Bible. I had enough energy to check Facebook, my email, even some scrapbooking forums.
Psalm 33
“The Lord’s plans stand firm forever.” “Are you frustrated by inconsistencies you see in others or even in yourself? God is completely trustworthy – his intentions never change. The Bible promises that whatever is good and perfect comes to us from the Creator who never changes. When you wonder if there is anyone whom you can trust, remember that God is completely consistent. Let him Counsel you.”
Isaiah 37
8-10 “Although the answer to Hezekiah’s prayer was already in motion because Tirhakah was posed to attack, Hezekiah did not know it. Her persisted in prayer and faith even though he could not see the answer coming. When we pray, we must have faith that God has already prepared the best answer. Out task is to ask in faith and wait in humility.”
Aw, thanks PC (I just saw your above comment)!
The reason the Deborah comment stuck out to me was because it reminded me of you!!
This part: “How did Deborah command such respect? She was responsible for leading the people into battle, but more than that, she influenced them to live for God after the battle was over. Her personality drew people together and commanded the respect of even Barak, a military general. She was also a prophet, whose main role was to encourage the people to obey God."
>>Shame on me that I almost went to bed without reading my Bible. I had enough energy to check Facebook, my email, even some scrapbooking forums.<<
Not shame on you! Good on you for RECOGNIZING that. I am so proud of you for not shoving that bible back on some shelf and allowing the business of life to leave it there to collect cobwebs. You are getting your daily bread, and it will nourish your spirit and build up your faith muscles over time.
>>The reason the Deborah comment stuck out to me was because it reminded me of you!!<< oh dear. :) wow. I'm not sure what to say. I have to admit that when I do the spiritual gifts tests I come out frighteningly strong on the prophet/teacher side and I have to admit that I have always leaned towards viewing that more as a curse than a gift. They are strong and public gifts that involve speaking into the lives of other people and not always in a warm fuzzy way. I've always wanted to be a warm fuzzy :)I have to say, Nise, that you have been instrumental in helping to affirm me in being who God has designed me to be because you have always been super sensitive and responsive towards any challenges or thoughts I have presented to you and never taken offense or bristled that I might be suggesting in some way you weren't good enough. You see me for the heart I have, that I don't want just "good enough" for myself or others, I want God's BEST. And you make me feel great about being alive and being me and walking this journey in step with you.
I love this chapter.
"Remember all those stories... keep all God's salvation stories fresh and present."
it's in reading about history, Him and Us in History that we learn what He desires for us, that we learn from others mistakes and victories. If we take our eyes off the history we get lost in the present and don't have a vision for the future.
"How can I stand up before God and show proper respect to the high God? Should I bring an armload of offerings topped with yearling calves? would God be impressed with thousands of rams, with buckets and barrels of olive oil? Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child, my precious baby, to cancel my sin?
But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don't take yourself too seriously- take God seriously."
Wow. I LOVE that.
I read the passage on Saturday and was struck by how we are to step in and take over Jesus role. Jesus was effectively telling Peter, that if Peter loved him, Peter would "fill his shoes" if you will in His absence. "Feed his sheep." around here, that would be like saying "do my chores for me while I'm away". what was the work of the master? To teach, to disciple, to befriend in the deepest sense of the word. What God is showing me recently is that we are all called to pastor. That we pay a pastor so that they can devote themselves to the teaching of the word, but that does not mean we are ALL not supposed to be teachers of the word. That we pay a pastor so that he will be available to mentor and care for the flock, but that doesn't mean we ALL aren't supposed to mentor and care for the flock. More and more, as time goes by we find ourselves in "pastoring" roles of teaching, speaking, mentoring, counseling, supporting, and just last night for the first time, I realized that this is as it should be. It was like a light bulb went on. As disciples we are all called to "feed Jesus' sheep." We are all called to be missional and do the "choring" and not just leave it to our pastors.
yesterday, I didn't read the passage, but I meditated on the one passage that came up in the sermon. Collosians 3:12-15 It just was an answer to prayer that God would open my eyes to my lazy "I've got it pretty well together spiritually attitude" I knew that I had grown kind of complacent towards the things in my life that really need eye opening acknowledgment and repentance, and I wanted a wake up call to get me recognizing and claiming true humility. The kind of humility that is so aware of one's own need for God that it doesn't have room to look at anyone else and feel anything but love and compassion. I prayed this prayer again during worship yesterday and it was like the heavens opened up and the scales fell off when I read this passage in Colossians.
Clothe yourselves therefore, as God's own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper].
13Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive].
14And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony].
15And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ's] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]."
I looked at that list of characteristics and realized that I am so far from embodying most of those characteristics that is almost frightening after 20+ years of Christ following. How can I ever find time for judgment and criticism when I have so much shortfall in my own life? I don't have time for that, and when I practice it it is giving the enemy a foothold to distract me from the path and my final destination. A life of Christlikeness. So yesterday I just read over that passage about 5 different times and soaked it in.
This morning, going back to read the Thessalonians 4 passage, I was struck by these two parts.
"...we ask you- *urge* is more like it- that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance." v1
and,
"God hasn't invited us into a disorderly, unkempt life but into something holy and beautiful, as beautiful on the inside as the outside." v7
I love that. It really shows the difference between discipline and legalism. God calls us to order our lives so that they can be balanced and beautiful inside and out. If I am going to have external order, I need to have internal order. If I am going to have internal order, I need to have my priorities in order. If my priorities are in order time with God will be a priority, it's not a legalism anymore than brushing my teeth or eating a meal is legalism. It is essential for my health and life. The spiritual dance. I love that visual.
I just realized that I read 1 Thess 4 rather than 3 last week. Going back to read chapter 3 this morning I was struck by the following;
"And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes on everyone around you..." v11
I love that. Filled to overflowing, flooding, dousing others in Godlike love.
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