Monday - Genesis 10
Tuesday - Judges 6
Wednesday- Psalm 35
Thursday- Isaiah 39
Friday- Nahum 1
Saturday- Acts 2
Sunday- 2 Thess 1
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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.
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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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9 comments:
the natural cause and effect of how we live,what matters to us and how that affects future generations is always a wake up call for me. Nimrod was famous, or infamous for his political ambition. He established the most ambitious civilizations of the time, and they were not God centred. Look at the future of both Babel (Babylon) and Nineveh for starters. Two civilizations in direct opposition to God and with the spirit of Lucifer (wanting to make a name for oneself and become equal or greater than God). Ambition is a dangerous ally. If we harness it and focus it on GOD'S will, it can be a powerful tool to keep us growing in Christlikeness, if we get off track and use ambition as a tool to exalt ourselves, it is the sin of our first fathers revisited.
a number of things jumped out at me from judges 6. First in verse 14, it identifies this "messenger of the Lord" as the Lord Himself. "God faced him directly", and "the Lord said". God is not just sending messengers around to do His footwork in the Old Testament. He is personally interacting with His chosen people. He wants to personally interact with us today.
Gideon's insecurity. God viewed Him as His warrior. Gideon did not have such lofty views of himself. We are not spiritual giants on our own merit or experiences. We are made spiritual giants through the indwelling and outpouring of God's spirit.
Gideon had his setbacks. By no means did this family have it all together. They were blindly honoring the pagan gods of the pagans around them... sometimes I wonder what God would name the gods of the pagans around us? money? possessions? prestige? indulgence? sex? the care and keeping of me (food, exercise, etc, can definitely be elevated to an obsession). The list could go on and on. God doesn't refrain from using us because we have baggage, but the baggage weighs us down and holds us back from freely flying forward in the call to arms.
My heart also melted toward Gideon to see him obeying, in the dark. Yes, Lord, I'll follow you wholeheartedly, but let's not make this too public. I really don't want to deal with conflict here. Oh how difficult it is to stand up for something greater than the status quo anywhere outside the confines of your own heart.
True community is not for the faint of heart. It means having the courage to make yourself vulnerable, the humility to let others speak into your life, for better or worse, the wisdom to discern the difference and the presence of mind to use all things, the encouragement and the setbacks as opportunities for growth.
Gideon totally rises to the occasion when confronted by these people he at first stood in fear of. I love it.
psalm 35:9 "But let me run loose and free, celebrating God's great work, every bone in my body laughing, singing, 'God there is no one like you.' "
footloose and fancy free :) imbibed with joy in the Lord and the works of His hands. What a wonderful thought to start the day with.
verse 28 "I'll tell the world how great and good you are, I'll shout Hallelujah all day, every day."
Nahum 1. Two parts to my quiet time this morning. First God opened my eyes to see how important that learning to "be still" is. The intro to my book of Nahum in my Message translation says the following; The danger is that the noise... will distract us from what is going on quietly at the center of the stage in the person and action of God. God's characteristic way of working is in quietness and through prayer. "(God's forces) split the heart and make the pavement heave- (these forces) are concealed in quiet people and nature itself. " If we are conditioned to respond to noise and busyness we will miss God's word and action.
If I didn't take this time each morning to "be still", I think I would slowly lose my mind. Lose my bearings. Lose my sense of direction and my purpose. What else am I here for except to know Him and come to love Him and glorify Him more and more each day. How can I glorify Him if I don't even know what He desires? How can I understand what He desires if I don't KNOW Him?
The second part was a verse that I felt I was being told to claim and it about made my heart beat out of my chest. Verse 13
"From now on I'm taking the yoke from your neck and splitting it up for kindling. I'm cutting you free from the ropes of your bondage."
When I read that verse my chest feels like it would feel if I just finished running hard and fast. I've had a yoke that has been around my neck for 30 some years and ropes that have held me in bondage for as long. I have recognized them for very long and tried to understand how to break free from them, but this morning I just realized that *I* can't. It is God who can set me free through a divine act of deliverance. And I am laying claim to that today. Please pray with me that he will deliver me from these two areas of extreme oppression in my life.
1. is having a proper and healthy attitude toward sex. (my childhood has given me so much baggage in this area).
2. is connected to deep rooted issues of rejection and insecurity. also a product of my past.
again, I look to those words;
"From now on I'm taking the yoke from your neck and splitting it up for kindling. I'm cutting you free from the ropes of your bondage."
I claim it. Pray that it will be a mighty moment of God powered deliverance in my life. AMEN!
I just had it brought to my attention that Nahum 1 is TOMORROW'S scheduled reading. I find it extra remarkable that every single morning I need to "look up" where I am supposed to be reading from and never "remember" on my own, but this morning I distinctly "remembered" that I was supposed to be starting Nahum today, without checking the schedule. Wrong according to the schedule but so right according to Gods' timetable. He had a word for me today and no schedule was going to come in the way from Him speaking it over me. That gives me goosebumps. I didn't share all the details of why this verse was so incredibly powerful for me this morning, but the truth is that last night my husband and I discussed these strongholds in my life, and he told me that the reason I feel I am wrestling through quicksand when it comes to moving past them is because I am still trying to "fix" this myself. That what I needed was to recognize that only God can deliver me from this through a miraculous act of redemptive deliverance (redeeming these areas of my life that have been strongholds for the lies of the enemy that is, not redeeming me as a person.). So he spoke over me and prayed over me, and this morning this verse from the Lord. It knocked the breath right out of me. And continues to do so even more now that I know "remembered" the wrong passage. Beth Moore says; "He brought it to my remembrance". Yes. Yes he did. :)
"Within himself he was thinking, 'But surely nothing bad will happen in my lifetime. I'll enjoy peace and stability as long as I live.'"
Wow. This guy was so wrapped up in himself. He was totally all about the here and now and not thinking at all about the eternal. More and more lately I have been thinking about how our DAILY lives and our MOMENTARY choices need to be an investment in eternity. We were not put on this earth to store up wealth or to have the time of our lives. We were put on this earth to learn to love and further our relationship with God and to work in every way possible to bring about reconciliation between God and His fallen creation.
acts 2
"thoroughly accredited by God to you"
just like Christ, we are "fully accredited, stamped with His spirit, commissioned to further and strengthen His kingdom. This week God has been showing me how it is not about my strengths or weaknesses, not about me, but about Him in me. His power at work in me. I "know" this, but to really, really understand this on an existential level is different from just acknowledging it in my head.
also have an all new appreciation for the sound of that "gale force wind", the other night I couldn't help but just sit at the window and listen and watch that power at work outside. It was something else. It truly brings to mind the power of the Lord that is so beyond our imaginings.
1 Thes 1:3 "Our God gives you everything you need, makes you everything you're to be."
"pray that God will make you fit for what He's called you to be, pray that He'll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with His own energy sot hat it all amounts to something."
this is God's message to me lately, repeatedly. It's His plan for me, it's Him at work in me, everything I am and do must be rooted in, will stem from, grow, blossom and bloom in and because of Him.
something else that touched my heart this morning, from "The Great House of God" by Max Lucado. "Even here in God's living room, you never unwind. Others put on slippers, you put on a front. Others relax, you remain stiff. Always on your best behavior, ever anxious that you will slip up and God will notice and out you'll go. I understand your anxiety. OUr experience with people has taught us that what is promised and what is presented aren't always the same. and for some, the thought of trusting a Heavenly Father is doubly difficult because your earthly father disappointed or mistreated you."
I got a glimpse into my inner workings this morning and into the tender loving heart of God. I love the Max paints word pictures of the God who loves me. It melts my heart and reminds me how blessed and graced I am to call the Lord of the Universe Father.
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