Monday: Genesis 43
Tuesday: 1 Samuel 14Wednesday: Psalm 68
Thursday: Jeremiah 6
Friday: Lamentations 5
Saturday: Matthew 8Sunday Hebrews 12
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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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17 comments:
"If you are praying for relief from suffering or pressure and God is not bringing it as quickly as you like remember that God may be leading you to special treasures."
♫"when the waves are takin' you under, hold on just a little bit longer. He knows that this is gonna make you stronger." ♫
The lyrics to this song have been my theme song this week;
You must
You must think I'm strong
To give me what I'm going through
Well, forgive me
Forgive me if I'm wrong
But this looks like more than I can do
On my own
I know I'm not strong enough to be
Everything that I'm supposed to be
I give up
I'm not strong enough
Hands of mercy won't you cover me
Lord right now I'm asking you to be
Strong enough, strong enough
For both of us
Well maybe
Maybe that's the point
To reach the point of giving up
Cause when I'm finally
Finally at rock bottom
That's when I start looking up
And reaching out
I know I'm not strong enough to be
Everything that I'm supposed to be
I give up
I'm not strong enough
Hands of mercy won't you cover me
Lord right now I'm asking you to be
Strong enough, strong enough
Cause I'm broken down to nothing
But I'm still holding on to one thing
You are God and you are strong when
I am weak
I can do all things through Christ who
Gives me strength
And i don't have to be strong enough (2x)
I know I'm not strong enough to be
Everything that I'm supposed to be
I give up
I'm not strong enough
Hands of mercy won't you cover me
Lord right now I'm asking you to be
Strong enough, strong enough
"have you ever felt surrounded by the enemy? God is never overwhelmed by the size of the enemy or the complexity of a problem. With him there are always enough resources to resist the pressures and win the battle... rely upon Him to lead you to victory."
Yes, yes and yes! Amen, amen and Amen! I was just shaking my head yesterday at the spiritual high I was on a few weeks ago... I couldn't keep my hands down even while driving I was so full of God's spirit charging me, lifting me. Then this week, CRASH. Absolute low. Full on assault. But I didn't give up. I cried out, and God came in to do His thing and deliver and He has lifted me back up and restored my joy.
"when you are facing a difficult situation that is beyond your control (or strength) ask yourself, what steps can I take now to work toward a solution? A few small steps may be just what is needed to begin the chain of events leading to victory."
this is so true. I knew that I was in a bad spot because of spiritual attack, but I also knew that my lifestyle was not HELPING. Staying up too late, spreading myself too thin, not covering myself with enough prayer before going into spiritually and emotionally draining situations, not getting my own needs for solitude met, etc. I knew that I not only needed prayer, I needed to start safeguarding my schedule and my life if I wanted to have my sanity restored.
"After being king for several years, Saul finally built his first altar to God, but only as a last resort. Throughout Saul's reign he consistently approached god only after he had tried everything else. How much better if Saul had gone to God first... God is too great to be an afterthought. When we turn to Him first we will never have to turn to Him as a last resort."
So convicting. I was slipping in my disciplines of seeking God first thing. Excusing and justifying. I'm tired, I'm still doing family devotions in the morning with the kids, I glean stuff from that. But I wasn't taking that time to truly hear from God, journal, confess, examine my heart in light of what I was hearing, and it showed. I was letting life crowd God out. It didn't take long for the proof to show up in the pudding. When life hit me, my shield was down.
My last 4 days with God have been intensely wonderful and intimate. A new level of self examination and communion.
So glad to hear that you've been having such wonderful times with God. I've been praying for you.
PC, that is so AWESOME! Your joy is spilling out of this comment! I LOVE it! I love that you have been having intensely wonderful and intimate times with God! What could be better than that??!! NOTHING!
Funny, I have SO been feeling the SAME way! And those exact notes were the ones that stood out for me as well!
Other comments that stood out for me:
“Have you ever felt surrounded by the “enemy” or faced overwhelming odds? God is never intimidated by the size of the enemy or the complexity of a problem. With him, there are always enough resources to resist the pressures and win the battle. If God has called you to action, then bravely commit what resources you have to God, and rely upon him to lead you to victory.”
When I first considered applying for The Freedom Climb I was overwhelmed by what I would have to do, money raised, life organized, etc. But I totally feel called to action here! And Rob kept telling me not to worry about that stuff – God can totally provide, just trust in Him and let Him lead me! I can’t wait to hear back from OM that it is official so that I can go hard!
>>If God has called you to action, then bravely commit what resources you have to God, and rely upon him to lead you to victory.”<<
These words specifically jumped out at me as God's word to you, Denise! BE BRAVE... rely upon Him to lead you to basecamp! :)
Psalm 68
“When we consider all God has done for us, we should feel an overwhelming sense of awe as we kneel before the Lord in his sanctuary. Nature surrounds us with countless signs of God’s wonderful power. His unlimited power and unspeakable majesty leave us breathless in his presence. How fortunate we are that God cares for us.”
“Those who refuse to turn to God will be crushed by sin and death. They will be trapped by the sin they loved and destroyed by the death they feared.” This makes me so sad for my family . I have only just started praying *with conviction* that they will come to know Jesus (instead of praying with the attitude of yes please Lord but I know it ain’t gonna happen).
I keep thinking too, of yesterday’s readings 1 Samuel 14. “Saul’s poor leadership was not a result of personality traits but of decaying spiritual character. What we do is often a direct result of our spiritual condition. We cannot ignore the importance of spiritual character in effective leadership.” This really makes me think of my ‘leadership’ as a mom and how when I far from the Lord and feeling down it greatly effects my relationship with my kids in a negative way. Feeling close to God and being on a ‘spiritual high’, bursting with joy for God and life – it can’t help but to make me a better mom who is a far better ‘leader’ for the kids in all things!
Thanks PC! I will try to be brave! To base camp I go! I know this deep in my heart! I HAVE to go!
"God places the lonely in families. He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy." v6
I love this verse. It has been true for me.
"Gd is awesome in His sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to His people. Praise be to God!" v35
Amen!!!
Joan, and Lois and Denise, you don't know how thankful I am for the prayers you prayed for me last week. I know I wouldn't be where I am today without them. Thank you for fighting for me
You are VERY welcome! Love and prayers to you! And thank you for doing the same!
Jeremiah 6
v2 "O Jerusalem, you are my beautiful and delicate daughter- but I will destroy you!"
God tears us down to build us up. Strips us bare to clothe us in His qualities, destroys us in order to remake us in His image.
V8 "I always see her sickness and sores. Listen to this warning, Jerusalem, or I will turn from you in disgust."
We love to think of God's positive qualities. His loving kindness, patience and grace. We love to think of Him perfectly loving us despite our imperfections. And He does perfectly love us. But that is not because we are perfect in His eyes, it is because His love is perfect. We find it hard to admit how disgusting our sin and rebellion is to Him. He is not disgusted by US but by our behavior.
v10-11 "To whom can I give warning? Who will listen when I speak? Their ears are closed and they cannot hear. They scorn the word of the Lord. They don't want to listen at all."
My prayer for the children I impact in my home, in my circle of influence, in kids club and kids feature is that God's spirit would draw them to understand how important His word is for their spiritual existence. That generations would come behind us that value, prioritize and cherish time in God's word, hearing from Him, speaking with Him, girding their days with the sound of His voice and the truth of HIs character.
v14 "They offer superficial treatments for my people's mortal wound."
Dr. Phil. That's all I can think of when I read this verse. All the self help talk in this world is not going to help someone whose life is void of God and Christ.
Jeremiah 6
6:10
“The people became angry and closed their ears. They wanted no part of God’s commands because living for God did not appear very exciting. As in Jeremiah’s day, people today dislike God’s demand for disciplined living. As unsettling as people’s responses might be, we must continue to share God’s Word. Our responsibility is to present God’s Word; their responsibility is to accept it. We must not let what people want to hear determine what we say.”
I have been closed-lipped about Jesus for practically my entire Christian life because I do not like conflict (I avoid conflict like the plague! And conflict is what it would be if I discussed my beliefs with my family) and I did not want people think of me as I used to think of those ‘crazy, weird, religious people’. God is calling me to announce my beliefs in a pretty dramatic way (through The Freedom Climb) and it is a little scary for me but something I am excited about too!!
6:25
“Ominous travel warning, increased threat levels, and tight security were as much a part of life in ancient Israel as they are in the world today. Terrorism, in one form or another, has been a tactic throughout history. The question raised about such real or potential dangers forces us to examine our sense of ultimate security. Whether the outlook is bleak or hopeful, do we actually trust in God? Or does our trust last only as long as the threat seems distant?”
When I was deciding whether or not to apply for The Freedom Climb one of the barriers my heart was facing was the thought of something happening to me and me not being able to be here for my children. This is still a fear of mine but I need to trust that God will keep me safe.
Lamentations 5
It seems like the readings have been so heavy handed and depressing this week, or is it just me, seeing the "dark" side after just having so freshly been pulled out of it?
v 15 Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning, the garlands have falled nfrom our heads... our hearts are sick and weary and our eyes grow dim wiht tears...
v19 But Lord, you remain the same forever!... Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again! Give us back the joys we once had!"
I praise God for His faithfulness, His power and His restoration today.
Lamentations 5
"A high calling flouted by low living results in deep suffering. Lamentations gives us a portrait of the bitter suffering the people of Jerusalem experienced when sin caught up with them and God turned his back on them. Every material goal they had lived for collapsed. But although God turned away from them because of their sin, he did not abandon them - that was their great hope. Despite their sinful past, God would restore them if they returned to him. Hope is found only in the Lord. Thus, our grief should turn us toward him, not away from him."
mat 8 "you may find that following Christ may cost you friendship, leisure time or treasured habits. While the cost of following Christ is high, the value of being Christ's disciple is even higher. Discipleship is an investment that lasts for eternity and yields incredible rewards."
Last week I reached the end of my emotional and physical energies. I looked at my life and realized that all the needs of everyone in my life was too much for me. But it is not too much for God. Jesus led a very exhausting life, He experienced burn out. He was not supernatural in that he could survive without sleep, recharging, food and time alone with the Father any more than we can.
God showed me that He can infuse me with strength that surpasses my understanding. He can carry me, He can restore my joy and peace and goodwill when it is waning. I must plug into His power and grace, because trying to function on my own strength is scary and exhausting and messy.
Matthew 8
We should not turn our backs on people who are 'unclean' or repulsive to us or who violate our moral standard and relgious beliefs. Instead, we must realize that every human individual is a unique creation of God, needing to be touched by his love.
Heb 12
"Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that trips us up. Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus the \champion who initiates and perfects our faith."
bible notes: The christian life involves hard work. It requires us to give up whatever endangers our relationship with God... To live effectively we must keep our eyes on Jesus. We will stumble if we look away from Him to stare at ourselves or at the circumstances surrounding us. We should be running for Christ, not ourselves, and we must always keep Him in sight."
Keeping our eyes fixed on Christ, focusing... stumbling when we get distracted from the target... being hampered by weights of distractions we allow to hinder and clog and dull our senses to What REally Matters. All such timely words for me yesterday.
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