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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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7 comments:
"Amaziah did what the Lord said was right, but he did not really want to obey him." v2
Wow. This gave me pause for thought. David sinned, doing what he did NOT want to do, but his attitude (one of sincere and heartbroken repentance and a hunger to be more obedient) made him a man who was considered by God himself, "a man after God's own heart." Yet here we have Amaziah, obeying the law, but in his heart he was not *really* submitted, not really desiring to be like God. Complying to "rules" without having a heart for God, actually, when you think about it, the Pharisees were exactly like that. They trusted in their own "good behavior" to get them through the doors of heaven, but their hearts were far from seeking the Lord and the Spirit of the Lord in the way they lived.
"You can make yourself strong for war, but God will defeat you. He has th epower to help you or to defeat you." v8
When we choose to pursue something that is outside God's will for us we put ourselves directly at odds with Him. How do we think we can possibly "win" under those circumstances???
"But what about.... (what I've already invested here)? "The man of God answered, "The Lord can give you much more than that." v9
I LOVE this. Trust, obey, be blessed abundantly. Don't think that you can "out-give" or "out-take" God in order to get ahead. The way to get ahead is to be securely in his shadow and he will pour out His wealth (figuratively speaking, but material provision can apply too) and blessing.
"We never gave you the job of advising the king. Stop, or you will be killed." v16
What an IDIOT. Seriously, worshipping the idols of the people he DEFEATED? Like, what's with that??? Doh! And then this, shutting down the ony wise counsel he received, refusing to listen to common sense and reason. Retarded.
"But Amaziah would not listen. God caused this to happen so that Jehoash would defeat Judah, because Judah asked for help from the gods of Edom." v20
We talked at length about a similar situation in school yesterday. The passage was where David took the census of his men, in disobedience to God, but it actually says in one place that "God made David..." do it, and in another place that "Satan incited David to do it...". My curriculum went into length talking about the sovreignty of God and the will of man, it was SO good, maybe because it was written for kids, I could finally wrap my brain around it a bit better.
Basically it was saying that when we are stubborn and disobedient, God uses our erring will to make us do something that will then play into the hand of a consequence He has planned. Same thing with Pharaoh's hardened heart. Pharaoh already had a stubborn heart prone to hardening against the Lord, God used that and hardened his already hard heart to make him do something that would bring about God's consequences.
In this way God uses even our free will to His purposes. Amaziah was already a stubborn fool, and God utilized that stubborness and foolishness to bring about a consequence. God is in control. Even when we are. Wild.
Reading of Amaziah's self destruction was unnerving... So many warnings where given him and he heard them not. It all went sour in a serious way! Battles utterly lost, captivity and eventually assassination! I pray I will always be open to the truth!
How often do I make decisions on my own? Even when God sends a word to lead me right again? How often do I quickly loose sight of God after a 'win' and quickly become taken with an idol of pleasure in my life? We fail everyone around us and hurt so many as well as ourselves. The beauty of doing it Gods way is that he is able to do right for all involved, something we are incapable of on our own.
As usual it is more important to follow the heart of the law and the heart of God and not be just about the rules.
P.S. The translation I am using today says "and he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart.' I wasn't sure what to get from LOYAL so if anyone can share their translations version of that verse I would appreciate it.
Your comment popped up as I posted mine! I was really moved by so many verses in this chapter! v8 and v9 carried a real punch for me! Appreciate your understanding of where my version said loyalty! I for one wanna obey and want to be on Gods side! Love your comparison to David! I had an amen of agreement as soon as I read it! SO TRUE!
Mine says "He did right in the sight of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart" - like following the letter but not the heart of the law.
I had a lot of the same thoughts. But my favorite part was when he asks what he's supposed to do about the men he hired, and the prophet says "The Lord has much more to give you than this". How often we hold on to our small things when God is just waiting for us to give them to Him so that He can give us so much more. I'm going to contemplate that today...
I was also appalled at his refusal to receive the words of wisdom. And then I thought about how hard it can be to receive words like that which are true but which tell you something that you don't really want to hear. I hope I have enough wisdom and humility to receive words like that.
Thanks you guys. I have been blessed by reading your discussion. My brain is on hold at the moment so reading it is all I can handle tonight.
I have to make another comment on here ladies! I haven't had time in the Word for a long time and this week I felt like this blog made it easy for me. I have been stressed all week about a study starting last night and when I got feed through this chapter I just felt it was for a reason. Turns out we all came together with much on our hearts to share and it all connected and this chapter was absolutely part of the message the Lord had for our new group! I am so very thankful I took the time to sign on here and see where you guys where at and join in a bit! The Spirit really reminded me about how we are all connected in Christ and how that isn't limited by geography or life stories! I know I am not very faithful about this site but thanks so much for continuing it ladies! Often I have been popping in without commenting. TTFN
Thank you for this. It's been great to have your thoughts here. I have to admit just last week or the week before I wondered why I bother to keep coming here sometimes, when noone else is here, and it's just "one more thing" for me accomplish in a day, but the Lord challenged me to stay faithful, so all of the fellowship you and others have been sharing here has been a blessing and encouragement to me this week. I long for fellowship, and I LOVE this kind of interaction. It is a huge blessing and encouragement to my faith walk.
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