I copied the form and elected to use one of the methods he suggested - beginning in Genesis, Job and Matthew - reading a chapter a day from these three starting points (3 total daily) and then 5 chapters on Sunday. So far, so good! I like the variety this offers.
Whitney asks, "How can one LIVE on 'EVERY word that proceeds out of the mouth of God' (Mt. 4:4) if he's never even READ every word?" Hmmmmmm. Good question!
I read the Bible through in 2008--successfully. And I'm really glad I did. I thought I would do it again this year, but I decided I want to focus on some in depth study and Bible memory work. Also, so far, so good.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you Rebecca, I have tried a few times myself but always get lost in the chapter with all of the names. Pastor says it's alright to skip that one but I went ahead and bought a new Lutheran study bible and journal. It's really great. It has so many footnotes and references. I just start reading it and when I have questions I just look down the page. Plus you can write all of your thoughts, questions and favorite verses in the journal. It is the first time that I have been able to get through the chapters and actually understand things that before I didn't. It makes for very interesting and easy reading. I get a lot of ah ha moments!
ReplyDeleteLove Di
Di, That study Bible with journal sounds REALLY helpful! We'll probably run into a lot of things we STILL don't understand completely...but so far, I, too, am finding some very "interesting and easy" reading.
ReplyDeleteDonna, didn't you do it in 2009? Or WAS it 2008? I admire EVERYONE who sticks to the task no matter what the year was/is. And I admire you for taking on the memory work this year.
ReplyDeleteEach time (in my life) I have read the Bible through, GOD has revealed HIMSELF to me in new ways! May GOD bless your journey with HIM.
ReplyDeleteandrea
Oh Im with you to :)
ReplyDeleteThis is the second year, the boys and I are reading thru the Bible again. I use it as part of their curriculum, so it helps me stay consistent.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your time with The Lord!
It is good to see you smiling :-)
maria
I love studying the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter in my Sunday School class and God is evealing his character to us more and more but I have never made it all the way through reading from beginning to end. I think you will make it through this year as you seem to have the right drive and determination you did with your weight loss. Just want to add...you have a nice smile:)
ReplyDeleteDee...Drive and determination AND God's grace. You make a point, though. Some of the skills/habits we acquire in one area of our lives can be transferable.....I'll have to remember that when I meet up with those famous genealogical chapters!
ReplyDeleteI've never read the Bible cover to cover, I've always skipped around, I did do different Bible studies and courses over the years. I find them all interesting, but so confusing too, different courses, different studies, different leaders, different religions, all tell me different things about the exact same verses!
ReplyDeleteI know this is going to sound horrible, but I almost get sick of hearing and reading "Well, what the writers at that time meant was..." and then you get a zillion different takes on what one verse means. At first I found it all so interesting, until I started reading so many things that contradicted each other (just simple things like the Star that the Wise Men followed, and the Nativity scene not being at all what we depict it to be). I choose to believe the way I did when I was little, seriously, I'm simple-minded that way. Doing in-depth studies doesn't always make me feel closer to God, they just muddle my mind.
And forget about it when my family gets together (lots of different religions here), when we get on the subject of religion, sparks fly with so many different impassioned beliefs!
Does anyone else feel this way or am I alone in my thinking?
Do you think it's wrong to believe that the Bible is speaking to you alone? Does it always have to be that it was saying something specific to the people of that time-period? And then I just start thinking that maybe everything is twisted.
When I was a teenager I used to say a prayer and then flip through the Bible and stop on a random page and run my finger to any random line and I would think it was a message from God to me. Then a priest told me how wrong that was, he said I was treating God's Word as some kind of magic formula. I guess he was right, but to be honest, I kind of missed that routine.
Well, this is such a long comment, Rebecca, SORRY! I guess your post awakened something in me.
Love to you,
Eileen
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ReplyDeleteEileen, I'll try to write more to you but here are a few verses that immediately came to my mind when I "heard" your frustrations....
ReplyDeleteJohn 14:26, Hebrews 11-14, Ephesians 4:11-14, Acts 17:11 and I Timothy 1:6-7*.
I believe that you will do what you set your heart and mind to do. You will be blessed.
ReplyDelete