The Power of Reading God’s Word
Can you believe it? Another year is almost
history. A new year is about to begin!
When it comes to your pursuit of personal
growth, development and transformation, will 2017 be any different than 2016?
One decision – one small decision – can
radically change your life!
Why not make a decision to read the Bible daily, systematically,
for an entire year?
Why?
1) Direction and guidance.
God’s Word
provides reliable direction and guidance for life.
“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and
a light for my path.”
—Psalm 119:105 NLT
Most of us
could use some reliable direction and guidance. I’ve been amazed at how a
commitment to spending time in God’s Word on a daily basis gives me the
direction and guidance I need for issues that I face in life.
2) Insight and understanding.
God’s Word
contains uncanny insight and understanding when it comes to a variety of
issues.
I’m
regularly blown away by how God’s Word reveals issues in me that need to be
dealt with, issues that have the power to sabotage my life and damage
relationships.
Hebrews 4:12 says it like this: “For the word of
God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword,
cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our
innermost thoughts and desires.”
The Living Bible says, “…it
exposes us for what we really are.”
Daily time
in God’s Word helps me examine my heart, motives and attitudes. Are they
healthy? Have I drifted into selfishness? Am I becoming the person I was
created to be?
The
unfolding of your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.
—Psalm 119:130 NIV
3) Strength and encouragement.
Life can
wear you down. But a few minutes daily in God’s Word, restores our strength and
provides perspective.
My soul is
weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.
—Psalm 119:28 NIV
4)
Peace
A question I
regularly ask myself goes something like this: “Am I running my day or is my day
running me?”
Taking 15-20
minutes first thing in the morning to read God’s Word, often gives me the peace
and stability
I need to tackle what could be a challenging and otherwise hectic day.
Great peace
have those who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble.
—Psalm 119:165 NIV
NEXT QUESTION: Have you selected a Bible Reading Plan for
2017?
Over the
years I've used a variety of plans.
https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/24-mcheyne-one-year-reading-plan
https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/64-reading-gods-story
https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/29-esv-study-bible
My
favorite of these plans has been the M’Cheyne
One-Year Plan. I’ve used it several times.
However, I
recently ran across a new plan I’ve
decided to use for 2017. It’s called the “5 Day Bible Reading Program” and was developed by Bible Class Material.
You can
access a free PDF of the plan here:
You can
also access an app for the "5 Day
Bible Reading Program" here:
NOTE: After accessing the app, you will
need to select the "5 Day Bible
Reading Program." Also, this app, simply provides a schedule and tracker for the reading plan. It doesn’t provide the actual
passages.
Why am I
using this plan?
1) Its Design
I like the
way it's designed. Each day usually consists of 2-3 of chapters in the OT, a
psalm and a chapter in the NT.
2) It's Do-able
Each day's
reading only takes about 15 minutes, depending upon your reading speed. That's do-able.
Also,
since it's a "5 Day Plan" there are days built in for "make
up" reading, should you fall behind. You can also use those days to
"take a break" from the plan in order to read the passages your small
group is covering that week or for personal Bible reading and study. That’s a
big help to me, especially on the weekends.
3) It even offers a study guide.
I'm not
sure how much I'll be using the companion study material, but, if you want some
additional insights to assist you in your understanding, Bible Class Material
has developed “The Reader's Companion”
to assist you in understanding the content you'll be covering each week.
NOTE: The companion material is NOT
free. The downloadable pdf is $9.99 plus a $1 processing fee. You can access
the companion material here:
So, that’s
it. One small decision that could radically change your life: read your Bible.
If you're
looking for a well-designed, doable plan that offers some helps, check out the
5 Day Bible Reading Program.
It's the
plan I'm going with in 2017. I'm already excited about taking another journey
through the Bible!
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Unfortunately, the 5 Day Reading Program is NOT available as a Reading Plan via
the YouVersion.com app. However, you can still read the
daily selections on the 5 Day Reading Plan by pulling the selections for that
day up on YouVersion and/or BibleGateway. That's what I'll be doing..
This one small decision really could change your life!
Why not “JUMP IN” to a
new Bible Reading Plan today?
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