Last year I made the lofty goal of reading through the Bible in 90 days. In theory, I should have made it through the Bible four times in 2011. In theory. In a spirit of transparency, I confess that I made it to Jeremiah in 365 days. That isn't to say that I didn't read other parts of the Bible last year, but I didn't come close to making it from Genesis to Revelation and all that good stuff in between in 90 days or any other time frame.
I was discouraged about this in December when I stumbled across a friend's Facebook post about reading through the Bible in 365 days. Hmmm. Mathematically I stand a much better chance of success with this reading program, so I sent this friend a message, downloaded the reading plan, and choose a comfy Bible reading spot. When January 2012 rolled around I was ready and excited. I hope that feeling continues.
Of course, the reading for January 1 started with "In the beginning...". There is no better opening to greet a person on a first page of any book. From those three words unfold a narrative that can take your breath away and change your heart. Because I have been studying Bible with the kids for home school beginning with Genesis, I have read those first three chapters frequently over the last few months. As I prepared to tackle the creation account once again, I decided to make a list of the "verbs of God" just to get a visual for His work during those first days of the world. As I looked at the completed list, I had to smile. Change the verb tense, and you are reading a list of what God is still actively doing today. Take a look.
What God did in Genesis: created, said, saw, separated, called, made, blessed, completed, rested, sanctified.
What He is doing in my life and lives around me: creating, speaking, seeing, separating, calling, making, blessing, completing, and sanctifying. (And, although God did not need to rest in Genesis, He did so to set a pattern for my life today - work for six days then rest for one.)
So much has changed since the creation of the world, but God's work hasn't. He is still the same God, still doing the miraculous and amazing all around us.
I think 2012 is going to be a good year.
I was discouraged about this in December when I stumbled across a friend's Facebook post about reading through the Bible in 365 days. Hmmm. Mathematically I stand a much better chance of success with this reading program, so I sent this friend a message, downloaded the reading plan, and choose a comfy Bible reading spot. When January 2012 rolled around I was ready and excited. I hope that feeling continues.
Of course, the reading for January 1 started with "In the beginning...". There is no better opening to greet a person on a first page of any book. From those three words unfold a narrative that can take your breath away and change your heart. Because I have been studying Bible with the kids for home school beginning with Genesis, I have read those first three chapters frequently over the last few months. As I prepared to tackle the creation account once again, I decided to make a list of the "verbs of God" just to get a visual for His work during those first days of the world. As I looked at the completed list, I had to smile. Change the verb tense, and you are reading a list of what God is still actively doing today. Take a look.
What God did in Genesis: created, said, saw, separated, called, made, blessed, completed, rested, sanctified.
What He is doing in my life and lives around me: creating, speaking, seeing, separating, calling, making, blessing, completing, and sanctifying. (And, although God did not need to rest in Genesis, He did so to set a pattern for my life today - work for six days then rest for one.)
So much has changed since the creation of the world, but God's work hasn't. He is still the same God, still doing the miraculous and amazing all around us.
I think 2012 is going to be a good year.
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