May the mumbling commence!
I have spent this morning in some prayerful reflection. Tomorrow is the first day of spring – March twentieth. Though spring has not begun according to the calendar, I have seen plenty of signs of spring. Trees are blooming and the grass is greening with the help of the gently falling rain. Flowers are starting to pop up out of the ground. It is a time of celebration of new life.
These thoughts were going through my head as I thought about the completion of the entire chronological Bible – albeit with some detours that life put in my path. I had been pondering how to go on from here. This time I have been spending with the Lord and with you has been a reawakening of sorts for me.
Almost twelve years ago, I started on a journey to read some the Bible every day and journal my thoughts. I started on Sunday, July ninth of 2000. I know this date because I dug around in the basement and found my box of journals. I spent an hour or so reading through that first journal. I wonder what kind of devotions to God others have stored away in their basement or closet or garage or storage unit.
Well, about five years ago, my journey to read the Bible every day and journal came to a halt. A couple of years ago, I began the journey again – only I did not journal. In January of 2011, I started to journal again. And the journal morphed into this blog.
After reflection, I remember how difficult it was for me to begin the journey almost twelve years ago. I also remember the book that helped me successfully start that journey. It is called Reading the Bible for Yourself by Tim LaHaye. Yes, that same Tim LaHaye that helped to write the Left Behind Series. Regardless of what I thought about Left Behind (I am not sure either about the strength of the theology or about the strength of the story telling), I think this non-fiction book by LaHaye helped me immensely.
I wondered how many of my readers might have the same struggles at starting the journey to a daily Bible reading. I thought I might walk through LaHaye’s method for reading through the Bible with you all. But I had given away my copy of the book. (Don’t say it Anita – my darling wife. She would have kept it.) So, I found the book online and ordered it. I had hoped it might arrive by today. It still might. I don’t know if the mail has come today yet. I’ll check again soon.
I remember that LaHaye suggested a journal. After looking at my journal, I think that he suggested looking for specific things while reading the Bible. They are: personal messages from God, promises from God, commands to keep, and timeless principles. Out of these things, LaHaye suggested that one might find ways to apply the Bible to daily life. I think that is what attracted me to the method. It gave me a purpose for reading the Bible that was clear.
I also deduce that Mr. LaHaye asked people new to daily Bible reading begin with a letter of the New Testament – the letter of First John. He asked that new daily readers read the entire letter of First John once a day for a week and journal. And that is what I will be doing. When I did this almost twelve years ago, I fell in love with First John and this method of Bible reading. I hope you will, too. It would make my joy complete.
The author of First John gave a number of reasons for writing the letter. I will think about the author’s reasons to write the letter tomorrow. I will leave you today with the first reason stated in the letter:
We write this to make our joy complete. (First John 1:4)
Spring has sprung. Tomorrow it will be official. Spring means new life. Let us embark together on a journey to new life in Christ. Your first step might be tomorrow. Or it may be step number two-billion, three-hundred-thousand, seven-hundred twenty-one. Each step is essential in finding the way and path of Jesus. I invite all readers on this journey to interact with me and one another on this BlogSpot.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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