For Lord’s Day, January 1, 2012

Dear Saints,

We enter a New Year together this Lord’s Day! As we begin the next year of our Lord, I encourage you to try reading the entire Bible through 2012. Even if you don’t make it through entirely, you’ll read more than you likely would without a plan. If you have never read the whole Bible, this is a good time to give it a try. The Lord will reward you.

Elder Huffmaster has found an online Bible reading schedule that he recommends. This week, the e-devotion will be his testimony of using a Bible reading schedule to share with all of you and encourage you to read your whole Bible in 2012 with a plan that will help you do so. The links to online reading schedules follows below with the weekly links to the bulletin, etc.

Here’s what Elder Huffmaster has to share:

2 Peter 3:18: “But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen”

How many times have I sat down and thought, “What should I read today?” Then I spend some time trying to figure it out, and eventually get frustrated and I either fail to read anything or I read a familiar passage and then close the Bible and go away somewhat unsatisfied. Then maybe I pick up a devotional book on the Bible; while these are good and have their place, and I have been blessed by these books, I don’t want them to take the place of my Bible reading. Nothing should ever take the place of regularly scheduled reading through the Bible.

My problem was that I didn’t have a plan. If you struggle to read your Bible, perhaps this also may be your problem. Often, we don’t approach the Bible with a plan to read it through in a daily disciplined manner. Often, we just pick something without giving it much thought and read it. We read it in a disjointed way and we don’t get much out of it.

My goal is to read through the Bible at least once a year. I want to read through God’s Word in a disciplined way to remember it, to learn from it, to pray it, and to apply it in my daily life.

Some things that I have found out this year following a schedule:

• I have found that a schedule doesn’t make me read. I still have to make myself do it. It takes a certain amount of time and discipline every day. But the more I follow it, the more I am blessed.

• I have found a schedule gives me a good place to start everyday. That helps me to be more consistent in my reading.

• A schedule isn’t written in stone. I can make adjustments to it so it can fit my needs. I can add to it if I like and read more, or reduce the amount that I read so it is more manageable. I control the schedule and it helps me. I don’t have to stop just because I read my scheduled reading for the day. Do what you can manage and grow from there.

• I have been blessed by using a schedule because it gives me structure that I need to succeed. I don’t have to spend any time or energy thinking about what I am going to read. I just follow the schedule and read it. I know what I need to read that day to meet my goal so I don’t have to be distracted by considering what to read. I simply follow the schedule.

• Having a schedule also gave me a reason to get up in the morning because I know what’s there for me to read. I have something to accomplish.

• Following a schedule also keeps me from ignoring the less interesting parts of the Bible, because if I follow it I will read the whole Bible.

• A schedule helps me remember where I read something, because I can remember what day I read something and go back and find it easier.

• A schedule helps me to chart my progress and to see improvement. When you make progress, it is encouraging and a reason to praise the Lord. If you follow the schedule, then you will read through the Bible yearly. How motivating!

• It also makes me pray more, because I desire that God would bless my efforts as sometimes the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

• A schedule helps me to stay on target with my reading, and the more I read the more God allows me to grow in grace and knowledge. The more I read, the more God brings His Word to my mind in time of need.

• I have rediscovered that God’s Word gives you things to pray about, because God is speaking to you when you read it.

• What is best about a schedule is that it helps me to stay on course and read the Bible on a regular basis. Reading the Bible on a consistent basis helps me greatly in my walk with the Lord and in my prayer life. I think about God more, and that is a real blessing.

I did not start this schedule last January, but I do plan on starting it again this coming year. Lord willing, I will have success.

It is important that you find a schedule that is manageable for you. If the schedule is too ambitious then you will not do it. You will likely become overwhelmed and stop — like trying to lift too much weight too soon. If it is too easy, however, you might stop because it isn’t a challenge — like working out with too light of weight and seeing no improvement. The point is, a schedule works, so find one what works for you and enjoy!

Here is a web site that has many plans to pick from if you don’t have one already. I’m sure you can find one to fit your need.

http://www.intothyword.org/pages.asp?pageid=53493

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/

May our Lord bless you in your daily reading of His precious word.

Thanks for the example and encouragement, Elder Huffmaster!

Here also is a Bible Word List and Reading Scheme that the Trinitarian Bible Society provides free online: http://www.trinitarianbiblesociety.org/site/articles/bwl.pdf It helpfully supplies definitions of some older English words in the King James Bible before then providing a suggested reading schedule.

Semper Reformanda,

Pastor Grant