When I first read through the bible in a year several years ago it was because my parents got me a One Year Bible for Easter. It was awesome. In fact that is where my focused time with God was spent for a couple years... When I was in Florida I would just leave my bible opened to the appropriate date on my desk... It was easy. I just plopped down and read. When I missed a day I would skip it and turn to where I was supposed to be. I got familiar with the Bible over those years.
But, I love the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan for many reasons... one is I am very likely to miss a day. So, instead of having to make it up if I want to understand the story, the DJ plan only has 25 readings a month. So, I can miss a couple times and still not get behind. Then if I keep up I have extra days that I can do any number of things with. I can meditate on a verse, I can take a question that came up earlier in the month and pursue it deeper. I can study a book in the bible that I haven't read in a while, etc...
That's a great reason but the real reason why I wanted to write this is... when you read the DJ reading plan you start with a gospel every day all year. So, your mind is thinking Christ at the very beginning. Then you begin to see Him in every verse that you read. So, when you are reading in Genesis and seeing the wrath of God being poured out on say Sodom and Gomorrah you are thinking about the grace of Christ and the extreme patience of God that He didn't do that to everyone. We are wicked like them but you have been spared because of the Grace and provision of Jesus. I think it is so important to see the thread of Jesus in the whole bible. Jesus when talking to his disciples on the road to Emmaus, "explained to them what was said in the all the scriptures concerning himself" (Luke 24: 27). So, Jesus points out that all the scriptures are talking about and directing us to Himself. Then when Jesus is refuting the Jews he says, "you diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life" (John 5:39-49). There is a way to read scripture without seeing Christ and coming to Him. And, that is the wrong way. All the Scriptures testify about Jesus. Every single verse in the bible is meant to direct you to the Messiah on the the Cross. Jesus poured out. Absorbing the full wrath of God and providing a way to connect us with God.
So, as you read I hope you are blessed to have the right perspective. I hope you can see God's redemptive plan from even before creation. His absolute sovereign Grace weaved through the whole narrative of the bible. Be blessed friends. Drink deep in the well of the Word and pull out the richness of Christ and the magnificence that the Cross achieved for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment