As you begin the journey of 2014 today, no doubt a great first step is to commit to daily Bible reading. As David wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). The decisions ahead of you in the next 365 days need not detour you as long as long as Scripture is your guide.
To help you get off to a good start, our church, First Family Church, has developed a 2014 Bible Reading Plan that will guide you through the Scriptures daily and systematically. It is available as a hard copy or as a digital download. All the details can be found right here –http://www.ffclife.com/biblereading/. I really appreciate the time Pastor Chris has taken to customize this for our faith family and am confident it will be a great map all year long.
Before you hit the delete button amidst your chuckling, thinking 1) you’ve heard this a thousand times before and 2) at least among believers, this is the second most common new year’s resolution (probably only behind losing weight) and nothing really new, stop and ask yourself some probing questions: Did I faithfully read the Bible last year? What changes would I experience if I increased my intake of God’s Word? Do I really understand the flow and message of Scripture? Have I ever really read the Bible all the way through? Am I being proactive in helping my family / children get the most out of the Bible? Am I really content with my current level of Bible reading and Scriptural meditation?
My guess is that, after pondering those questions, most, if not all of us, would admit we could benefit from an increase in our intake of the Bible. I know I could! So instead of closing out this post and ignoring the link, act! Take the first step and download the PDF; or, if you’re a local subscriber to my blog, pick up a hard copy at either of our campuses. Then voice your intentions to one or more of those closest to you; this will help provide some accountability. Finally, starting today, get off to a good start and begin reading. Whether it’s through this plan we have developed or another one, like this one here described in this insightful post from the Gospel Coalition on the same subject, make today the first day of your 2014 journey through the Bible.
My prayer is that I, and my blog’s readership, continue to become immersed in Scripture and enamored with God; disciples known by their commitment to the Word of God and the passionate worship of God. As our culture, ironically enough, grows increasingly intolerant of biblical Christianity, it will be crucial that Jesus’ true followers know clearly what He said. That’s revealed in the Bible. What do you say we read it like never before? Ready? Set? Read!