Bible Reading Plans

The Bible is not structured like a novel, so trying to read it in a spiritually meaningful way can be daunting, especially for newcomers.

One approach is to read the whole thing over the course of a year, a process that, somewhat surprisingly, only requires about 10-15 minutes per day. But to get the most out of that process, it's helpful to have a daily reading plan. Some Bibles, such as this one, are specifically designed for daily reading.

But you don't need to purchase a specially-designed daily Bible. All you need is a reading plan! The popular One Year Bible website offers two different options: (1) a daily plan (pdf link) which blends passages from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs; and (2) a chronological plan (pdf link), in which the daily readings are arranged in the (approximate) chronological order in which they occurred.

The website offers options for online reading, or you can print those pdf files, tuck them in your Bible, and use them as guidance. (And, of course, there's no reason to wait for January 1 to begin!)

Whatever route you take, an organized voyage through the Bible can be spiritually fulfilling!

John 14

John 14 contains a huge amount of important spiritual content. Here are a few highlights, taken from the NLT translation.

14:1-2,

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?

Jesus tells us that the heavenly life is waiting for us. We don't deserve that gift. Instead, we must place our trust in him and accept that gift.

14:6,

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Jesus tells us that he, and he along, is the path to eternal salvation.

14:9-11,

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! ... The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.

Jesus tells us that there is little, if any, separation between him and God. We should view them as one in the same.

14:20,

When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

The message is that, as believers, we live in communion with God. God is spirit, and, as believers, we join in that spirit.

I encourage everyone to read the whole chapter. Reflect and pray upon its deep meanings.

God's Peace

Psalm 23:2 (NLT) says that God

...lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.

That passage does not imply that bad times won't come. Rather, the passage indicates that believing in God leads to a certain kind of spiritual peace. In fact, the Bible makes clear that God is the only path to such spiritual peace. As Jesus says in John 14:27 (NLT),

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

So we can't hope to replicate that peace through earthly means. Instead, that peace is a heavenly gift. We don't deserve that gift; we can only accept it. So in our prayers today, let us humbly accept this gift and give thanks to God.

Living on Borrowed Time

I've posted previously about the Book of Job. I've posted previously about how the Bible teaches us that everything belongs to God. And I've posted previously about how David reacted to God's discipline.

Here, I'd like to touch on all of those themes by turning to the first chapter of Job. In that first chapter, God tests Job's character by destroying his wealth and children. Job responds with the following (Job 1:21, NLT):

I came naked from my mother’s womb,
    and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
    and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!

Job recognizes that we enter and leave this world in the exact same states: with nothing. Everything we having during our lives, both good and bad, comes from God. Our wealth, accomplishments, experiences, and even our afflictions are (temporarily) provided by God. And we're living on borrowed time.

So what to do? The last line of the aforementioned passage sums up our lives' mission:

Praise the name of the Lord!

Pray in the Middle of the Night

Acts 16:25 (ESV) says,

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God...

Psalm 119:62 (ESV) says,

At midnight I rise to praise you,
    because of your righteous rules.

Relatedly, Catholic clergy pray the Liturgy of the Hours, which involves prayers at midnight (Matins) and 3:00am (Lauds).

Thus, there exists a long tradition of praying in the middle of the night. Several nights ago, I awoke at around 1:00am, went into another room, and spent several minutes praying. It was a fascinating experience! Whether it was the darkness, the quietness, or the newness, I don't know. But it was definitely enriching. I have tried to follow a similar pattern the past several nights.

If you're looking for a change in your prayer routine, try waking between the hours of 12:00am and 3:00am, getting out of bed, and spending a few minutes in prayer.

The Great Flood

The Great Flood, which starts in Genesis 6, is one of the most famous passages in the Bible. It tells of a time when human behavior had slipped into rampant debauchery, and, in response, God destroyed (nearly) everyone.

In our own lives, it's easy to rationalize our behavior by convincing ourselves that we're living righteously relative to everyone else. For example, when compared to all humans, I might view myself as in the upper, say, 50th percentile of righteousness. So surely God won't condemn more than half the world! Therefore, my goal should be to remain in that upper 50th percentile.

The problem with that logic is that it assumes that God grades on a curve. Does any passage in the Bible command us to be righteous relative to others? Of course not. Rather, as written in Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV),

Fear God and keep his commandments,
    for this is the duty of all mankind.

Which brings us back to the Great Flood. The lesson of that story is that God will destroy sin, period. Therefore, we should seek heavenly righteousness regardless of what's happening around us.

Living as Sojourners

1 Chronicles 29 (ESV) finds David praying to God. At one point, David says,

We are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding.

Some modern Bible versions translate "sojourners" as "foreigners" or "visitors." The idea is that, as believers, we first-and-foremost belong to a heavenly community. One day, we'll be in the presence of that community. But until that time, we reside on earth as sojourners.

While we reside here as sojourners, we must avoid what Charles Stanley refers to as the Three Enemies: (1) the desires of this world, (2) the desires of our flesh, and (3) the devil. Those three earthly enemies try to draw us into chasing earthly pursuits. But God wants us to focus on heavenly matters, not earthly ones.

So as we pray, let us focus on our role as sojourners, and let us train our minds to pursue heavenly treasures.

God's Commandments Bring Us Closer to Him

Genesis 1:27 (ESV) states that

God created man in his own image.

Of course, that probably does not mean that we resemble him in a physical sense. Rather, we resemble God in a spiritual sense, having self conscientiousness and an awareness of wrong and right.

Despite being made in his spiritual image, we sin against God because, as physical beings, we become distracted and enticed by the ways of this world. But God wants us to separate ourselves from our physical presence and worship him in spirit. How do we do that?

The answer is that we should read God's scripture and meditate/pray upon it. Hebrews 4:12 (ESV) says

The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit.

God's commandments are designed to remove us from earthly pursuits so that we can focus on heavenly treasures. God knows that that mission is not always easy, so he gives us the gift of prayer as a way to communicate with him during that journey!