Plans for reading the Bible have been around a long time, and the big boy on the block is YouVersion. If you’ve never heard of it, 2012 is the perfect time for you to become really, really good friends with it. The site has lots of tools to help you read and remember the Bible. There are tons of reading plans to fit just about every time commitment, and if you don’t see one that meets your needs, chances are if you’ll wait a week or so, there will be a new one that’ll be perfect for you.
This year at The Gathering, we’re challenging everyone to give the first 90 days of the year to God’s Word. Some (like me) will be reading the entire Bible – all 66 books from cover to cover – in those 90 days, and others will be reading through the entire New Testament (that’s 27 books) in that same 90 days. I’ll be blogging my way through the adventure here and would love to have you follow me and comment about what you’re reading, too.
To get started, head over to The Gathering’s site and choose a plan to print and follow. If it’s after the first day of the year, don’t sweat it. Just pick a day and begin. You’re only 90 days from completing the most important collection of books ever compiled, and from finding a beautiful new direction in your life. It’s God’s word, and He’s going to speak to you.
DAY ONE (Gen. 1-16)
Okay, so this could be a bit harder than I thought. One day down; 89 to go. Oh, my! Anyway, here are a few thoughts from the Day One reading…
It’s hard to read the story of God’s creation in Genesis 1 without seeing the intentional design of procreation. Physically, like kinds give birth to like kinds, and spiritually, we’re to do the same. Our new birth should lead to the new birth of others, and theirs to even more, and so on. It is the design of creation. Nothing was created to “just exist.”
Genesis 3:24 reveals something interesting: part of the consequence of the fall was the ability to “police” ourselves. God couldn’t trust that Adam and Eve would leave the tree of life alone, and so whereas before the fall He had expected them to obey from an internal motivation, now He had to place angels and flaming swords between the tree and them. Obedience was externally motivated, and would be until the Holy Spirit would later be placed within man, thus allowing him to be more internally motivated in obedience again.
Genesis 9:22-23 reminds me that I never want to see my father naked, but if I ever do (literally or figuratively), I want to have the wisdom to still honor him. God forgive me for pointing out the shortcomings of previous generations. Help me to honor.
DAY TWO (Gen. 17-28)
Today I realized that splitting the reading amount up into morning and evening is a pretty smart move. Here are a few of the passages that jumped out at me…
I’m really glad that I got circumcised when I was too young to remember it instead of at 99 years old like Abraham in Genesis 17.
A lot of stuff happened by the great trees of Mamre.
Lot was pretty quick to offer his daughters to some pretty bad guys. If Lot was the best Sodom had, it’s no wonder God destroyed it. (Genesis 19:8)
The natural always mocks the supernatural. (Genesis 21:9)
Fleshly desperation costs us a lot. (Genesis 25:29-34)
God doesn’t stop until He’s finished doing what He promised. (Genesis 28:15)
