How's Your Bible Reading Going?
I received an unexpected phone call from Darrelyn Tutt yesterday that helped "jump-start" my Bible reading program.
At the beginning of the year, I had enthusiastically launched an aggressive effort to read the Bible through in 90 days (give or take a few, when you factor in the "zag" days.) This endeavor was inspired by a little guide, For This Reason: God's Word in 90 Days, written by Darrelyn, a poet and pastor's wife from rural South Dakota, and director of Inkwell Ministries.
Well, I did great for almost three weeks -- then bogged down due to a busy schedule, travel and a number of other excuses. For the past couple of months, I've been floundering in my Bible reading -- grabbing little snippets and morsels from here and there and calling it good.
And yesterday, Darrelyn called me on it.
"Hi Pastor Mark! I'm just checking in to see how your 90 Day Bible Reading Plan is going."
"Oh, yeah. . . that was a wonderful plan. . . great stuff. But I kind of got busy and started doing something else."
"Oh, really? What else are you doing? Where are you reading in the Bible these days? What truth did God teach you this morning from His Word?"
"Um. . . Um. . ." my mind frantically raced back to the few verses cobbled from the Bible Roulette Method in recent mornings . . . "Psalm 27. . . Gospels. . . Isaiah."
"Hmmmm. . . and where exactly in Isaiah were you studying?"
"Uh. . . Um. . . Isaiah 61. . .I think. . . and Isaiah 40??"
"And what did God reveal to you from those passages?"
"Er. . . Um. . . good news to the poor. . . . soaring on wings like eagles. . . ."
"I think you would benefit from getting back on track with the 90 Day Bible Reading Program."
"I do too"
"So are you going to do it?"
"Um. . . Er. . . Uh. . . most days maybe. . . as long as I'm not too busy. . . you know, my schedule gets kind of busy and makes it hard for me to invest this kind of time in Bible reading all in one setting. . . and the whole Bible in 90 Days seems like running a marathon. . . and . . . well. . . I'm just making excuses, aren't I?"
"I think so."
"OK -- you're right! I'll get back in the game!"
"I believe you will."
This morning, thanks to that little conversation -- I've re-launched the program -- started where I left off -- plowing through the entire book of Galatians, two Psalms, and a Proverb. Wow -- how rich and rewarding! Sure beats beating skimming for snippets and morsels.
At the beginning of the year, I had enthusiastically launched an aggressive effort to read the Bible through in 90 days (give or take a few, when you factor in the "zag" days.) This endeavor was inspired by a little guide, For This Reason: God's Word in 90 Days, written by Darrelyn, a poet and pastor's wife from rural South Dakota, and director of Inkwell Ministries.
Well, I did great for almost three weeks -- then bogged down due to a busy schedule, travel and a number of other excuses. For the past couple of months, I've been floundering in my Bible reading -- grabbing little snippets and morsels from here and there and calling it good.
And yesterday, Darrelyn called me on it.
"Hi Pastor Mark! I'm just checking in to see how your 90 Day Bible Reading Plan is going."
"Oh, yeah. . . that was a wonderful plan. . . great stuff. But I kind of got busy and started doing something else."
"Oh, really? What else are you doing? Where are you reading in the Bible these days? What truth did God teach you this morning from His Word?"
"Um. . . Um. . ." my mind frantically raced back to the few verses cobbled from the Bible Roulette Method in recent mornings . . . "Psalm 27. . . Gospels. . . Isaiah."
"Hmmmm. . . and where exactly in Isaiah were you studying?"
"Uh. . . Um. . . Isaiah 61. . .I think. . . and Isaiah 40??"
"And what did God reveal to you from those passages?"
"Er. . . Um. . . good news to the poor. . . . soaring on wings like eagles. . . ."
"I think you would benefit from getting back on track with the 90 Day Bible Reading Program."
"I do too"
"So are you going to do it?"
"Um. . . Er. . . Uh. . . most days maybe. . . as long as I'm not too busy. . . you know, my schedule gets kind of busy and makes it hard for me to invest this kind of time in Bible reading all in one setting. . . and the whole Bible in 90 Days seems like running a marathon. . . and . . . well. . . I'm just making excuses, aren't I?"
"I think so."
"OK -- you're right! I'll get back in the game!"
"I believe you will."
This morning, thanks to that little conversation -- I've re-launched the program -- started where I left off -- plowing through the entire book of Galatians, two Psalms, and a Proverb. Wow -- how rich and rewarding! Sure beats beating skimming for snippets and morsels.
Maybe there is a time for "plowing through" and a time for a gentle turning of the soil (word).
ReplyDeleteOur small group has been in Luke for 2 years, going deep rather than wide. Just sayin.