"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us."
Ephesians 3:20

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 2 Cor. 3:17 READING THE BIBLE When I read the Bible I have 4 cycles that I read concurrently. The Old Testament not counting Psalms and Proverbs is the first cycle. Psalms is the second one and Proverbs is the third one. The New Testament is the fourth one. If there is a part of the Bible that I am led to read by the Holy Spirit I go to that part to read. I don't follow a yearly schedule, but I ask myself, how much do I need to read? Be honest with yourself, don't allow this grace to give you the freedom to slack off. Read the Bible to seek God for your spiritual strength. Consider the Bible like food. Read what you are hungry for. Remember if you don't read enough you may get sick (spiritually). Don't read one type of Scripture and ignore another. Don't forget the vegetables. It is important to our spiritual health that we read from all parts of the Bible. I find it easier to mix up the Bible instead of reading it straight through. I don't eat all my mashed potatoes and then eat all the beans and then eat the meat. When I eat I eat a little of each. I am an active person so I like to eat a lot. The more that we are active in the spirit the more we will want to devour the Word of God. If you read 10 chapters / day = just under 4 months. If you read the Bible one chapter a day you would finish it in three years and about three months. If you read the Bible two chapters a day you would finish it in one year seven and a half months. If you read the Bible three chapters a day you would finish it in one year and one month. 4 chapters / day = under 10 months 5 chapters / day = under 8 months. 10 chapters / day = just under 4 months. In reading a novel I would read about 50 pages a day. If you read the Bible that way you would finish it in a month. (Total number of pages dividing by 30 = pages to read each day.) I heard on the radio that it only takes 72 hours to read the Bible. If you read two chapters a day in the Old Testament (not counting Psalms and Proverbs) you would finish it just a little longer than one year. Reading one Psalm a day, you would read it more than twice in a year. Reading the Bible is in most cases the beginning point of our relationship with our Lord. It is where we learn about God and it is not just a history and description of who God is, but the Word of God is also alive and active as a two edged sword and is able to show us right from wrong. (Heb. 4:12) Don't read the Bible to just get through a Bible reading schedule. Read the Bible to meet Jesus. Read the Bible for directions for prayer. Read the Bible for wisdom in living. Read the Bible for the direction of the Spirit. Read the Bible to obey its instruction, as the grace of God gives you the power to follow it. "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life." John 5:39,40 Our job is to believe. I fall into the trap of reading but not believing. Luke 24:25 talks about this. "And He said to them, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!" I want to be careful to believe and live in expectation in what God is showing me from the Scriptures." The Bible was written by over 40 authors on three continents in a 1500 year time span. It was written in three languages. Back in the 1940's the British and Foreign Bible Society had to publish one copy every 3 seconds to meet its demand. (Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell) It was not just written by men though. It was written as the Holy Spirit inspired them to write it. What causes a person to search the Scriptures on their own? They first must sense that the Bible says something that may change their life. But is it interesting? Will it bring satisfaction, contentment, happiness and pleasure to life? To the non-spiritual the Bible is a bore. When we are born of the spirit the Bible comes alive. It introduces us to Christ and many times our Lord will speak to us through the Bible. Finding God's truths in the Bible is a joy to those who know Jesus. The Bible shows us how to live, it gives us strength to live and shows us how others had gone before us and lived for God. We can draw strength from the Bible's teachings and be encouraged by the examples that we find there. Water from the Rock - - -Scott McCrae Home | Back to Top

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