When I was 14, I started reading my Bible for myself. I climbed into my bed right before sleep, turned on my little lamp, and armed with pen and paper started in the book of James. Joy through suffering. When I finished that book, I moved on to another. Creating a habit of reading my Bible before bed. There were days when it was hard, when I didn’t want to, and even now there are times I don’t… but I promise you that fourteen years of almost daily reading of TRUTH has changed my life. In the most least expected moments. When I needed truth the most, words I didn’t even think I remembered suddenly surfaced. Like a lifeline being thrown just before the waves.
My hubby set out a challenge to me and his friends yesterday. New Testament November. Reading 9 chapters of the New Testament every day. He even started a facebook group that has grown to 9 members. I’m excited. I haven’t been excited like this for a while.
Why? Because it has already changed me.
My the words of my mouth and the MEDITATIONS OF MY HEART be pleasing to God.
Last night, I crawled into bed at 11 pm, opened up my Bible and read. I took notes to keep myself awake and even had to read out loud at times. I don’t just want to read this and get through a commitment. I want to digest, to absorb, to be changed. It took me about an hour. It was well-worth it. Imagine lying down to sleep with a brain loaded full of truth. Good, peaceful truth. For me it spoke of freedom from judgement, worry, fear. I read through Matt 1-9. Then, strangely, I got a text around midnight from someone who was reading these chapters at the same as me. In Northern Cali. They told me that they had read Matt 5 and thought it was for me. What a magnificent chapter.
I went to sleep in peace. I woke up thinking about what I had read. In less than 24 hours the LIVING WORD OF GOD has become my default thought process.
What is your default process? Mine is usually filled with worry. My guard is down, I get stressed, distracted. Usually. But today, today I thought about reading my Bible. About when I could start on Matt. 10-19. I even read some over breakfast. I am not exaggerating when I say that my brain is a battlefield. I’ve written about this before: http://ristowswife.wordpress.com/2010/09/09/some-things-need-to-be-bound/.
But today was different. I still struggled with stuff, like the dirty looks I got from a mom in my kid’s school parking lot, or some misunderstandings, or the pile of dishes. But… my mind didn’t stay there, swimming around in the muck. It kept defaulting back to what I read last night.
Loads and loads of redemptive truth. I have never done anything like this before and I am so excited. I wonder what tomorrow will feel like. Or what it will feel like after 30 days. Imagine if we all did this together.
Will you join me in this challenge? Join our facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=174224709258611. We’ll wrestle through this together, ask questions, discuss, keep each other accountable.
Feel free to comment on here. To ask questions. If you’re doing it with us, please comment. Let us know. There’s power and support in community.
K. Let’s do this. Day two: Mattew 10-19.
One if my friends is doing “No Shave November”…I like your challenge better
I am debating if I want to put my other reading plan on hold and do this (I am in 2 Kings now, and I could use a break from the constant bloodshed 
, but I will decide soon or I’ll fall helplessly behind. Good challenge!
That’s okay! Fall behind! The more the merrier. If you’re on facebook, you can join our group too. Some good discussion already started.
I’ve been needing a challenge like this to stay focused in the Word. I’m in!
Thanks for sharing!
that is funny, because I just finished writing a blog about being obsessive about putting truth (HIS Word)in my head to program myself to think like Jesus thinks, at least that was the point I was trying to make, and then I just read your example of it working
love it, have a fat reading plan myself, maybe I will join you though… hmmm!
love
shauna
yes, I have a blog ha ha, and I follow yours too! and am always greatly encouraged by you!!!
Nine chapters a day sounds like A LOT!! I know that if I did that, I wouldn’t get anything out of it. For me a few verses that I actually reflect on, is enough.
That’s good that you know what speaks to you best! I just love hearing that people are in Word, so bless you, Susi!
I thought that I would have that problem, of not getting anything out of it, but what has been great is seeing the message as a whole. Really and truly, I have never gotten so much out of scripture as I have the past three days. Reading Matthew in it’s entirety in such a short amount of time not only gave me a great idea of context, but it literally made me think about scripture all day long. It’s really strange how this is changing my life in such good ways!
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