A Very Good Idea!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  2016!

May the richness of our Lord’s blessings be yours as we breath deeply and enjoy every breath in Him! It is awesome to be alive at this point in time and I look forward to every moment He ordains for me. I pray you do as well.

It is actually snowing in Central New York! We have only had a couple of “dustings” when we usually have a few feet by now. So it still seems very mild. Our snow blower has not seen any action. Of course, we do expect that to change. I am one of those rare ones I guess – I love the cold and the snow. The Lord certainly knew what He was doing when He placed me here in His design of things! So I love the deep winter. I usually get really tired of it, however, when it stretches into March after starting the previous late October/early November. So to have things this late is going to be interesting.

Resolutions? Well not really. I plan to keep on – keeping on. That means doing what I need to do now and planning for the days ahead. There is one very good resolution that I think is most worthy of us all. How about reading the Bible through this year. I know if you do not do this regularly then you probably have started and stopped many times. I know I did before I finally finished and realized the value it had been in me. So I am going to encourage you to do it. For real.

I do not suggest, however, that you begin in Genesis and read straight through. I would suggest that you find a Bible Reading Plan that you enjoy and would work for you and read through that way. Some prefer it straight through. That’s fine – just do it. I prefer to read it more chronologically.  So I use the plan I wrote years ago and have the Old Testament in an order that works for me.

Many plans, including mine – the Psalm 19 Ministries Daily Bible Reading Schedule are located here: http://pricejh.com/readingplan. To find our plan just go down the plans in order until you see Psalm 19. Then you can download the plan with its app into an iPhone or iPad.  Otherwise we will be glad to send you a hard copy from our office. Just email us at psalm19ministries@gmail.com or call at 315-396-0129. We will be more than delighted to send you one. I plan to get it up in PDF form on our web site in a bit, but that will be a bit later than today. I will try to notify you when it is there.

What actual advantage does reading the Book through do for us? Many things but the things I have heard most often are glowing reports of changed lives, deeper intimacy in the Lord and a much better overall knowledge of what is there – instead of pieces parts.

I have personally done this many, many years. More years than some of you have lived. Yet, I find it much to my advantage as a Bible teacher to review once again what has been written. It has become the beginning of my days. I read my portion then open my prayer journal (either my Moleskin one or my computer one (a good one for the Mac is MacJournal available in the App Store. I have used ones for Windows as well. Some are free while others with many bells and whistles will cost a small amount). However, the point is to read His Word, then talk with Him about it as well as life and its ordering. That is where my days are generally planned and the majority of my direction comes.

Our Lord Jesus loves to talk with us and to be listened to. I know we thought that originated with us humans, but not so. We all like to talk and to be listened to – an attribute of our God and its source is His image which we share. So however you choose to interface in Him, I urge you to begin a renewed emphasis that direction. What I have said here may not work for you – but it is a very good idea for most of us!