As 2019 comes to a close, we enter the exciting year of 2020. I hope you are ready for endless puns about vision, seeing clearly, and other cringy eye jokes. I believe that 2020 has a whole lot in store for it. As I think back to where I was this time last year, it is incredible to see how God can move so much in such a short period of time.
One thing that many people do at the beginning of a year is to make new year resolutions (that they give up on within about 2 weeks). One of the most consistent resolutions that I hear from people is that they want to have a better relationship with God. No matter where you currently are in your relationship with God, we could all have a more consistent relationship with Him. I want to give you some tips, tricks, and hacks to help you succeed this year.
To start off: I would like to make sure that we are all at different places in our journey with God. It is not fair to compare your own personal journey to anyone else's. The beautiful thing about how God works is that he meets us where we are and brings us to where He is. Also, one of the only consistent things in our lives is that we are incredibly inconsistent. So, when you mess up or forget, don't beat yourself up and give up. Just start back up. God is not mad at you, so you don't need to be mad at yourself. He enjoys meeting with you.
Things you should have:
One thing that many people do at the beginning of a year is to make new year resolutions (that they give up on within about 2 weeks). One of the most consistent resolutions that I hear from people is that they want to have a better relationship with God. No matter where you currently are in your relationship with God, we could all have a more consistent relationship with Him. I want to give you some tips, tricks, and hacks to help you succeed this year.
To start off: I would like to make sure that we are all at different places in our journey with God. It is not fair to compare your own personal journey to anyone else's. The beautiful thing about how God works is that he meets us where we are and brings us to where He is. Also, one of the only consistent things in our lives is that we are incredibly inconsistent. So, when you mess up or forget, don't beat yourself up and give up. Just start back up. God is not mad at you, so you don't need to be mad at yourself. He enjoys meeting with you.
Things you should have:
- Bible
- Plan
- Pen/Highlighter
- Paper
Bible: Find a translation that you can understand. There are so many really good ones out there. I get asked often about the difference between the different translations or which translations that I recommend. Here is a great link to an article about different translations from The Gospel Coalition. I use the ESV to preach and study out of most consistently. I really enjoy the smoothness of the NLT translation. The difference between most English translations are very small, so I don't think making a big fuss about it is very important.
The second thing about the Bible is what method you are going to use. With modern technology, we can download an app and have hundreds of translations at our fingertips. We have more access to the Word of God than any other in the history of time. If you are going to use a Bible app, my suggestion would be the YouVersion app. It is the most downloaded app and has so many cool features. BUT, it is important to think about what method is best for you. I do not use a digital bible for my Bible reading. I used to, but I found that I did not have the self-control to avoid being distracted by notifications. So I use a good ole fashion analog Bible, with pages and all.
Plan: One of the main factors that play into someone's struggle or success in Bible reading is the time it takes for them to figure out what to read. That is where a Bible reading plan comes in handy. There are so many different plans that I could not begin to scratch the surface. If you are using the YouVersion app, there is a "Plans" tab that has pages and pages of different types of plans. Search one that sparks your interest and start with that.
The plan that I will be doing in 2020 is the Robert Murry M'Cheyne Bible Reading Plan. M'Cheyne was a Scottish pastor who developed this reading plan in the 1800s. The RMM plan goes through the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice. Each day you have two readings in the OT, one in the NT, and one from either the Gospels or Psalms. One of the coolest things about this plan is that you will be reading the same chapters on the same days as so many people across the planet. You will be entering into a Bible reading community that is so much bigger than just reading by yourself. One of the most intimidating things about a plan that lasts all year is how to keep up with what to read on each day. Below are two different links.
iCal - create a new Calendar on your iCal app and then download file
PDF - download and print
Besides having a reading plan, you need to have a plan for where and when you are going to do all of this. Trust me, if you do not schedule this time, you will not do it. I know that everyone is busy, but we give time to the things that are valuable to us and this is the most valuable thing you could be doing. So find time in your day and make an appointment with God. Then find a place where you can be distraction-free in order to read and reflect on His Word. I do mine in the morning before everyone gets up. I make a cup of coffee and sit down at my table. I pull out my Bible and my journal and then I meet with Jesus.
Pen/Highlighter: One of the most helpful things that you can have with you as you read the Bible is a pen or highlighter. Hebrews 4 tells us that the Bible is alive and active. It speaks to us in new ways each and every time we read it. When something jumps out at you, underline or highlight it. YES, it is okay to write in your Bible. If you are using an app there are ways to highlight and make notes as well.
Once you are done reading, it is nice to be able to look back on the sections you read that day and see what jumped out on you. Often times they are things that you may need for yourself or someone who you will cross paths with that day.
Paper: The paper is more of a hack. If you are like me, you find yourself being the most distracted when you try to spend time with God. You remember things you need to do or conversations that you need to have. You forgot to put something on the calendar or you need to put something on your shopping list. All of these things are flooding your head and will distract you from being able to really hear from God. So, keep a piece of paper nearby and when something pops into your head, just jot it down and then you are able to move on.
If you are a person who likes to journal, then go for it. I have found that journaling has given me more clarity and offered a richer time with the Lord each morning. This takes more time, but I have found it to be extremely valuable. My handwriting is atrocious, so I do my journaling on my computer in Evernote. That way I can keep all of them together and if I need to reference something from a previous day I have easy access to it.
Once you are done with your reading it is nice to be able to end your time with a few minutes of prayer. I have found that using what I just read in the Bible as a way to pray has been extremely helpful.
So, I ask you to join me this year in reading the Bible together. I think it will be a bunch of fun and God will use it in a very unexpected way.
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