Switching It Up

The past several years I have been using reading plans to read through the Bible in a year or less. I mainly operated in this way because a reading plan helped me to stay on track despite my lack of discipline and also because I wanted to increase my overall familiarity with the Bible by reading through several times. The first two times I went through I used the Discipleship Journal reading plan (PDF Version) which really helped me to see the connections between different parts of Scripture as I was reading in four places at one time. After that I tried to come up with my own plan, but I had trouble following through. Based on recommendations, I started using the first volume of "For the Love of God" by D.A. Carson, which is based upon the M'Cheyne reading plan. It was definitely helpful because it provided a daily devotional thought which applied to the reading for the day. I have been using it for the past year and am just finishing up this week.

At New Attitude I discovered something interesting about how I take notes and process. When we spent time in the morning meditating on Scripture, I took my notes on the printout they gave us rather than in a notebook or in a Bible. It reminded me of taking notes right next to the text on printouts of papers I had to read for my graduate class. I was kind of surprised at how much this helped me in interacting with the text. After establishing the discipline of daily reading, I found that it can still be easy for my eyes to move over the text for the day without actually learning or applying anything. Though I've taken notes before (written down interesting verses or a thought), this seemed to be especially helpful.

Based on that experience, I've decided to try something a little different for my reading during the next year. First, I've decided to use a printout of the text for taking notes on. This worked well at New Attitude and seems like a good solution to keeping the notes next to the passages they apply to. Also, a sheet of paper is easily portable and I can keep it in my bag to pull out at lunch for a second look. The readings will be stored in a 3-ring binder once I am finished so I can go back and look at them later. I'll be having the passages emailed to me thanks to the ESV Website. Secondly, I'm trying out a Chronological plan this time around and hoping that it will help me to gain a different viewpoint on the whole of Scripture than I have seen before. Finally, outside of this more focused reading, I hope to be taking some time (perhaps before bed) to read different sections of Scripture without the intense note taking, to continue to know God's Word better and to balance out my reading of other books about God with reading of the Bible.

What do you do for your devotional times? Have you found anything to be particularly helpful?

Thankful and Willing to Listen

This morning during my quiet time, one of the passages I was reading was Ecclesiates 5. Two thoughts...

First, v.18 (Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.) I know that I can think of my work and my possessions as gifts of God, but I do not often consider that the "power to enjoy them" is also a gift of God. This is a healthy reminder to rejoice and thank God for not only what he has given me but also the joy and contentment I have in his those thing. Also, the fact that I can enjoy what he has given me in ways that honor and glorify him instead of valuing the gifts over the Giver, is a reason to praise God. Though contentment can be a struggle, I should be thankful for this gift and pray earnestly for it. What a relief is it that contentment and joy in our circumstances is not something we have to muster up in and of ourselves! It's another reminder, like Wolfgang's message last week, to be thankful in all things.

Second, v.1-2 (Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.) I'll be the first to admit that there are parts of this passage I don't quite get (and the next verse, v.3, is confusing). However, I am challenged about how I approach church and other times of teaching. It is very easy for Sundays to become a routine and normal thing, a time of great joy of course, but routine in some ways if I am not careful. I want to be mindful of preparing myself to receive teaching and not just showing up. I want to be humble and teachable before the preached word. I don't want to be so caught up in my note taking that I miss points but I don't want to fail to review the message later on and to apply it to my life. I want the gospel to always appear amazing and to effect my heart, no matter how many times I hear it. I don't want my pride, preferences and knowledge to cause me to nitpick preaching while neglecting to apply the truth of God to my soul. I want to have an open heart that is ready to "draw near to listen" to what God may teach me, even if it isn't what I expected or is tough for me to hear.

These things are temptations and struggles that can appear from time to time. So, with a singles meeting (THRIVE) tonight, great preaching at church and PCRT and New Attitude coming down the road, I pray that God would make me one who values his word more and one who is eager not just to speak or argue, but to listen to and seek to understand and apply what he is saying.