|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Jesus said. . .
The words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life (John 6:63, NASB).
We are created by God as spirit, soul, and body — the words of Jesus (and the rest of Bible) are inspired by the Spirit. . .
But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture becomes a matter of someone’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2 Peter 1:21-22).
While reading the Bible, God’s Spirit touches our spirit, His wisdom becomes our wisdom, His power becomes our power, His victory becomes our victory, and His peace becomes our peace.
I feel God’s Spirit and hear His voice when I read the Bible. I’ve been amazed at how many believers don’t experience God’s presence or hear His voice when reading the Bible.
Why? They don’t have enough practice.
The Ohio State University’s football team has a wide receiver named Jeremiah Smith. Once this year, I saw him catch a long throw from the quarterback one-handed in the end zone.
I didn’t think when I saw the catch, “Wow, his first day in a Buckeye’s uniform, and he makes a catch like that.”
Yet, many believers have asked me through the years, “Why don’t I have victory in this area of my life?” And then I ask them, “Do you have a specific plan for reading the Bible?” And most say, “No!”
Should we expect to catch touchdown passes without practice?
The author Malcolm Gladwell wrote about the “10,000-hour rule” in his book Outliers. The rule: 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert or professional. I wonder how many times Jeremiah Smith caught the football in his 10,000 hours of practice.
The 10,000-hour rule seems daunting and aren’t Christians to achieve righteousness by grace instead of works? But God works with us both to will and to work as we work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12-13).
Let’s get started by using the Three-Circle Reading Plan.
I realize there are significant portions of the Bible left out in this plan, but these three circles represent wisdom (Psalms to Song of Songs), history (Matthew to Acts), and practical advice (Romans to Revelation) — or the areas most needed when developing the discipline of reading the Bible.
Circle these areas over and over, again and again, this year in your Bible.
Day one: read Psalm 1, Matthew 1, and Romans 1. Day two: read Psalm 2, Matthew 2, and Romans 2. You get the picture — circle round and round, over and over, again and again in these three areas of the Bible in 2o25.
You can read three chapters in ten minutes, and at 365 days this year, that’s about 61 hours of Bible reading — not the 10,000 hours, but God’s presence and voice will be revealed.
I guarantee it, or rather, the Spirit guarantees it.
*This Interruption is a continuation of yesterday’s Interruption #1441
entitled Over and Over, Again and Again Bible Reading.