The Bible in 90 Days--Day 27

Good Morning Everyone!

Just thought I would pop in for a minute and let you know that I am still reading my way though the Bible. It is an incredible experience--I highly recommend it to anyone! By the end of this week, I will actually be one third of the way through the Bible. Hard to believe--feels like I just started a day or two ago!

Anyway, I am currently reading through the book of 2 Kings. One of the neatest stories in the Bible happens in 2 Kings. Have you heard about when Elisha trapped the blind Arameans? I never heard of it, until I was an adult. It's a shame, too, because it's a great story for us to tell our children.

It turns out that the king of Aram was at war with Israel. Raiding parties kept being sent into the land of Israel, but God would warn Elisha and the prophet would tell the king and so Israel would be on guard against the attackers. Well, the king of Aram got tired of his plans always being thwarted, and he thought one of his men must be leaking out information to the Israelites. But his officers told him that it was the prophet Elisha who could know even the very words that he spoke in his bedroom. Aram found out that Elisha was in the town of Dothan, so he sent horses and chariots there at night to surround the city.

In the morning when Elisha's servant got up early and went outside, he saw an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. He ran to Elisha and cried out "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" And here is my favorite part--Elisha replied "Don't be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

Then Elisha prayed for God to open his servant's eyes so that he may see--and God opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. And then, Elisha prayed for God to strike the army with blindness, and God did. Elisha went to them and told them "This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for." And he led them to Samaria.

After they entered the city, Elisha prayed for God to open their eyes again, and God opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were--inside Samaria! When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha if he should kill them--but listen to Elisha's answer:

"Do not kill them," he answered."Would you kill men you have captured with your own bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master."

So a great feast was prepared for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking they were sent away, and they returned to their master--and the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel's country.

Did you catch that? When treated with kindness, they stopped attacking Israel. Kindness was shown for evil, and it stopped the evil. I realize this may not always happen here on this sin-filled earth. Kindness shown may not always stop evil from happening. But I still feel that that is what God would have us to do. He is the judge--not us.

So two great things from this story that jump out at me every time I read it: 1) those who are with me are more than those who are against me, and 2) return evil with kindness.

Great story. You can read it yourself in 2 Kings chapter 6.

The Bible in 90 Days--done by a 10 year old!

Hi Everyone!

Guess what I heard about this morning? A 10 year old boy who completed this last "Bible in 90 Days" session! Isn't that awesome? And--he is dyslexic just to top things off. Amazing. What a beautiful thing for his mom to have encouraged him to do. What awesome blessings this child has in his life from now on--he knows that he CAN read the Word of God. The WHOLE Word of God. And he is now a beautiful, walking witness to everyone he comes in contact with or who even just hear of his story and accomplishment.

It was his mom's idea, not his. He rather thought his mom had lost her marbles (it's helps if you are a mom to just let your marbles go anyway--at least in my experience!). His mom purchased the audio Bible readings so he could listen while he sat and read, which would help him avoid skipping hard words or boring parts. The whole reading time takes around an hour a day, and they broke it up into 30 minutes listening/reading in the morning and another 30 minutes listening/reading in the afternoon. This is not more than most kids today spend watching T.V. programs or surfing the internet.

And he did it! Praise the Lord, this child finished his readings right on time on October 8, 2011. I am so proud of him! Here is a link to a short two minute video his mom made about his accomplishment: http://www.littlehouseinthebigweeds.com/2011/struggling-readers-you-can-read-the-bible-in-90-days/#comment-3118

So remember--if RJ can do it, you can too!

The Bible in 90 Days--Day 89--It is Finished!

Hi Everyone!

Well, it is finished. My beautiful time reading the Bible through in 90 days is all over. Actually, I finished yesterday morning, as I never ended up using either of the two "grace" days that are built into the program. This was my second time doing this program, and as I finished yesterday I just sat at my desk in stunned silence. I couldn't believe I was done. I couldn't wrap my brain around how much Jesus loves me. The whole plan of redemption is so overwhelming wonderful, and you really gather a different picture of the whole thing when you are reading through at a faster pace rather than one Bible verse each day stuck on top of a devotional story. Nothing wrong with devotional books, of course--just that you haven't REALLY read the Bible until you READ it. And once you do, you will never be the same again.

This time through the Bible, I used a highlighter to mark verses that stood out to me as I read along. The first time I did this program I tried to just jot down notable verses on a piece of paper--that did NOT work for me! Too many verses to write down, and I could easily double my reading time if I really stopped to write everything down that I wanted to. But I was raised in an era of NOT marking in books at ALL, so it is sometimes hard for me to overcome that mentality. Anyway, THIS time I read with my trusty Bible marking pencil, and just underlined anything that caught my eye (o.k., so I still cannot bring myself to underline UNLESS I am using a ruler so my lines will be straight--but that works too!). I was SO blessed that I did this. And now I have a beautiful Bible marked with precious promises. Almost any page I open to, there is a special verse there for me. Priceless. I now wouldn't trade this Bible for ANYTHING. It is not in "perfect" condition any more, because it has been dragged around and even had food dropped on it as I read while I ate breakfast. But the "dirtier" my Bible became, the "cleaner" my heart was washed. :)

Now what will I do? For awhile, I will take a small breather and enjoy reading some smaller Bible passages at a slower pace. Enjoy being able to look up words and study further. But after a while, I think I have no choice. I will take down my Bible and open it to Genesis 1:1. And not stop until Revelation 22:21.

Jesus says "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book." Rev. 22:7 How can I keep the words in the Bible if I am not reading it to have them fresh in my mind? The Bible also tells me "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." Rev. 22:17 I don't know about you, but I am thirsty. And I want to accept the free gift of life.

Come, read with me. You can find more information at www.Biblein90days.org, and www.momstoolbox.com. You will never regret it.

The Bible in 90 Days--Day 85!

I can't believe we are here already. In the Bible in 90 Days reading schedule, I will finish in three short more days. Since I have not used either of my two "grace" days, I will actually finish in 88 days instead of 90.

It has been a beautiful journey. This has been my second time completing this program, and this time I had a group of wonderful ladies from a home school list that I am on who took up the challenge and read with me. I so appreciated their prayers for our group, as well as their insights on what that day's reading was over.

Just thought I would share a couple of beautiful gems from today's reading. We finished going through Hebrews, and started James. So many encouraging words--recorded for me. Recorded for you.

Here is one that spoke to me: "But encourage one another daily. . . " Hebrews 3:13 Isn't that exactly what we should be doing? But so often instead we tear each other down. Just to try and make ourselves appear better.

And I liked this one: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. . . " Hebrews 3:15 God is calling to me TODAY. He is calling to YOU today. This is the time to listen to Him. To turn to Him. To follow Him. To obey Him. Tomorrow may be too late. Today is the day.

And THIS is beautiful: "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16 Do you get what this verse is saying? We are encouraged to approach the throne of the Creator of the Universe with CONFIDENCE. Not with fear that we will be turned away. With confidence, and we WILL receive mercy and grace--exactly what we need in our time of need.

Here is a promise that I treasure: "I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds. . . Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." Hebrews 10:16,17 I want this. I want God's law in my heart. I want it written in my mind. And I desperately want Him to remember my sins no more.

My last gem to share is perhaps the very best one of all. Hebrews chapter 11--known as the "Faith Chapter." It starts out with this definition of faith "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." And then it goes on and starts listing all the many people in the Bible who showed great faith. "By faith Abel. . . By faith Enoch. . . By faith Noah. . . By faith Abraham. . . By faith Isaac. . . By faith Joseph. . . " It even includes "By faith the prostitute Rahab. . . " Do you know what I want? As I read this chapter I felt almost an overwhelming urge to pick up my pen and write in the margin of my Bible one last verse--"By faith Susan. . . " I want to be there. I want God's law in my heart and on my mind. I want my sins to be remembered no more.

I want God.

And the most wonderful thing, is that God wants me too.

The Bible in 90 Days--Day 82!

Day 82.

I can't believe it.

How can we be so far through our Bible reading??? It had seemed like we would never get to this point, and here we are, at Day 82. Almost done, as in reality the "Bible in 90 Days" program is more accurately called the "Bible in 88 Days," because the schedule is made with two built-in "grace days" in it. So if you do not end up needing those grace days, you finish reading the Bible in 88 days. Even though this is my second time reading the Bible through with this program, I am still shocked to be here at this point. I never would have believed it would happen. Just goes to prove the answer to the question "How do you eat an elephant?" "One bite at a time." Not that I go around eating elephants. I'm a vegetarian! ;) But to accomplish a large goal--just begin. God will help you.

Some treasures that really spoke to me from today's reading:

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 16:55-57

I love this. We have all been stung by death of a loved one. But Jesus has overcome death.

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." 1 Cor. 16:13-14

I like how the admonition to be strong and firm is balanced with the instruction to do everything in love.

"But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead." 2 Cor. 1:9

What trials may be in my life, that are actually a blessing to me if they cause me to see how helpless I am, and how much I need to rely on God. . .

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Cor. 4:18

I want new eyesight. To be able to see eternal things. . .

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Cor. 5:17

O Lord, make me a new creation.

I will savor these last few days of Bible reading. And when I am done--I think I will have to start over. I want God's Word to me to be as the air I need to breath. And I need to breath every day.

The Bible in 90 Days--Day 67!

Good Morning!

Well, here we are. Our last day of reading entirely in the Old Testament. Hard to believe, but tomorrow's reading will take us into Matthew, and the New Testament will go by REALLY fast.

While I am thrilled to be moving into the New Testament, at the same time it is with a tinge of sadness that I move out of the Old Testament. I have spent so many blessed hours reading this portion of God's Word. But that's all right. I'll definitely be back!

Meanwhile, there are still some real treasures to be gleaned in today's reading. We often do not hear much about all these little short books jammed up at the end of the Old Testament. They all kind of blur together. It's even hard for me to be able to answer my family when they ask me what book of the Bible I am reading in. Some of these are only two chapters long, and I may be moving through three or more books each day as I am reading now! To be honest, I don't even pay attention to what book I am reading in--I am just concentrating on reading the words on the page! Then when I run across something that really speaks to me, it is kind of like "Whoa, where is THAT gem found?" and I have to look up to see what book I am reading in.

So enough of my musings, and on to today's treasures. . .

Here is a verse that is precious to me. It is one that we chose to bless our son with, when we were writing up the parent speech for his 8th grade graduation ceremony:

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

Isn't that beautiful? Have you ever really thought about God rejoicing over YOU with singing? He loves us so much, He is so pleased with the unique person that He created that He breaks out in song. We are so important to Him that He gave his Only Son. . .

And more gems from today:

"'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the Lord Almighty." Haggai 2:8

Praise the Lord, God is not limited by OUR resources! It all belongs to Him. He has no shortage.

"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the Lord Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the Lord Almighty." Zechariah 1:3

Did you catch who is speaking in that last verse? It is the Lord Almighty. Not the Lord Weak. Not the Lord "I would like to but I'm sorry I can't." No, it says three times that it is the Lord ALMIGHTY. And look at what He promises--He promises to return to us.

Another beautiful verse--

"'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty." Zechariah 4:6

This is how we can accomplish things. Not by any power that we have, for we do not have any! But by God's power. And He does not lack in power.

Well, I need to get on with the day. Think about these treasures today. And remember that God is rejoicing over you with singing.

The Bible in 90 Days--Day 66!

A treasure from today's reading:

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

Isn't that beautiful? Instruction summed up in just three points. This is what we are to do, how we are to live. 1) act justly, 2) love mercy, 3) walk humbly with our God

I especially love the last part. We are to walk WITH our God. It doesn't say we are to go on ahead all by ourselves. We are not to trail behind picking our way through life the best we can. No, we are to walk WITH God. He is right there with us, no matter what journey we are taking at that time. Whether it is an easy day, or a difficult one, He is there.

Beautiful words. Even more beautiful Savior.

The Bible in 90 Days--Day 59!

Good Morning!

I am praising God this morning! Our house was kept safe in the flooding here, and even though we lost our electricity for a looooong time (it felt, anyway!) it is back on now. Yea! I was not wanting to lose a bunch of frozen peaches I pealed and froze this summer!

Busy day today--I need to get ready for a doctor's appointment for my son. But wanted to at least share a couple beautiful promises I ran across this morning in my Bible reading. . .

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself,'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.' The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3:22-26

And one more, short but very very sweet:

"You came near when I called you, and you said, 'Do not fear.'" Lamentations 3:57

Aren't those beautiful? I especially like the part that says "The Lord is my portion." There are no promises of earthly riches. But we are promised God as our inheritance. I cannot think of a better one.

A blessed day to all of you! This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

The Bible in 90 Days--Day 56!

Good Morning!

I have another treasure to share from God's Love Letter to us this morning. . . It is a wonderful promise to memorize.

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'" Jeremiah 29:11-13

Isn't that beautiful? The the really awesome thing is not only does God have wonderful plans for me, but He is well able to carry out those plans--unlike me when I may have good intentions but those intentions never become reality.

Hope and a future. That's what God is planning for me. And I already know what that future will be. God tells me in His Love Letter.

"I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'" Revelation 21:2-4

In my future I will prosper. I will live with God, in His city. I will belong to Him. He will belong to me. And He will wipe every tear from my eyes.

The Bible in 90 Days--Day 55!

Happy Sabbath Everyone!

I am reading in the book of Jeremiah currently. It is not always the most optimistic book to read! But it is only because of the fault of the people who insisted on going their own way, and forsaking God--the only one who could hear them and help them. Instead they turned to idols, who can see not and hear not.

But even so, there are still some beautiful gems and promises for us in this book. Here is a great "consequence" passage. God makes it pretty clear--if we would only choose wisely!

"This is what the Lord says: Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream; It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:5-8

Beautiful promise. Notice that it does not say that the drought will not come. No, it says that WHEN the year of drought comes, the man who trusts in the Lord will have no worries. That man (or woman!) will still be sustained, because they are trusting in God.

Isn't that how you want to be? I do. Trusting in God--no matter what is going on around me.

The Bible in 90 Days--Day 53!

Hi Everyone!

I can't believe we are past the half-way point in our Bible reading already. . . On the one hand, it seems like I have been following this 90 Day plan forever. On the other hand it seems like we just started!

Today's reading in Isaiah includes some of my all time favorite Bible verses. Thought I would share them with all of you--hope you like them as much as I do!

"Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I." Isaiah 58:9

Isn't that one beautiful? God does not hide away from us. We do not need to look and look and look until we find where He has hidden Himself away. . . this promise says we only need to CALL, and that He will ANSWER us. Love that!

And here is one for my Texas friends--for all of the rest of us as well, as we are pretty dry around my part of the country as well. . .

"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Isaiah 58:11

Sun-scorched. Doesn't that describe especially this summer? The whole time I lived in Texas, I claimed this verse. No matter where we live, we can have different trials. But with God, we can be like a well-watered garden. Beautiful!

Oh, and here is another wonderful one. Listen to THIS lovely promise. And practice saying it out LOUD. Your ears need to hear it as well. Honestly, I do not talk out loud to myself hardly at all (unlike my husband!) but I DO talk this verse out loud. . . try it! It really makes a difference!

"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear." Isaiah 59:1

Isn't that a beautiful verse??? I told you so! ;) So, the next time you see a large problem looming up over you, try speaking this verse out loud at it and watch how it shrinks that problem down.

And here is a verse I will leave you with. It communicates how much our Father loves us. Just listen to it:

"Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear." Isaiah 65:24

You see--God does not wait to help us. He is eager and WANTS to help us. He can hardly wait to carry our burdens for us. He can hardly bear to watch us try and carry them on our own. He is running down the path, eager to reach us. Before Susan calls, God answers. While Susan is still speaking, God hears her.

Have a Blessed Sabbath!

Susan

The Bible in 90 Days--Day 39--Who may live with God?

Would you like to live with God?

I would! There couldn't be anything better! As I was reading along in Psalms today, I found the "secret" to living with God. Want to know it? Go read Psalm 15. Or if your Bible isn't handy, it's short so I will share it with you here. . .

Psalm 15

Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary?

Who may live on your holy hill?

He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

Isn't that beautiful? And I love how it concludes--"He who does these things will never be shaken." That's what I want. To stand firm. Even when there are tornadoes. Even if all is taken away from me as happened to Job.

Psalms is a beautiful book. I am enjoying reading through it and look forward to more wonderful gems. Feel free to join me in reading it--I would love to hear what treasures you find!