BACK TO THE BASICS FOR A BLESSED LIFE: The ABC's of Bible Reading

"Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in Your law."
Psalms 119:18

A new Me for the New Year!  How many times have I heard that already? There are many who pride themselves on being cutting edge.  They can't wait to get their hands on the newest gadgets or trends to satisfy old itches, but what they usually find out is that none of them quite do the trick!  Well, here's some old school wisdom....when all else fails go back to the basics!

That's what my pastor has challenged his congregants to do this year, return to reading, meditating, and applying the Bible to every situation in your life! Start by reading Psalms 119 in its entirety to discover all the benefits of the Bible then follow this handy little guideline for future enjoyment.  It's as easy as learning your A B C's.

To get the most out of your Bible reading create a Quiet Zone, some place where there is no distractions.  For a specific amount of time (doesn't have to be long) unplug from all technical devices (smart phones, land phones, televisions, etc.)  Rid yourself of all these habitual pulls on your attention.

 Next find a comfortable spot to read, some place you can sit upright!  You want to be comfortable but not too comfortable (the Enemy would love to put you to sleep!) Keep a pad and pencil close by to write down spiritual reflections from your reading or even those pesty intrusive thoughts (example: Need to pick up my prescription later today).  You'd be surprised what comes in your mind when you try to focus on godly things!  These are just the preliminaries! Now let's get to the basics!!!

A sk - the Holy Spirit to Help You!  Pray for guidance, wisdom and understanding of the Word.  The Bible is a supernatural book. Without supernatural help --prayer and the Holy Spirit--there is no way you can read and make it useful in your life. (I Cor. 2:14 ) Ask God to lead you to a Bible reading plan suitable for your needs that will keep you motivated!

B egin reading on a small but consistent basis! You can't expect to achieve all God has for you with a hit or miss method of reading.  It is better to set a goal of reading one or two verses of a bible book daily than to try to read two chapters a day! Small, manageable but faithful feedings on God's word  is much more nourishing than gorging oneself once a week!  (I Peter 2:2)

C ultivate an appreciation for the value of bible reading! You will invest time, energy and money on anything you feel gives you a good return! Bible reading is a sure thing --you just can't lose!  We've talked about the time investment (unplugging from friends and pleasures and plugging into the Word.) We've mentioned some energy investments.  Physically making the effort to  arise early, stay up later, or rearrange your schedule.  You also need to prepare a place; engage your mind and body in order to actually do bible reading!  But for some, you may have to add a monetary investment!

We in America are blessed because God's Word is "free and available" in so many ways!  There are many radio and television programs that send free or for a small monetary donation,  God's Word in the form of cd's, devotionals and books.  But the more you read the more you will grow in God's grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18).  

Cultivation in God's Word requires appropriate tools: For example, you'll need  a good translation of the bible suitable for your understanding.  It should have wide margins for notes and of a quality that will last over years of usage! If you're a "Technical Geek," you might want software programs or apps that enhance your reading, like  scripture translations from their original language, or concordances, dictionaries, atlases and maps.  All of these will cost you something--but not as much as your ignorance!

So Let's Get Back to The Basics with a Plan to Read the Bible Daily~ This is only the beginning so Stay Tuned next week for more keys to Living a Blessed Life!

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

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