Greetings all,
Well, I for one, got blown away in December! Finals, reports, a family wedding and the holidays to boot and I'll confess I found myself sinking fast. Needless to say I never posted a reading plan for December. So here we are at the end of the year, just days left and 2011 will be in the history books with 2012 a present reality!
If you haven't done so already, now is the time to start thinking about next years reading program! I really want to encourage you to be systematic in your handling of this plan. Reading the Bible is one of the most important things that we can do as believers to continue growing in Christ. In fact, in John 8:31 Jesus says to those who believed in Him, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed" (KJV). So let's not be haphazard in our reading of God's word, but let us be diligent in our study. It is tempting to be sure to focus only on our favorite books or passages, or perhaps to read randomly as we find opportunity or occasion, but this approach will lead to a very unbalanced diet. Be sure to partake regularly of all the different parts of the word, Old and New Testaments alike. Histories, poetry, epistles and prophecy should all have their place at our table. Let's feed on the richness of God's word this year!
So what about this site? What are we going to do here at Read and Heed The Word? The approach this year is going to be a little different than in the past. Rather than posting weekly reading assignments I am going to encourage that you find your own reading program. These are abundantly available! You can find them on line of course, but you can also find them in the backs of many Bible's, in Bible study software programs, or more recently even in smart phone aps! So decide how slowly or quickly you want to read through the word and get at it! But remember to not only read, but also to heed the words that you are reading.
In addition to encouraging you to find your own reading program we are also going to focus on a book of the month. Each month of this year, I will select a different book of the Bible for us to focus on together. Work this book into your own reading plan and then come onto this site to make comments about your reading. Questions will be posted for discussion. This year, I'm hoping that we can have a lot more interaction over the reading that we do. Look for more information on this in the coming days!
In the mean time, have a happy and blessed New Year! I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Blessings all,
Read and Heed The Word!
