Did I really say that?

My 5-year old has started putting words in my mouth. Example…

Hads, let’s go eat supper. We can jump more tomorrow.

(At bedtime.)

But mom you said we could jump more before bedtime even if it was dark and freezing and we didn’t have to wear coats and we could eat pineapple while we jump.

Time out. That doesn’t sound like something I’d say because I don’t even know how to cut a pineapple.

Sometimes it’s a bit more subtle and I have to think back and ask myself did I really say that?

But most of the time I can remember because I know me. I’ve ran across some books lately that claim to be “Christian” books and as I’ve read through bits and pieces I have to ask myself…does the bible really say that? And going back to look it’s like…hmmm…that’s not what it says. Or reading a verse that’s posted on some fancy picture on Pinterest and thinking…time out does it really say that…only to find out, no! That wasn’t even close!

A splendid way to tackle some of these questions is to…(drum roll please)…read the Bible.

I was filling out an application a few weeks ago and had to write out my story of coming to Jesus. It was the Word. It was His truth that drew me straight to His love and wrecked my world for the best.

Some things in life simply rattle me with goodness and rightness. Those things that make you say…YES! There’s a church from my hometown that did just that not too long ago. Let me be the first to say, I do not know the ends and outs, of this, but this is what I know from an outsider’s perspective…

This church had met in its local school’s auditorium for years. They were getting ready to move out of the auditorium and into their church building. Before the first service various people came in shifts and read the bible for for just under 72 hours straight. Continually reading over three days so that the entirety of the Word was spoken in that place before their first service was even held! (If you go there you may know more about it than I do so feel free to share…but that’s what this lady saw via Facebook live!)

YES!!

I simply have a desire to encourage believers to read the Word day after day after day. We can go to church, listen to sermons, be surrounded by other believers…but what are we doing? Why not stop taking someone else’s word for it and read it fully and completely for ourselves as well!

In this day you could have sermon after sermon playing in the background of your office at work everyday. You could be at church every Sunday morning. Every Sunday evening. Every Wednesday. Any other random day the doors are open. Church online…but I pray that this alone leaves you unsatisfied and that it is simply not enough. I pray that you will continually be captivated by the Word of God. That you would consume it and that the very Word would be so full inside you that you cannot hold it in.

Here are some stats (found from Brother Google…correct me if you’ve done this on your own and found something different).

It takes roughly 52 hours and 20 minutes (Old Testament 929 chapters) and 18 hours and 20 minutes (New Testament 260 chapters). There are 1189 chapters in the bible. That equates to 3.26 chapters a day in a year to read it fully. Or 1 hour (ish) a day for 70 days. Or 30 minutes a day for 140 days. Or 15 minutes a day for 280 days. Or under 10 minutes a day in a year.

Maybe you don’t know where to start?

Start at the beginning. Start at the new testament, read through that and go back to the old testament. Make a big list of all the books and read through one at a time marking them off as you go! Chronologically (here’s a plan some friends and I are using at the moment. Just on day 3 if you want to jump on board:   bible https://www.blueletterbible.org/assets/pdf/dbrp/1Yr_ChronologicalPlan.pdf 

Just start somewhere! I promise that you will marvel at it all and it will be well worth it!

How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth. (Psalm 119:103)