From the Inside Out

A friend posted the following thoughts on Facebook today. They were extracted from an email that had been forwarded to her. Normally I don’t like to re-post these types of things as a blog post, but it really made me stop and think. I hope it does the same for you.

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several time a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?

What if we gave it to the Kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

One of the great things about living in the Internet age is that you can find almost everything you need on the Web — even the Bible. I hate to admit it, but I have a tough time keeping up with my daily Bible readings unless I have a plan to follow. Without a plan, it just becomes a random “open the book and read a chapter” experience. While this “open and point” approach is better than nothing, it doesn’t get me very far in studying God’s word. Plus, I think it’s a good practice to read the entire Bible regularly instead of focusing only on the books I prefer. There are still many lessons to be learned in the drier books — although I do tend to skip over the genealogies. Those names are rough!

Anyway, one of the tools I found to help me stay on top of my reading is at Christianity.com. They have a terrific web site with devotionals, bible study tools, resources, translations and scripture readings. They also have a personal Bible reading plan (i.e. Bible in a Year) that you can start at any time. You simply log in daily and complete the assigned reading. When you’re done, you click the “Finished Reading” button and the “Complete” column shows a checkmark for the selected day’s reading. It’s easy and you can access it from anywhere. I love it when I’m traveling because I don’t have to worry about packing my Bible and damaging it in my suitcase.

If you’re like me and you need a structured plan, check it out. I think it’s much better than the old “Bible in a Year” books and it offers a variety of other resources to complement your daily reading.