Happy New Year, beautiful ladies! As we’re all settling in and getting a feel of the new year, I pray that your eyes are opened to all the ways God is doing a new work in your life! One of my favorite ways God works through His people is through His living Word.
John 1:1 says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Then in verse 14, And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…. The Word, the logos, is more than just a collection of books written by spirit-led men. The Word is with and is God. Jesus Christ is the Word itself become flesh. We have direct access to the mind and heart and plan of God in a small book covered in leather or on a phone screen in our back pocket. What great power we have at the flip of a page! Psalm 138:2 says, …For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. As Christians, we speak openly and passionately about the power of His Name, Jesus Christ. But how passionate are we for what He has magnified even above His Name - for the Holy Word?
This year, my prayer is to become fluent in and set aflame for the Word of God. For when we hide His Word in our hearts, when we turn to His Word to set the tone of our days, everything else will fall in line. God will be the center from which our lives flow and our homes flourish.
One of the biggest things that has helped develop my love for the Word has been a Bible reading plan. I don’t know about you, but if I don’t plan, then I don’t do. Ha! No one *accidently* reads the Word consistently. It takes discipline, small consistent steps, and a plan for action! There are so many different types of Bible reading plans, and I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite ideas below in case you’re looking for some inspiration!
1. Read the Bible through chronologically in a year. Get a big picture of the message of the Bible and the way all the events are tied together. (This is the plan I’m following along with my Flourish Studio community!)
2. Read the Bible through in a year with sections of the Old and New Testament in each week’s selection of reading.
3. Choose a book of the Bible to focus on each month. Some seasons of life call for deeper studies. With this plan, you can really marinate in each verse.
4. Read the four Gospels through each month. By the end of the year you will have read each book 12 times. Watch as Jesus reveals Himself to you in new ways each month of reading!
5. Read through the Bible in a year with each day of the week dedicated to a different genre: epistles, the law, history, gospels, etc.
6. Start a two-year Bible plan. You will read the Bible through cover-to-cover spread out over two years. This gives you more time to study what you are reading daily.
The Bible says that His Word does not return void (Isaiah 55:11), so any effort you put into His Word will be rewarded! Let’s believe together for God to speak to us in a new, fresh, powerful way this year!
