Why the Link at the Bottom?

Yesterday is an example of why the last comment in every email and every blog post is, “To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.” Some days, even if I manage to read at home, I have a hard time posting even the daily readings to my blog. My commitment is to post every day, but sometimes I fail. When that happens, I don’t want you to be left without knowing what to read. I link to a chart with the daily readings in the blog post you’ll arrive at if you click the link. Just in case you want to save it somewhere, I’m also linking to the chart here.

You might wonder, “If I have the chart, why bother keeping up with Matt’s devotional?” Obviously, you don’t have to. On the other hand, following a chart by yourself is a very different thing from reading the Scriptures with friends. And while we can’t be together in person, we can in spirit. I hope it provides you with a sense of personal encouragement from a friend to keep reading. I hope it also provides you with fresh thoughts and interactions with the Bible. I know that your participation has helped me. I feel personally encouraged to keep reading because I know that others are learning with me. Also, your reading gives me a sense of accountability, just as I hope my writing gives you. Some days, knowing that others are reading the Scriptures with me is my greatest motivation to keep going. I need you, and I really appreciate that you’ve been following the Scriptures with me.

But I don’t want you to be clueless about what to read when I forget to post anything. Which is why I want to make sure you have access to the daily readings through the links above. But just so you know for sure, yesterday’s reading was:

ALL – Psalm 21:1-13
ALL – Proverbs 5:1-6
OT – Genesis 50:1-Exodus 2:10
NT – Matthew 16:13-17:9

Keep up the GOOD work of listening to Jesus with me!

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

January 17, 2010

ALL – Psalm 15:1-5
ALL – Proverbs 3:21-26
OT – Genesis 35:1-36:43
NT – Matthew 12:1-21

Sorry, I meant to post this yesterday. I only managed to send it out in my email, though.

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

January 10, 2010

ALL – Psalm 9:13-20
ALL – Proverbs 3:1-6
OT - Genesis 23:1-24:51
NT – Matthew 8:1-17

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

How to Use This (Customizable) Devotional

Happy New Year! This year I’ll be reading through the whole Bible instead of only through the Old Testament. But you don’t have to. I’ve chosen a Bible reading plan that you can customize to help you take the next step in your own spiritual life (the Bible reading plan, by the way, can be found and downloaded from http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/readingplan.asp?version=51&startmmdd=0101).

So here’s how it works. Each day, there will be four readings—for example, today’s readings are:

Genesis 1:1-2:25
Matthew 1:1-2:12
Psalm 1:1-6
Proverbs 1:1-6

And each day I will mark the readings with the following abbreviations: OT (Old Testament), NT (New Testament), ALL (Everyone). It will look like this:

ALL - Psalm 1:1-6
ALL - Proverbs 1:1-6
OT - Genesis 1:1-2:25
NT - Matthew 1:1-2:12

Notice that I rearranged the readings, putting the 2 readings labeled ALL on top. Those two readings will usually be the shortest, because they come from the Psalms and the Proverbs. I’ve put them on top because I would encourage everyone who doesn’t have another Scripture reading plan to read at least these two Scriptures each day.

The rest of the reading plan is just as simple. If you would like to read through the Old Testament in a year, then read through the Scriptures labeled OT, in addition to the ones labeled ALL. If you would like to read through the New Testament in a year, then read through the Scriptures labeled NT—and I would encourage you to continue reading the Scriptures labeled ALL, too. And some of you will want to read through the entire Bible—just join me in reading each Scripture each day.

I’m sure that there will be some who read this plan days, weeks, or even months after we’ve started it. No worries! Join us wherever we are. Don’t worry about “catching up.” If you stay faithful in your reading, starting now, you’ll have plenty of time to read the Scriptures for yourself.

Which plan have you chosen?