New years are exciting, and resolutions abound. Oftentimes, people don’t live out their resolutions, and they give up. We’re in Christ, and we’re in grace. You may have a goal of reading through the entire Bible in a year or the New Testament in a year or just a Bible book each month. Whatever your goal, keep in mind that your pursuit of the goal is not making you. God is, and He’ll use your reading of His word to redirect you to Him each day. You’ll probably agree that we need redirecting daily, so have self-determination and try to keep up the pace with your reading goal. However, if you get behind at some point, don’t give up. Failure would be to quit. Remember grace. God wants you in His word, so just step back in and keep going.
This week, you’ll read…
GENESIS 1-12: Who needs a new beginning? Lamentations 3 states that God’s mercies are new every morning. Whew! I could use some of that. I love Genesis, the account of the beginning. This week, you’ll go from beginning to new beginning in Genesis 1-8, from start to restart. Whatever you’ve experienced in 2018, just humbly take this new year as a restart, a chance to jump into God’s new mercies for you. A new beginning also happens with Noah and his family. Later, God begins forming a new nation through Abraham and his descendants. Allow God to do a new work in you.
HOSEA 1-5: On display is God’s grace for His people in “unbelievable” goodness and forgiveness. God says, “I’ll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope” (Hosea 2 in The Message Bible). God warns Israel and Judah and calls them to repent. Are you ignoring God’s chiding in areas in which you need to repent?
PSALMS 1-3: Personal, refreshing, hopeful.
MATTHEW 1-5: Speaking of new beginnings, a world of people oblivious to their darkness and desperation and under the dominion of the devil are given the Light of the world, and this Light gets tempted by the prince of darkness but perseveres by the word. I’ve not been tempted as extremely as Jesus was, but combating temptation with the word definitely works even though it can be quite difficult to keep your mind on the word and not your temptation. Jesus then begins His Sermon on the Mount.
- Day 1: Genesis 1-2; Hosea 1
- Day 2: Genesis 3-4; Hosea 2
- Day 3: Genesis 5-6; Hosea 3; Matthew 1
- Day 4: Genesis 7; Psalm 1-2; Matthew 2
- Day 5: Genesis 8; Psalm 3; Matthew 3
- Day 6: Genesis 9-10; Hosea 4; Matthew 4
- Day 7: Genesis 11-12; Hosea 5; Matthew 5
Daily readings are linked to The Message Bible on BibleGateway.com.
Thoughts on Life and Jesus 