3 Reasons to Read Through Your Bible This Year

With the start of a new year, we often make plans and set goals for what we hope to accomplish over the next twelve months. After all the holiday parties, certainly getting back on track with our diet is top of the list. Maybe next is trying out that new gym around the corner. Perhaps we also want to try a new hobby, read more books, or take a class.

For Christians, we often add to that list of goals something related to reading our Bibles. We know how essential Bible reading is to our faith and we want to be more consistent. Perhaps we received a new devotional or book or bible study for Christmas which we hope will aid us in reaching that goal.

Consistency is hard for all of us. We are fallen people and our hearts are easily distracted and pulled away by lesser things. We should all have a goal to read God’s word each day. It ought to be our goal for every year.

In fact, Bible reading was a goal of mine about a dozen years ago now. While I had read and studied my entire Bible in college (mostly for various classes), I hadn’t read through it since then. I decided that new year I would start in Genesis and read a couple of chapters each day and work my way through the Bible, one book at a time. When December rolled around again, I still had two more books left to read, so I kept on reading until I finished. It took more than a year, but I loved the experience and have been reading through my Bible each year ever since. (Though I now use the M’Cheyne reading schedule.)

Why read through the Bible?

1. You read books of the Bible you might not ordinarily read: Every word in Scripture is inspired and breathed out by God. Every word is useful for “teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). But we tend to stick with certain books of the Bible. When was the last time you read Leviticus or Obadiah? Whether it’s because they are familiar or easy to understand or for some other preference, we tend to return to the books of the Bible we know, like the gospels or the Psalms. When we do so, we miss out on important teaching from other books. For example, when we skip a book like Leviticus, we miss out on the ways it opens our eyes to see our great need for Jesus.

2. You see how all the books fit together: While there are many different writers of the books in the Bible, there is one author behind them all: God. “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20). As you read through the Bible year after year, you begin to see common threads and themes. You’ll see stories and patterns repeated. From one page to the next, you’ll see just how sinful and broken and desperate we really are. You’ll see God intercede in story after story with his amazing grace. Time and time again, you’ll witness his faithfulness to the faithless. And you’ll marvel at how God pushed forward his plan of redemption, despite the actions of evil kings, wayward idolaters, and dark spiritual forces.

3. You’ll grow to love all of God’s word: We all have favorite verses and passages in Scripture. Those go-to pages that are worn and dog-eared more than others. Those treasures we hide in our heart and repeat to ourselves to bring light to the dark corners of our lives. The more that you read through the Bible, the more you’ll come to love the entirety of it. God’s word will become so familiar to you, you’ll find your own words infused with it. Your thoughts will be shaped by it. And as the Spirit works through those words, your very self will be transformed into the image of the Word, Jesus Christ.

This new year, consider reading through the whole Bible. It’s one goal you’ll want to set on repeat.

Isaiah 9 and the Names of Jesus

Our first year of homeschooling, we spent the month of December learning the names of Jesus. I had each name printed out on a strip of paper and over the course of the month, we made a paper chain which we then hung in our school room. It was a sweet time of learning about and focusing on the God who took on flesh and dwelt among us.

It’s been a few years since then (sadly, more than a few!) and I thought it was time to once again study the names of Jesus this Advent. A few of the names we’ll look at come from Isaiah 9.

The Prophecy of Christ in Isaiah 9

During Advent season, we often read the prophecy about Christ found in Isaiah 9. It’s a beautiful prophecy and one where several names are mentioned. I can almost hear a choir echoing these same words which inspired Handel’s famous work:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

This passage mentions four names: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. To understand these names, it’s helpful to look at them in the context of Isaiah 9 and of Isaiah as a whole.

In the preceding chapters, Isaiah has warned God’s people of impending judgement. They have sinned in their rampant idolatry. Over and over we read accounts in the Old Testament of Israel’s evil kings. Occasionally, a godly king would reign and destroy all the idols and restore worship as God prescribed, but the next generation would again return to their idolatrous ways. God sent Isaiah to warn of their pending punishment, given through the hands of invading armies. Isaiah’s prophecy is frightening and filled with darkness, despair, and woe. Yet in chapter nine, the prophet bursts into the middle of his gloomy foretelling with good news.

There will be a child.

God’s grace would cut into the course of history and a ruler would be born. But he wouldn’t be just any ruler. He wouldn’t be like all the rulers listed so far in the book of Isaiah, those ones who led their people astray, who followed the ways of the world and defiled God’s house. This ruler would be Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Wonderful Counselor

As a counselor myself, I’ve always been intrigued by the name of Counselor in this verse. This name doesn’t connote the same meaning as what we think of when we think of a counselor. It doesn’t mean Jesus is our therapist. It doesn’t refer to him being a good listener (though he certainly does listen to us). It doesn’t have to do with his empathy or compassion (though he has an abundance of both). Rather, it refers to his wisdom, a wisdom far and above that of human wisdom. “And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2). In fact, he would be Wisdom incarnate: “who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30). It is in this Wonderful Counselor “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3).

As John Calvin notes: “the Redeemer will come endowed with absolute wisdom…It is not, therefore, because he knows all his Father's secrets that the Prophet calls him Counselor, but rather because, proceeding from the bosom of the Father, he is in every respect the highest and most perfect teacher.”

This Wonderful Counselor would be wisdom for us, fearing and obeying God in our place. He would be a ruler who would not run and hide from evil, as some rulers have done. He would not be a ruler who would yield and conform to evil, as other rulers have done. He would instead face and confront evil with perfect wisdom. He would then conquer it forever through his blood shed on the cross.

Mighty God

This promised ruler wouldn’t just be a mighty man, a warrior with great strength and might. Though a son and descendant of the mighty warrior, King David, this ruler would not be merely a human king; rather, he would be a divine ruler. The name Mighty God means “God is a warrior.” God himself would step into the battle and fight for his people.

As Paul reminds us, our battle is not against flesh and blood, but “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). We need the strength found in a Mighty God to fight these battles. Left to our own, we could not win against such forces, but with Christ we are more than conquerors.

Everlasting Father

In ancient times, a king was considered the royal father of the nation. The name Everlasting Father does not mean the Father of the Trinity, but a father in terms of being a caring protector of his people, as an earthly king is a protector of his people. This ruler-to-come would watch over and protect his people. And unlike any of Israel’s previous kings, this king’s dynasty would never come to an end; his is an everlasting rule.

“Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:10-11).

Prince of Peace

We always hear songs about peace during Christmas time. It’s something all humanity longs for. Ever since shalom was broken in the Garden, this world has hungered for a return to peace. While most earthly rulers strive to maintain peace, this ruler Isaiah tells us about will usher in real and lasting peace.

Through his perfect life and sacrificial death, Jesus Christ would bring peace between man and God. He would make a way for God’s people to come into his presence once again. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

As we celebrate once again the birth of the Christ-child, may our hearts bow in humility and gratitude to the King of Kings, to Jesus the Christ, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

This is my final blog post for the year. As always, to keep up with my other writings, follow my author page on Facebook.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Blessings,

Christina

Psalm 138 and Giving Thanks to the Lord

Thanksgiving is nearly upon us, that annual holiday when we pause and give thanks for all God has done.

The book of Psalms is a great resource to help us verbalize our gratitude to the Lord. There are many songs there that give thanks to God in various situations and circumstances. In fact, there is an entire genre of psalms, called “thanksgiving psalms.” These psalms were crafted in response to God answering a lament. In essence, when the psalmist cried out to the Lord for help, and he responded, the psalmist then responded with thanksgiving.

Psalm 138 is one such psalm. In it, David responded in thanksgiving to the Lord for rescuing him from his enemies. We don’t know the exact lament this psalm is in response to because he writes of it in general terms. But we can tell it was a circumstance in which he feared for his life. Because this psalms is so general, it makes it easy for us to apply it to our own life and circumstances. Psalm 138 helps us worship and give thanks to the Lord for his goodness to us.

James Boice once wrote that “worship is acknowledging God as the great God he truly is and praising him for it. In other words, worship has to do with confessing God’s attributes…it also has to do with thanking God for what he has done.” In reading Psalm 138, we find a number of reasons to give thanks to God for who he is and what he has done.

Reasons to Give Thanks

1. God’s character and his ways: “I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word” (vv. 1-2). David begins the psalm right away with praising God. He identifies two central characteristics of God: love and faithfulness. This reminds us of numerous passage throughout Scripture that speak of God’s steadfast love (hesed) and faithfulness. In Exodus 34, when the Lord passed in front of Moses, he described himself as “abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” God is a covenant making and keeping God. He sets his love upon us and nothing can move it. He is faithful to keep his promises to his people. His name, I am, the one he gave to Moses, is exalted above all names. His word is life and truth. These are all covenantal reasons to give thanks to our great God.

2. God answers prayer: “On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased” (v.3). This is where the psalm gets personal. God heard David’s lament and he answered him. He strengthened him when his soul was weak and in despair. This prompts us to remember all the times the Lord has met us in our own pits of sorrow; when we thought the sun would never rise again, the Lord provided the grace we needed to endure and brought us through to the other side. May we never cease to give thanks to the Lord who answers our cries for help.

3. God will be exalted: “All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth, and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD” (vv.4-5). Here David looks to a future time when all the rulers of the earth will acknowledge that God alone is King above all. Because of Christ, the King of Kings, we too can look forward to the day when “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).

4. God sees the humble: “For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar” (v.6). We do not serve a God who is distant from his people; rather, we serve a God who has come near. In the Old Testament, the Lord dwelt among the people in a tabernacle. In the New Testament, God sent his Son, wrapped in human flesh, to live among us. Jesus came not to those who have no need of a Savior—not to the haughty—but he came to the lowly, those who are sick and in need of healing.

5. God rescues and redeems: “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me” (v. 7). David knew much trouble in his life and many of his psalms reflect that. Life in this fallen world is filled with trouble. We can rejoice and give thanks that we worship a God who rescues and redeems. He not only intervenes in our day to day troubles, but he also rescued us from our very worst fear: eternity apart from God. He sent his Son to redeem us from sin and bring us back to himself. Praise the Lord for his salvation!

6. God completes his work in us: “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands” (v.8). God made promises to David, not the least of which was that his dynasty would continue on. In our own lives, we too can rejoice that God fulfills all his purposes for us. He will make us like Christ. He will finish the work he began in us. He will persevere us to the end. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

Take the time to read Psalm 138 and give thanks to our great God today.

The God Who Sees

When the kids were younger, we spent a year studying the names of God. It’s an amazing thing to consider: There is so much depth to who God is in his character, in his works, and in his ways, it takes numerous names just to describe him. One of my favorites that we studied was El Roi, the God Who Sees.

Hagar and the God Who Sees

El Roi is found in the story of Hagar, Sarai’s Egyptian servant. Abram and Sarai had no children. They were advanced in years, and though God promised Abram he would have an heir and that his descendants would be as many as the stars in the night sky, it seems as though they thought God needed some help to make it happen. So, at Sarai’s arrangement, Abram slept with Hagar in the hopes that she would conceive and bear him a child. When Hagar became pregnant by Abram, she treated Sarai with contempt. “And Sarai said to Abram, May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!’ But Abram said to Sarai, ‘Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.’ Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her” (Genesis 16:5-6).

Hagar ran off into the wilderness and the angel of the Lord met her there. She confessed to running away from her mistress and he instructed her to return. He then promised her a son, Ishmael. “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude” (v. 10). Hagar responded, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me” (v.13). The “God of seeing” is El Roi in Hebrew.

Commentators point out that she literally says, “Have I here also looked after him that sees me? Have I here seen the back parts of him that sees me?" This reminds us of when God told Moses he could only see his back as he walked by in Exodus 33. Hagar marvels at the grace of God who sees her even while far away from Abram and Sarai, even when she left her mistress, even as she is running back home to Egypt. She didn’t look for him; God sought her out. He met her where she was. He corrected her. He blessed and provided for her. (And he did so again in Genesis 21).

In the New Testament, we read numerous accounts of Christ “seeing” those who are unseen. Women in those days were the most unseen (except for children). Yet over and over we read accounts of our Savior breaking societal norms by speaking to women. He interacted with those whom society had ignored and cast out. He showered them with his grace and their lives were forever changed.

Like Hagar, we are undeserving of such favor. We are all runaways, in one way or another. Yet Christ looks at us and sees our sin. He sees our failures. He sees our wayward wanderings. He also sees our shame and the horrific things we have endured in this fallen world. He sees our sorrows and our fears. And he gives us his grace, meeting us where we are, redeeming us, and sanctifying us by his Spirit.

Like Hagar, we should pause in wonder at El Roi, the God who sees. Like the woman at the well, we should marvel at the One who knows all we’ve ever done, and yet he saw us. Like the woman with the alabaster jar, we should weep at the feet of our Savior. For he loved us and he saved us.

The God Who Sees

“Just a touch” she said in her heart,
daring to hope he’d make her clean.
So long rejected and ignored,
would he too treat her as unseen?

A jar of expensive perfume,
broken and poured out on his feet.
She wept and brushed him with her hair.
Would he see her faith made complete?

She came down to the village well
and met one who knew all her shame.
He offered water without end—
could he be the One as he claims?

Forgotten, broken, or abused,
he sees each and every heart.
Giving grace and speaking the truth,
he redeems all he’s set apart.

We are like those women he met
who found his unexpected grace.
He sees our sin and knows our shame—
his blood covers all our disgrace.

Moms, We Need Older Moms

In recent months, I’ve had the opportunity to do a few “book club” type events around my book, Idols of a Mother’s Heart. At these events, mother’s of all ages gather together to talk about the concepts in my book. I ask questions and the women respond and share with one another.

What I’ve loved most about these events is seeing the diversity in ages and stages of life. I love hearing women in their seventies talk about motherhood, while moms in their twenties and thirties listen in. I love hearing stories from people ahead and me and from those behind me and realizing that they are the same.

I love watching the admonitions in Titus 2 unfold before my eyes.

Too often in our churches, those in the season of early motherhood stick together with other young moms. That’s how it was for me. The other young moms and I in my church got together for weekly play dates. We met and prayed together. We shared our frustrations, questions, and heartaches of mothering together. And while there is nothing wrong with moms of similar age and stage gathering together for encouragement, and I highly encourage it, there’s also something missing.

What’s missing is older women. Older moms who have walked the road before us. Older moms who have wisdom and encouragement to share with younger moms.

Because things change so much in our culture over the decades, we assume that older women wouldn’t understand what it’s like to raise children in our time and season. We think that the challenges we face are too different than that faced in the past. Not only that, but technology, new scientific research, and simply the way we care for and raise our children changes with each generation. And while there is truth to that, there are aspects to motherhood that remain the same, no matter the generation or culture or technology.

Specifically, a mother’s heart.

No matter our age or stage of life as moms, we all are sinners. We all battle with idolatry in our heart. We all say and do things that defy God’s law and hurt others. We also all have doubts, fears, and sorrows. We all long for wisdom and discernment as we parent our children. We all want to do our best as mothers and glorify God in the process. And above all, we all need a Savior.

This is common ground upon which all mothers stand. This is the place where older and younger mothers meet. This is where older mothers can encourage and walk alongside younger moms. And where we can live out the Titus 2 command:

“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled” (vv.3-6).

In recent years, I’ve asked older moms in the empty nest stage of life to share their experiences. I want to know what the terrain looks like ahead in the journey. I want to prepare my heart now for what’s to come. As I do, I learn from their experience and wisdom as they show me how the gospel applies to that specific season of life.

Moms, let’s make an effort to reach beyond our immediate circle of same age and stage moms. Let’s look to those ahead of us and seek their wisdom. Tell them what mothering is like in our current generation and the challenges we face. Listen and learn from their own stories of motherhood. And rejoice together in the good news of the gospel, that no matter our age and stage, we have a Savior who is wisdom and hope for us in motherhood.

This is the Will of God

Over the past year, as my husband considered making a change in employment, I prayed, “Lord, show us your will in this.”

Perhaps you’ve prayed a similar prayer when faced with a big decision in life. Or an uncertain future. Or a season of waiting.

God’s will—as believers, we want to seek after it, follow it, obey it. We want clarity and direction to pursue the will of God. We want to make the “right” choice—whatever it may be. Wanting to do God’s will is a good thing. After all, didn’t our Savior teach us to pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven?

The challenge comes in defining what we mean by “knowing God’s will.” For me, when it comes down to it, what I really want to know is the future. I want to know what’s going to happen. I also want to know which option to choose right now in this moment; I don’t want to have to wrestle with it and weigh the pro’s and con’s. I don’t want to make mistakes and have to learn from them. I also don’t like that unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach as I look to the unknown months and years ahead.

I just want to know.

The truth is, we are not going to know God’s secret will. We aren’t going to know his future plans for us in exact detail. But we can know his will for us in terms of what he calls us to do and how we can honor and glorify him with our lives. He gave us his Word which contains everything he wants us to know.

God’s Will and His Word

So what do we do while we wait? What do we do while we stand at a crossroads and stare at two choices before us? What do we do when we simply don’t know what to do? What do we do when we fear doing the wrong thing?

First, we can pray to know God’s will: “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:9-10). We can pray that the Lord would give us discernment. We can pray to grow in spiritual wisdom and understanding. This comes through studying God’s word and learning more about him and his character. The more we know him, the more we know what pleases him. The more we know what pleases him, the more we can walk in his will.

Second, the Bible teaches us that learning God’s will comes through a renewed mind: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). How do we renew our minds? We do this by yielding to the Spirit’s refining work in us, by putting off our old self and putting on the new self, and by setting our minds on things of God. We do it by comparing our thoughts to what Scripture teaches and then casting aside everything that does not measure up to it.

We can also seek help and wisdom from the people God has placed in our lives (Proverbs 11:14). As a member of the Body of Christ, we are united to other believers. They have the same Spirit living within them. We can seek out those who are wise in God’s word and receive their help in navigating a difficult decision.

God’s Will for Us

When we are in a season of waiting or when we don’t know what to do, the Bible tells us a few things we can know for certain about God’s will:

1) Nothing can stop or thwart God’s will: “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done,saying, ‘My counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose,’” (Isaiah 46:9-10). God’s will always happens; there is nothing we can do to interfere or hinder it. If we choose a job that isn’t a good fit, that is God’s will for us. Even if we make an unwise decision, that too is God’s will. He promises to use every circumstance in our life for our good and his glory, including unwise choices.

2). It is God’s will that we grow in holiness: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). When we find ourselves in a season of uncertainty about the future, when we aren’t sure which direction to turn, when we are waiting on an answer to prayer, we can use that time to yield to the Spirit’s work in us. We can ask ourselves: What might God be teaching me during this season of waiting for wisdom and discernment? What sins might I need to repent of? How might I draw nearer to God and depend upon him during this time?

3). It is God’s will that we give thanks in all things: “…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). In the midst of making a decision, or waiting for God to move in our life, we can give thanks to the Lord for who he is and what he has done. We can thank him that we know him and that we are known by him. We can thank him for his word. We can thank him for his work in this world and in our lives. No matter the circumstances, there is always something for which to give thanks.

When facing a difficult decision or the uncertainty of the unknown, a friend of mine and I often say to one another, “Praying the prayer that never fails.” This statement comes from Father Tim, the fictional character in the Mitford Series. And what is the prayer that never fails? “Thy will be done.” This is a truth we can cling to in uncertain and confusing times. When we don’t know what to do or which way to turn, when we desire to know God’s will in our circumstances, we can rest in the truth that while we may not know what the future holds, God does and his will always comes to pass.