Many of us probably made some sort of New Year’s resolution around dieting, eating healthier or somehow improving ourselves. Perhaps by now you have adjusted to eating less after the indulgence of the holiday season—to be honest, it’s really Thanksgiving all the way through New Year’s Day! Once you get back to eating “normal” again you may find that you are starving until your body readjusts. At least that’s how it is for me.
Physical hunger is one thing—spiritual hunger is another. We are busy people and many times don’t take time to feed our souls. Perhaps that was your resolution—to somehow grow closer to God. One way is to read though the Bible in a year. That thought crossed my mind but I wasn’t ready on January 1st so I put the idea aside. However, it dawned on me that I could start any time! {There I go, thinking outside the box again!}
I function much better with a plan or a goal. I “happened” to read about a plan I hadn’t seen before which made a whole lot of sense. I’ve decided to start in February reading “The Message” by Eugene Peterson. “The Message” is the Bible written in today’s English so it reads more like a book/novel. The author even says that this paraphrase is not one you would study or dig deep into. In fact the original doesn’t even number the verses. But for me, it is something just a little different to get me into God’s Word. This is the “food” I need for my soul.
The plan I chose to follow is called “Bible Eater: A Plan for Feeding on Christ in the Whole Bible in One Year.” This plan can be downloaded at http://www.trenthunter.net/?page_id=1420. He opens with the following:
God has not told us when or how often we should read the Scriptures. He just told us we need them in order to live: “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4). God’s words are life to us because of the life that is available through faith in Jesus Christ, who says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger.” (John 6:35).
Another passage that came to mind is Matthew 5:6:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
I’m excited to begin this journey. I am admittedly far from satisfied at this point in my life which tells me that I am hungering for the wrong things. Maybe you can relate. I know the right answers and what to do but I don’t do them. This is not unique to me, though. Even Paul struggled with the same thing:
“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” Romans 7:15 ESV
Perhaps you aren’t ready to take on reading the whole Bible but will you commit to reading some portion of God’s Word every day for the rest of the year? A Psalm or Proverb each day would be a great place to start. Something is certainly better than nothing. Soon it will become a habit and something that you look forward to. And I guarantee it won’t be a waste of your time. Oh, and it’s time spent not snacking either so it’s a win/win for both kinds of hunger!
Have a great day!