By Faith

You may remember that last January I started the Bible in 90 Days challenge with my friend, Andrea.  It was a wonderful experience, and one I hope to repeat in the future.  However, in keeping with my mission of limiting as much pressure as possible from my daily schedule to focus on this first year of homeschooling, I decided to take on a less daunting but hopefully just as fulfilling task this January.  While Andrea reads the Bible in 90 Days again, I am reading The Story in 90 Days.  We started on Monday and are holding one another accountable for keeping up with our daily reading through regular texts and encouragement.    


In case you are not familiar with The Story, it is basically a chronological compilation of all the major stories, prophecies, psalms and proverbs of the Bible.  It does not include every scripture verse in the Bible, but all of the prose in The Story are word for word verses from the NIV Bible.  The purpose of The Story is to tell the narrative of God and His people, making "the insistent claim that a loving God has sought you and provided a way of redemption- a way for you to enter a relationship with Him." (p. ix)


This morning as I began reading about Abraham, these verses really ministered to me and where I am in my faith journey right now:

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God."  Hebrews 11: 8-10

"Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness."  Genesis 15: 6 

"Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be."  Romans 4:18

"Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised."  Romans 4: 20-21   

Biblical faith is not mere head knowledge.  It is not intellectual assent to the existence of God.  After all, even the demons believe- and shudder!   Biblical faith is obedience no matter the cost.  It is going where you are called, even when you do not know where you are going.  It is living as a nomad, never setting down immovable roots, so as to be ready to go when called at a moment's notice.  It is believing with hopeful expectation in the promises of God, even when the circumstances look to be against all hope.  It is unwavering.  It is being fully persuaded in His power.  It gives glory to God in the midst of pain, fear and confusion.  It is looking forward to that city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.    


Abraham and Sarah had reason to fear, but they had bigger faith.  My cousins have sorrow and pain, but they have bigger faith.  I have had times of fear, sorrow, confusion and pain.  And I am learning to walk by bigger faith.  A faith that is bigger than all these feelings.  A faith that is hopeful, expectant, ready and willing, and glorifies God.  A Biblical faith.  As I journey, I am thankful for the examples of faith from the Word and from this life.  And I am thankful for my God who is always FAITHFUL to nudge me along in my walk of faith, bringing me ever closer to that city with foundations.  

B90Days

Go here.  Sign up now!  You'll be so glad you did- trust me.

Done!

Most of what I want to say about my Bible in 90 Days journey can be found in this post.  I finished on April 1st- the 89th Day.  As I read the last several chapters of Revelation during my morning quiet time yesterday, my heart was soaring.  Tears welled in my eyes as I read the final chapter of the Bible and imagined what God has in store in eternity for those who believe!

I saw this beautiful video a few days ago and knew it had to go into my Bible in 90 Days wrap up post.  Be blessed!  And remember Amy starts up a new B90Days group on July 11th- go sign up, you will never regret it.



Lord, thank You for this experience.  Thank You for enabling me to read the entire counsel of Your Word in 89 days.  Thank You for the promise that it will never return void.  Thank you for Amy, your servant, and her faithful service to You and Your daughters.  Thank You for Andrea and her prayers and accountability throughout this journey.  May I bear fruit and bring You glory as a result of reading the Bible in 90 Days.  In Jesus' name, amen.

In the Home Stretch

Edited to add quote at the end of the post.

If you read here regularly, you are aware that I am reading the Bible in 90 Days for the first time.  It's also the first time I am reading the entire Bible cover to cover.  I am reading with the encouragement of Amy and the community at MomsToolbox and the accountability of my dear friend, Andrea.  While it has been hard, at times, to keep up with the readings, the truth is, overall, it has been much easier to do than I ever imagined.  Some of the Old Testament readings were dry, some were difficult to understand but I just purposed to keep reading.

Now deep into the epistles of the New Testament, I am filled with joy to have gotten so far.  The beauty and the richness and the clear theology of Paul's letters have never been more real to me, having just read through the Old Testament in its entirety!  And what I thought might primarily be an intellectual exercise simply given the pace at which I was reading the Scriptures has proved to be a deeply spiritual one as well.  Though it did not happen everyday, many times as I read I was prompted to pray for myself and others, to share a verse of encouragement with a brother or sister or simply to be a doer of the Word.

The 90 Days end on April 2nd.  I am confident that, if it is God's will, I will finish on time.  And if not, I will finish soon after.  Amy starts a new B90Days group on July 11th.  If you have never done this before, I urge you to prayerfully consider it!  There is nothing in my Christian life, besides my Baptism, that has brought me more joy than this!


After I wrote this post this morning, I picked up Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a book I am reading for Book Club at church.  Chapter Two discusses, among other things, how one should be reading the Scriptures each day.  When I read the following passage, I knew it belonged at the end of this post:

"Consecutive reading of Biblical books forces everyone who wants to hear to put himself, or to allow himself to be found, where God has acted once and for all for the salvation of men.  We become a part of what took place for our salvation.  Forgetting and losing ourselves, we, too, pass through the Red Sea, through the desert, across the Jordan into the promised land.  With Israel we fall into doubt and unbelief and through punishment and repentance experience again God's help and faithfulness.  All this is not mere reveries but hold, godly reality.  We are torn out of our own existence and set down in the holy history of God on earth. "  Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, p. 53

Afraid of Man?

I'm reading the Bible from cover to cover in 90 Days.  Is that not crazy???  I have tried to read the entire BIble in a year only to fizzle out by February, if not sooner.  But here I am, 18 days in and in the book of Judges already!  When I started this challenge, I was doubtful I would finish. Now I am certain I will!  Reading along with my sweet friend, Andrea, has been a huge motivator as I know at some point each day we will text back and forth about the day's reading.  We're having lots of fun laughing through the dry parts, asking questions and keeping each other accountable.


Each day, Amy posts the day's readings and a SOAP devotional.  I have to admit that I just started reading the devotionals a few days ago but they are great!  This morning as I was reading about Gideon in Judges 6, a verse jumped out at me.  Or I should say a verse convicted me.  Amy was unable to post a SOAP devotional today and invited us to write our own.  Right away, I knew I wanted to dig deeper with this verse.  So here goes...


Scripture:

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. Judges 6: 27

Observation:
Fear of man can be so strong that even one who saw and spoke with the Angel of the Lord face to face and saw a miracle from his hand will do his worship and service in secret to avoid what his family and friends might do or say.


Application: 
God wants me to let go of the fear of what my family or friends might say about me or do to me and to walk in the freedom of His plan for me.  As we continue to contemplate a big decision, I am convicted as I consider this verse.  While it is wise to get a clear answer from the Lord before making a big decision public, I have also simply been reluctant to discuss this decision with family and friends because I am "afraid" of their possible negative response.  I need to trust His plan and that He will make our paths straight as we trust Him and live life in broad daylight, in full view of friends and family.  He has even been so good as to show me how He is working in the hearts of family members to accept this possible decision, even as they are unaware of it!  (By the way, thank you for bearing with my vague posts on this topic, I promise to share as soon as we are decided!)


Prayer:
Father, thank You for Your Word which never returns void.  Thank You for speaking to me through Your Word in a personal way.  I am amazed at how such a mighty and awesome God would desire to be intimate with little old me!  Lord, help me to put aside the fear of man.  GIve me boldness to live life in broad daylight and full view of friends and family.  Give me Your Words of life and hope to share with those around me who need You.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Bible in 90 Days Goodness!

In case you are reading along, here is some encouragement and tips for the journey:

You and Me, Buddy
Using the Fruit of the Spirit
Week One Recap

I cannot believe we are on Day 10 and I've read all of Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus already!  And it really has not been that difficult to find the time.  I've been reading about half in the morning and the rest either in the afternoon or evening.  God is good!