My Bible Reading Plan for 2025

 It's that time of year again when I decide what I will use as a plan for daily Bible reading for the coming year.  Back in 2003, we had just moved to Indiana and my husband was on a year-long deployment overseas. As a lonely young mom effectively functioning as a single mom in a new state that year, when our pastor challenged us if we had never read the Bible through in a year, maybe this was the year to do it, I decided that was exactly what I needed. And for the past more than 20 years since, I've made it a practice to do just that, some plans were heavier on the amount of daily reading than others, but always including at least one time through the Bible in a year. This is a practice I strongly encourage. Too often we read the Bible out of context and those favorite verses we love just may not mean what you think they mean if you take the time to read what they are actually saying. Any Bible reading plan needs to take context seriously, not just a verse here and there. Maybe you won't read the whole Bible all the way through every year, but everyone ought to take the opportunity to read it all the way through at least once, so you can grasp the whole arc of the scripture in context. It really is edifying. 

Another practice I gleaned from encouragement from another pastor is to read the Proverbs every day.  There are 31 chapters in Proverbs, so it works out nicely to read through the book each month, taking a chapter a day. That practice I'll continue this year, as I've found it very edifying and it is neat how the wisdom in Proverbs begins to filter into how you think through life's situations when you're spending every day reading through it. 

This year, however, I think I am going to change things up a bit.  I've noticed the past couple of years that the amount of chapters I had set to read each day were sometimes challenging, and it was becoming more that some days felt more like kind of a 'check the box burden' feeling, and I'd find my mind drifting and realize I hadn't really taken in what I'd read rather than really digging in and every day pondering what I was reading and digesting it well.  Some days were better than others, but overall, I think I've suffered a bit in deeper devotions and study. Also, I found that reading ahead for the various group Bible study opportunities I have during the week was suffering. I need to change things up this year and I'm hoping for a deeper devotional time for it. 

So, all that said, here is what I plan for my own personal daily reading this year. 

Every day (Sunday-Saturday): Read through the Psalms and Proverbs, repeating as often as the year allows. 

Monday: Read and think over the passage we will be studying in our Wednesday morning women's study. 

Tuesday: Read and think over the passage we will be studying in our Wednesday evening study.

Wednesday: Read the Wednesday am passage again and prepare for the morning.

Thursday: Read and think over the passage for our Sunday school lesson.

Friday: Read and think over the Sunday school passage again and the passage for the Sunday morning sermon if we know it.

Every day: Work on scripture memory. (I've been stuck on Colossians 1 for way too long now)

I'm looking forward to this new plan for the coming year. It will be different for me, and I have a feeling it will feel really weird not to be starting over in Genesis on January 1, but I'm looking forward to being better prepared for the group discussions and to learning more for myself as well. 

May I encourage you, too, whatever plan you might choose, to spend some good time in Bible reading and prayer each day? It is a gift of God's grace that we have these means to draw near to Him.

Thoughts While Reading Proverbs 14

I usually choose to steer clear of writing about politics on my social media platforms. I find that these days we seem to be so divided and easily triggered that I don’t want to waste time on something that is divisive and distracts from what I believe is most important - that is, Jesus and His gospel. I don’t want things I say or write to obscure the opportunity to share the truth that is the only thing that can truly unite and bring peace and which lasts for eternity. And I most definitely do NOT want to get into arguments and discussion about such things on social media. And I am NOT interested at all to discuss or entertain conspiracy theories and such from any side, either. That doesn’t mean I don’t think about and have opinions on politics, but it does mean that I am trying to keep such things in proper perspective, and not ponder and spill about them much on social media and my blog. I found that when I quit watching the 24/7 news channels so much, I have had a much more calm approach to life in general. In fact, I seldom turn the cable news networks on these days because so much of it is not ‘news’ anyhow. Anyway, not the real point of this post, but more a disclaimer before I continue.

My pastor recently said something along the lines that really, it’s good for a Christian to find him or herself politically homeless. That resonated with me. I’m not really comfortable anywhere, though I feel more at home on the conservative side than not, but that’s mostly because of the abortion issue. I just cannot vote for so-called ‘pro-choice’ candidates. That’s my conscience and it’s not negotiable for me. There are other major issues that concern me deeply and prevent me from voting for the leftward side as well, but that is beyond the scope of this post. But that also doesn’t mean I love everything about the Republicans or the President at the moment, either. But….the options are extremely limited so I have to thoughtfully consider and vote as my conscience allows, even if the ideal candidate doesn’t exist. Has an ideal candidate ever existed? Some of what I see among my side of the aisle makes me uncomfortable - we seem to try so hard to marry politics and Christianity and we end up with this weird syncretism of Americanianity that is, to be honest, offensive. Christianity transcends nationalism, but so much of what we see these days is a dangerous civil religion that is more American than Christian. I cringe when I hear pastors on TV sounding angry at everyone who disagrees with ‘their side’ and come across as more concerned about Americanism than about the gospel, and defending character issues in their chosen candidate that just a few years ago they vehemently opposed in others, and honestly I am much more disappointed and angry with them than I am with the secular politicians because of how they distort the gospel message. That could be a whole blogpost in itself, but I don’t have the energy to go there right now. So I’m politically somewhat homeless and more so all the time it seems. As something I saw recently, I don’t remember where I saw or heard the discussion, but the thought was that the more homeless we feel with earthly politics, the more prone we will be to remember that our trust and hope are not in earthly politicians anyway. Yes and amen.

Anyway, all that is a very long lead up to what I actually wanted to write about today. While reading through Proverbs, I came across this:

“Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding,
but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.
Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:13-14)

I got to thinking, as I lean into and embrace the idea that political homelessness is better for me than entrenching myself too deeply into hoping in earthly, worldly philosophies, this is a good way to pray for our elected officials. Pray for people of wisdom and understanding to rise up and become people we can confidently vote for, and pray for those who we may not always be thrilled with that even in their midst, may wisdom make itself known. I pray often that our elected officials will pursue what is best for the country and the people, even in spite of themselves. I think it is our duty to pray for our government, whether we like them or not….they have a difficult job and they need our prayers, and they certainly need real wisdom. And as I pray, I can confidently put my trust in the One who is sovereign over all. He oversees all by His Providence and I can trust Him to do His will, even when I don’t see it or understand it. I can trust that He is working all things as He wants them to work ultimately. He is sovereign over the nations.


*You can find the sermon from our pastor that I was thinking of as I thought about this at this link .

A Thought From Proverbs

Proverbs 12:25 “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.”

I’ve been pondering this verse since I read it during my daily Bible reading a couple of weeks ago, and wanting to write a blog post about  those thoughts, but I’m just getting to it today.  

I’ve mentioned that this move was one of our harder ones for various reasons. One thing is that I seem to struggle a bit with some depressing and anxious feelings whenever we go through these kinds of life changes. I know not to spiral and dwell there in my mind, but often the feelings linger and I can’t always even describe them or why, exactly, they are weighing on me like a gray cloud for days, weeks, sometimes months as I try to acclimate to a new normal in a new place.  

Anyway, for quite a few years now, since our pastor at a former church several moves ago encouraged us to do this, I’ve made it a habit to read through Proverbs each month.  With thirty-one chapters, it is easy to read a chapter a day every month. So, when I came across Proverbs 12:25 a couple of weeks ago, it happened to be on a day when I was having some of those nebulous, hard to describe, frustrating, heavy anxious and sad feelings. I got to thinking about “a good word makes him glad.”

Do you know what my refuge is, and has been for as long as I can remember when those anxious, depressed thoughts and feelings hover and linger? God’s Word.  In season and out, it is my habit to read through the Bible each year, every day. I can’t say that every single day I get a “wow” moment, but a lifetime of reading the Bible every day changes you.  God’s word gets down into your thinking, and, friends, I NEED it there, deep down in my core, when lying thoughts and emotions try to take control. 

Sure, a good word, an encouraging word from a friend can also serve to make us glad, but the abiding gladness that comes from a joy and a peace which passes all understanding, comes from the good word found in meditating and pondering on the Word of God. Reading His word and hearing it preached will truly make you glad when anxiety is weighing your heart down.  I know from my own experience this is truth.  The feelings don’t always follow immediately, but the load is much lighter when I’m pondering what I’ve read, or working on the passage I’m trying to memorize (Colossians at present), and especially when I push through the anxiety and depression and join with fellow believers in corporate worship.  Y’all, I can't tell you how thankful I am that we found a good church quickly this time.  Sundays are just plain refreshing. It’s like drinking from a cold fountain when you’re parched and thirsty.  

I’m thankful for the good word that makes me glad when I read God’s word - how over time, He allows His word to seep into my heart and mind, reorients my thinking to His priorities and His amazing goodness, and eventually those anxious feelings submit to the truth. I’m thankful for the good word of the spiritual songs and hymns we sing together with the choir and orchestra and gathered believers on Sunday (and Wednesday night practices, too!). I’m thankful for the good word of sermons preached by pastors who love God and HIs word and who love God’s people.  

Yes, a good word truly does make me glad. 

Some Thoughts About Social Media

I had the privilege of participating in a panel discussion last night for the women of our church, encouraging us all to think about how we use social media and how to navigate it for the glory of God. So much good information and great thoughts were shared, and I wish I could share all the panel speakers' topics here, but I thought since I haven't written a blog post in a very long time, maybe I could at least share what I wrote for my portion of the discussion and try to allow my blog to live another day. I do not love public speaking, but when asked to participate with this forum, I was excited. This is a topic I've thought a great deal about and I'm thankful I got to be part of it. The topic I got to speak on is "Things to Consider Before Posting."

I have to admit to you that I have not always handled my use of social media well and have made some unwise mistakes along the way.  So, in looking at how we use social media I am not going to lay down rigid, legalistic rules - we all have different personalities and reasons for using social media, so it won’t look the same for all of us, but I would like to encourage us to think carefully, and give us a bit of a starting point, mindful that we want to honor God as we use social media.

The first thing we want to consider is that we who belong to Christ are ambassadors for Him - always. No matter what we do, in real life or online or at the store or driving, wherever we are, we represent Jesus Christ. So as we examine our social media habits one overarching question we want to ask ourselves is, “Is what I say and how I behave in this format something that brings honor to God? Am I adorning the doctrine of God in how I use this media, as Titus 2:10 tells us we are to do in everything? Am I acting in a way that will attract others to Jesus when I speak of Him, am I saying anything that contradicts the message of the gospel or might make it harder for unsaved friends to hear that message when I do share it, or saved friends to be encouraged by it?” 

 Next we want to keep in mind as we post:  Why am I using social media? Some seek connection, some use it to teach or encourage or share helpful information.   It’s a good idea to examine your reasons for using social media, not just mindlessly posting. One thing I’ve become convinced of is that social media is better used as a SUPPLEMENT to real life relationships, NOT as a substitute for them. The Bible has a whole lot to say about loving one another - this means we are in real, in person relationships.  A book I found helpful is, 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You by Tony Reinke. I was struck by something he addressed in that book, that we are embodied people. We NEED face-to-face relationships. This may be due to my more introverted nature, but I find it a great temptation to substitute online interactions for real face-to-face interactions and settle for a level of relationship that isn’t as fulfilling as real, embodied friendship. If I’m not careful, I can coddle my inner hermit instead of pushing out of my comfort zone and learning better how to interact face-to-face. I settle for less, because it’s easier to like a post or write an encouraging comment than it is to actually get together in real life or make a phone call, and not as ‘uncomfortable’ as taking the time to come alongside someone in person. 

Reading friends’ posts can give us a springboard for things to talk about in real life, which is a helpful supplement, but they don’t substitute for truly knowing each other. To have real relationship, we need to do life together. I kind of see Facebook and Instagram as great replacements for the old Christmas letter. It’s a way to stay in touch with people, and a tool to share life events with our friends, but not necessarily to share everything. 

And in our everyday lives, texting is great for quick messages and staying in touch when we don’t need a longer conversation - I mean, I don’t always have time for a two-hour phone call when I really just wanted to ask a quick question or confirm plans to meet, so texting is great for that type of thing, or a quick, “I’m praying for you!” is always encouraging. 

However, it’s easy to have a false sense of intimacy with these media. Because we do share so much or because communication is so instantaneous, it’s easy to think we know people better than we actually do. Researchers are beginning to notice that people who spend a lot of time on social media are experiencing a greater sense of loneliness than you would expect considering how superficially connected we are. While I was writing this, I heard Al Mohler mention this in a segment at the end of his The Briefing podcast on March 21, so it is something people are noticing.  Because we have a real innate desire to know and to be known, we need to consider that It is not the same level of intimacy you have when meeting together, spending time in each others’ homes, praying together, serving together, seeing each other LIVE in real life. So, that’s something to keep in mind as you consider how much time we spend in these venues.

While I was working on this talk, we were discussing the chapter in Respectable Sins in LIFE group, covering sins of the tongue, and we read Matthew 12:36-37, which says, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” I have to tell you I found that pretty scary as I really stopped to think about how that lesson applies to how I use social media - so many careless words, I’ve posted. In fact, during every lesson the of the Respectable Sins study I was strongly struck by how applicable every heart issue we covered is to our social media use, too.  That’s why I have listed it as a resource for this topic.

To move toward application, I’m sure many of you have probably heard the acronym THINK before. I find it to be a helpful grid to work through when posting on social media, and I’ll give you some examples.

First, there’s T - is it true? We Christians are to be truth tellers. We have the most amazing news of all - the gospel - that we want our friends and neighbors to hear. So, we want to be people who tell the truth even in little things, so that when we talk about the most important truth, they can better hear us. One area to be careful is with forwards and memes and news stories. Do not forward things that are not true. Always check it out. We come across as gullible and foolish and we clog up our friends’ newsfeed when we thoughtlessly forward things that are not true. Proverbs 14:15-16 says, “The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.  One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.” When my friends see me falling for hoaxes and fake news things, what will that make them think when I then turn around and post about Christ? If they see me as gullible on these less important things, will they see me as discerning when it matters? We, of all people, ought to be most careful with our words. At the same time, we do NOT need to post every single thing about our lives in the name of being ‘real.’ I’ve seen the criticism sometimes that we are fake and not transparent on social media if we don’t share the good, the bad, and the ugly. Well, just because it’s true, doesn’t mean it’s wise to share it with our whole friend list.

Which brings us to H - Is it helpful? I don’t know that we need to agonize over whether every single thing we post on Facebook fits this, and I don’t believe we need to only post serious things, it’s ok for it to be fun, but I certainly want to keep this in mind. Why am I posting this? Am I wanting to share something humorous? Am I sharing good information? Am I cheering for my favorite team? Or am I being annoying, boastful, or hurtful with my posts? Am I oversharing? When my friends open their feed, do they have to scroll through 14 of my posts before seeing what anyone else is talking about? That is kind of like that person in a group who dominates the conversation, talking mostly about herself. Really, who honestly cares what I had for lunch today? What am I trying to gain by running to social media to post every thought? As a recovering oversharer, I’ve found myself pausing when I have an urge to share a thought or picture, why am I sharing this? Can’t I just live in the moment? Or what about an overabundance of selfies? Again, think about what are you trying to accomplish with this post and what is this saying to the people on your friends list. Am I posting things that are overly divisive? For example, I have friends on my feed who are unsaved, and they also hold very different opinions from me on things like politics and pop culture. If I am posting a lot of strong opinions and generating animosity over those things, am I making it harder for them to hear me when I speak about the things that are eternally important? These days, people often are very quick to take offense and we can be unnecessarily polarizing when we aren’t thoughtful about the venue in which we share opinions. Keeping in mind that first, overarching consideration that I am an ambassador for Christ, is social media, where I have friends of various spiritual states, the best place for me to be overly opinionated in a way that might hinder the most important message? That’s not to say it’s wrong to have opinions on politics or pop culture or that it’s wrong to ever post about them, or that they aren’t important, but do consider what do I want my main message in this format to be, what is most appropriate for this format, what do I want to be most known for, if I have non Christian friends and family watching? 

Next we have I - Is it inspiring? Does what I share tend more toward encouraging, or more toward complaining? Do I lift up, or drag down, overall? Not that you have to be happy, happy, happy all the time, but what’s the general tone of your social media profile? Since we are specifically thinking about how to use social media for the glory of God, I wanted to encourage us to really think about how we handle His word when we use it in our social media. Scripture is such a powerful way to encourage others, but how many times do you see scripture verses mangled and used out of context to say something they don’t mean?  I am a Christian. I love Jesus. This is what I want most to talk and think about. So one thing I’ve prayed is that I would be careful not to ever lead anyone astray by not being careful with doctrine and what I say about Jesus and His word. It is a joyous, but serious responsibility to talk about our God, and we want to be accurate when we do. Be careful about quotes you share, too. Sometimes you may see a great quote on a beautiful background and love the sentiment, but if you look a bit into the author of the quote or the site it came from, they may not be a source you want to be pointing people toward. We want to be careful not to seem to endorse a source who may not be trustworthy overall. We women really need to guard our hearts and minds - there’s so much out there that just isn’t the best in the way of books and teaching. Proverbs 11:22 has a pretty graphic picture warning for us, “ Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.” 

Which leads to N - Is it necessary? Proverbs 10:19 says, “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” Have I thought about the people on my friend list? I don’t know about you, but not everyone on my list interacts with me, and sometimes I forget who all may be reading my posts. Some are close friends, some are family, some are merely acquaintances I’ve known in the past, some are believers, some are not. Is what I’m sharing something I would share with a mere acquaintance in real life?  If it’s too personal to tell to those not-as-close friends in real life or could easily be misunderstood, I should think twice about posting it on social media. When posting pictures or mentioning a get-together, think common courtesy first- Could this make real life friends feel left out?  And what about Vaguebooking? You know what that is? It’s when you're annoyed with someone and you really want to say something, but you don’t necessarily want to say it directly so you post a passive aggressive comment hoping maybe they’ll see it, or you’re having a hard time and you want a little sympathy, but maybe don’t want to share it all out there, so you share some vague comment about what a hard time you’re having. They're the sort of posts you read and think, “Who is she talking about?” or “What’s going on with her?” Worse than vague complaints are actual, airing of the dirty laundry rants. Again, remember your audience - it’s unwise, foolish, even, to vent all over social media, and honestly it’s embarrassing and not the best witness. Proverbs 29:11 “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.”

And then we reach K - Is it Kind? As a mom, I really want to touch on this, and I wasn’t quite sure where to put it, but I think it fits here under kind - what about what and how much I share about my children? When they were little and I shared a funny little story it didn’t seem quite as big of a deal as it is now that they are older. I caught myself recently sharing a story I thought was funny about something my daughter said, but the more I thought about it, I was sharing something that to me was funny, but to her was embarrassing. So I took the post down pretty soon after sharing it. I am much more careful now to think, how would I have felt if my mom had a Facebook account when I was this age, and how thankful I am she didn’t? Ephesians 6:4 warns us against exasperating our children, and this is one area we need to consider. It has made me much more aware of the fact that loving my neighbor well, including my kids, means thinking more about what is best for them, regarding what I post. As my children’s mom, I want to protect them, and that means being wise about what I share. And then, more generally about kindness - we are to be people who love others. Our words are powerful.  The people on the other side of your social media interactions are real people.  Think about how you come across. Think about how it would impact you if someone posted or texted the way you do and be careful with your words.   We can use this tool as a supplement to aid us to encourage and rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep when used wisely. Not that we necessarily want to overanalyze and constantly walk on eggshells, but we do want to be caring of others. Do I know someone in my friends feed who is struggling especially with something right now and maybe I could be a little considerate about what I’m sharing, even if it doesn’t have anything to do with them - could what I’m posting hurt them unnecessarily or be a bit tone deaf to their pain at this time? We are to be peacemakers - Romans 12:18 tells us, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Especially in the mediated world of social media, where facial cues, tone of voice, and body language are missing, be kind -  in what you say, and in how you interpret what others post and say. It’s so easy for mediated words and pictures to be misconstrued.  I’ve seen comment threads degenerate quickly into angry interactions that I’m willing to bet would not have happened if the people were sitting across from each other over coffee, or left private conversations private, not put out there on social media.  This is so important - Don’t text or post angry. James 1:20 warns us “The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”  In that same vein, most of the time it is wise to stay out of Twitter and Facebook arguments. Think - do I need to address this at all? Do I have the kind of relationship with this person that earns the right to correct or reprove? If I think I do need to address it, I probably should go to the person privately - in person if at all possible. Remember, as far as it depends on you, preserve peace and one of my favorite Proverbs says, “The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.” (Proverbs 17:14)

In summary, really what all this boils down to should be that when using social media - Am I loving my neighbor as myself? Am I preferring others, and am I bringing honor to my Savior and loving Him first, and is that reflected in how I interact in this format? This can be such a powerful tool for good and for encouragement and for sharing gospel truth. Let’s be careful that we use it for good and watch out for pitfalls.

Some Thoughts, A Book, A Song, and A Prayer

Reading Proverbs today, this verse stood out to me: 

Proverbs 28:26 “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.”

I believe some of the most dangerous advice dished out by our culture, especially in things aimed at children, is to follow your heart.  It’s the gospel of Disney, if you will. You also hear it expressed as, “follow your truth.” This is dangerous, because our hearts, in our natural state, are deceitful and desperately wicked. Things that seem right to us, quite often are treacherously wrong. That’s expressed in another Proverb, by the way. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” I must, must, must know, trust, believe, and obey God’s Word, not look to my own heart or understanding as my guide.  What I think and feel can deceive if my thoughts, feelings, and conscience are not informed deeply by God’s Word. His Word is truth. He will sanctify us in the truth.  I know this, because Jesus prayed for it in John 17. 

This is why that verse in Proverbs 3:5-7 that is so well known, but I wonder how well we actually follow it, is so important to ponder deeply and apply. It says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.  Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.” This is the opposite of ‘follow your heart.” When my heart seeks after the things the world values and when my heart is convinced that what God’s Word calls evil is good or that what God’s Word calls good is evil, I must trust God’s Word, not my heart. I must be seeking first HIS kingdom, not my ‘truth.’  My one aim must be seeking HIS truth and living in its light, and loving Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength who died and rose again to reconcile me to Himself and enable me to die to myself and die to my sin and to live to love Him in spirit and and in truth. 

I’ve been thinking on these things in light of a book I’m reading, called Growing up Christian by Karl Gaustein with Mark Jacobsen. This is a wonderful tool, first for me as an adult who grew up as a ‘church kid,’ as I’m reminded how very grateful I am for the blessing of growing up in the home I did where my parents lovingly taught me God’s Word and modeled for me what it is to love Him, and how very grateful I am that God brought me through the navigation of the many dangers, too, and allowed me to emerge believing and growing in Christ, for granting me a faith that is real and alive. I am looking forward to sharing this book with my children, too, who are no longer little ones, but with one in college, one in high school, and one in middle school, they are people who have grown up as ‘church kids’ with all the blessings and dangers, too. May they learn to appropriate the faith as their own, to learn not to be complacent, to learn to trust God’s Word, not their own hearts, and see how amazing the grace of God that has been showered on us all truly is.

I called my parents the other day and tearfully thanked them for raising me as they did, and tearfully confessed how selfish I was as a young adult, not fully realizing how much they loved me. As the parent of a college aged young adult now, I see things I just did not see then, and I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to see and thank God for the blessing of growing up in a Christian home, for the grace of saving faith, and for my parents’ love. I’m also thankful for their grace-filled response to my tears when I talked to them the other day. 

I listened to this song by Andrew Peterson this morning, and though I’m pretty sure I’ve probably shared it before, I just love this song, especially as I watch my children grow older. He captures well that tug in the heart as we learn to let them go as they grow. I do pray they will know the joy of trusting God with all their hearts as they grow into the adults they will be. 

Here are some scriptures I am using to inform my prayers for my children as they enter the confusing and challenging worlds of middle school, high school, and young adulthood: 

Jude 24-25 “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time, and now and forever. Amen.”

Philippians 1:9-11 “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” 

Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.”

Proverbs 28:26 “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.”

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”

Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.”

Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all vigilance for from it flow the springs of life.”

Proverbs 23:15-18 “My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. My inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is right.  Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day.  Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” 

How I pray that where we have been faithful, God will continue to embed the truth in their hearts, and yet, where we have been inconsistent, that God may have mercy and teach them to love Him in spite of our failings. He is a gracious and merciful Savior, and He is mighty to save! 

A Thought From My Morning Reading

Proverbs 30:5-6

“(5) Every word of God proves true;

he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

 (6) Do not add to his words,

lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.”  

This was part of my Bible reading this morning, and verse five was such a comfort to me that I shared it on my Facebook page. I got to pondering how awesome it is that God has given us His  Word, and what a refuge I have found it to be throughout my life. When I’m discouraged as I have found myself to be recently, I know to turn to God’s Word and to prayer and to dig in and pursue Christ - even when I don’t feel like it, especially when I don’t feel like it. I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am that my salvation and sanctification are not dependent upon how I feel at any given moment. My salvation and sanctification are grounded, firmly rooted, in who Jesus is and what He has done to grant my salvation and sanctification. It is not how much faith I have, it is WHO my faith is placed in, and He will never, ever fail. He came to save whoever believes in Him. Our memory verse for this week’s Bible study lesson in my women’s group at church as we are working through the book of Titus this year was Titus 2:11-12: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires, and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age”, and as we looked at Titus 2:11-14 this week, we also discussed our blessed hope in Christ, and we looked at passages in the Bible that encouraged us that Christ will present us who belong to Him holy and blameless to God. 

So, as I thought about Proverbs 30:5 this morning and read on to verse 6, I realized the thought isn’t complete without that verse, too, so I shared it as well. What immediately came to mind for me was that this is just one of the many things that I believe are wrong with certain books that have become popular in Christian circles, specifically books like The Shack and Jesus Calling. In a sense they are adding to God’s Word in a way we really ought not to do. The Shack in that it has God presenting Himself in a way He does not in the Bible, which He gave to us specifically so we would know Him as He wants to be known. We have no right to misrepresent God. I am so tired of hearing the argument that that book helps people to understand God better. Not if what you’re coming to understand is contrary to what He has said in His word, you aren’t. Remember, our feelings are NOT the judge of what is true and right. God’s Word is. And Jesus Calling, well, it’s claiming to be the words of Jesus. I don’t need Jesus Calling when I have the actual, you know, Bible. Tim Challies had some great posts about both of those books here and here, by the way, and another good post about why he doesn’t plan on seeing the movie version of one of them, either. 

I think the reason I’m rambling on about this is that I’ve seen some discussion floating around about the upcoming movie, and what bothers me a lot is how quick people are to defend very strongly these books, but we who are concerned about holding a high view of God’s Word are called legalists and told we’re putting God in a box (um, no). I’d rather be vigorous about defending and sharing God’s revealed Word than some fictional book that has a lot of problems with it. Read it or not as your conscience allows, but turning a blind eye to the concerns people are voicing and claiming these books help you to know God better is flat out dangerous. A friend of mine posted something and got some push back and I private messaged her and encouraged her, but, frankly, I find it exhausting to get into Facebook comment thread arguments over these books. No, I DON’T have to read them so I can be better informed. I just don’t. My dad and I were talking once about how frustrating it is when people spend so much energy defending popular books that have bad theology and tell us to 'eat the meat and spit out the bones,' and who spend more time reading that stuff or fluffy devotional books and not as much in studying the actual Bible, and he said, “Why is God’s Word never enough for these people?” I agree. We Christians belong to God. We need to be discerning in what we allow to shape our thinking about God. There are many examples in Scripture that show us how seriously God takes this. Shouldn’t we take it seriously, too?

My pastor preached a great sermon about the Holy Spirit and the Scripture this past Sunday and he discussed the reformation point of Sola Scriptura. I’m sharing a link to it below. I am so thankful for my church and my pastor and elders who hold a high view of God and His Word and are serious about equipping us to be faithful followers of Christ. They stay on message and encourage us every week.