Exercise Daily in Bible Reading….Walk With the Lord

I have often been dismayed to see ineffectiveness in my Bible reading. It seems that if I miss one day, I am more likely to miss another. It has a snowball effect, and before I know it the one day I was too busy, too tired, too behind in housework, too–whatever–turns into many days that I have allowed myself to become cut off from the oxygen that my spiritual life needs as desperately as my physical body does.

When I lose sight of the cross and all that the Bible teaches, I am like a Swiss Family Robinson raft trying to stay afloat in a Titanic sea. The words of the scriptures melt my heart, stir my soul, and are the nourishment that I must have to survive.

PERSONAL BIBLE STUDY

For my personal Bible study I simply pick up my Bible and begin reading where I left off the day before. Many years ago I read through the Bible chronologically. That was quite a revelation for me to see how it all fit together. I would highly recommend it if you have not read the scriptures this way. On the other hand, I also found it to be rather tiresome to read the different accounts of the same battle one right after the other.

When my sister-in-law attended Bible college, I remember her quoting a professor as stating that the Bible as we know it today was put together in the order it is for some reason. What comfort that realization brought me. The Bible is not an unorganized hodge-podge. It is put in order by God.

If you are concerned about how long it will be until you get to the life of Christ, read some Old Testament and then some New Testament. You can switch daily or read a portion of each Testament each day.

HOMESCHOOL BIBLE STUDY

The Bible is sufficient; it stands alone and requires no map to guide us through since it is the map to guide us through life. The Bible is perfect and is too complete to add to. My children love our Bible time, and if I keep this in the correct proportion to our other reading, we spend about an hour a day reading from God’s Word. What an honor it is for me to begin to instill in my children a love for the Holy Scriptures. Here is where we need to look for comfort, wisdom, and strength.

The following verses were very convicting to me and left me with the realization that God intended for The Bible to be our curriculum: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” Timothy 3:16.

“And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do” Exodus 18:20.

“And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sitttest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” Deuteronomy 6:7.

By just sitting down, praying, and then reading with the children I am the guide, along with the Holy Spirit, and He is the teacher. Since I try to remain very sensitive to His leading, the children’s questions are not diversions from a home school Bible time. I learn right along with my children and daily glean something from these precious minutes. This is when we read the Bible, discuss it, maybe look up places on a map, or put the time in context by adding them to our timelines.

CHARACTER TRAINING

The Bible will change character faster than all the character training books or manuals put together! It is “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” Hebrews 4:12.

Let’s restore God’s word to its rightful place in our homes, and home schools. God has “magnified His Word even above His name” Psalm 138:2.

Now that I have just exhorted you that a curriculum is not necessary for Bible Study, let me share with you the resource that we have effectively used in our own home for many years, Bible Study Guide for All Ages. This tool is easy to use, requires little to no teacher prep time, and is a great option for busy families of today.

Okay, open your Bible and start today!