For 22 years now, one Christian discipline has been part of my life, that is, the annual reading of the Word of God. It has proven to be one of my greatest joys! I wish I could say that I have been as successful in other areas of discipline, but I am thankful for the grace given me to maintain this one. I will be encouraging and challenging my church this coming Sunday to join me in reading through the Bible in the coming year. The following are some reasons why it is good to do so.

It is the Word that teaches us salvation (2 Tim 3:15). It is the Word that brings us to salvation (Rom 10:17). It is the Word that sanctifies us, that is, separates us from the world for service unto the Lord (John 17:17). It is the Word that perfectly, actively examines our hearts (Heb 4:12). It is the Word that strengthens us and equips us to carry out the will of God in our lives (2 Thess 2:13). It is the Word that is the perfect, true, trustworthy revelation of God to man (2 Tim 3:16, 2 Pet 1:19-21). It is the Word that is able to guide us in all matters and decisions of life (Psalm 119:105). It is the Word that emboldens us and strengthens us against sin (Psalm 119:11). It is the Word that becomes in our lives as a sword against the onslaught of the evil one (Eph 6:17). Simply put my dear fellow believer, the Word of God creates, sustains, nourishes, and carries the believer through this life to run this race well and enter into the glorious presence of our Lord!

There could be no greater pursuit or resolution for this coming year than to read the whole counsel of God, the complete, written revelation of God to man, God’s self-disclosure, the Bible.

In order to help and encourage such a massive task, I am going to present our fellowship with two tools. First, we have a reading plan. You can find the plan we are using at www.sermonaudio.com/searchandsee. Then click on “eDocs.” Many other plans are available as well. It is not so much which plan you choose as it is that you do have a plan to follow. A plan will keep you on track, focused, and working toward the goal.

Second, I am putting together a blog specifically for our church. It is called “Wonders in the Word,” and is based on Psalm 119:18. “Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” The blog will keep up to date with daily reading assignments and provide a format for us to share questions, insights, and lessons with one another as we read through the Bible together. You can find it at www.wondersintheword.blogspot.com.

We will begin Sunday, January 3. Join us in this delightful journey of discovering the treasures God has for us in his perfect, written revelation! Feel free to join our discussions on the blog as well!