I usually start thinking about next year’s devotions early in November. It takes me awhile. I like to wait to see what the church is doing in case that is what I feel led to do. Sometimes I do word studies, words like righteousness, faith, patience, forgiveness, look up all the references to those words in the bible, read the context and think about them. It took me months to make it through righteousness.
This year I have spent time on Biblegateway.com checking out “The Message” version of different verses and finding that particular version/translation/paraphrase to be very helpful. And I thought, maybe I should get one in print? So when I went shopping I found one paperback that was called Pause, a Daily Reading Bible.
I have already read the 3 different introductions and the first day’s reading, all in one sitting. It was fascinating. The book is built around the principles Kenton speaks about every year.
Conversing with God
Read, Think, Pray, Live. Here is my short version, the things I remember:
Read: You immerse yourself in God by immersing yourself in His story – the Bible.
Think: The bible speaks to real people in a real world spoiled by sin. You will see yourself and listen for God’s voice in the stories you read. Be ready to answer God when he calls.
Pray: You will be drawn into a conversation with God when he speaks through his Word. Talk to God about what He says, then when he shoves you out of your comfort zone, just relax. He knows you and what you are feeling.
Live: The more you read the more you will need to “trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly”. You will find yourself living for God’s purposes rather than your own. Jesus said, “I came so that they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. ” When you live the Word, you truly live.
Read in order to live, praying as you read, “God let it be with me just as you say.” Eugene Peterson
I Cor 13:13, John 10:10
