Reading the Bible

Many folks make a resolution each year to read the Bible in a year. This year I took on this mission as I have several other times in my life.

In the past, I’ve started with the book of Genesis and read straight through to the book of Revelation.

This year I am following my quarterly devotional booklet plan of reading an Old Testament and New Testament reading each day. I think this will help me get through some of those books of the Old Testament that can get a little weary without some good news attached.

As always, I am amazed at what I forget when I don’t read the entire Bible in a year and choose only to read portions of it in a year. Reading the Bible in a year is really a great refresher course for anyone.

For instance, I forget how Adam and Eve had it made and blew it for themselves and all of us. I forget how “Noah found favor in the sight of God.” God saved Noah and his family from the watery destruction of the world. After the flood, Noah plants a vineyard. Later, he partakes of the fermented fruit from the vines and becomes drunk and naked.

Later, I read about how on two occasions Abraham and Sarah lie to officials in Egypt and Gerar, saying that they are brother and sister, instead of husband and wife. We read about how Jacob worked for seven years in order to marry his beautiful Rachel, only to be deceived by his father-in-law. Through deception, Jacob marries Rachel’s sister, Leah. A week later, Jacob is given Rachel for another seven years of work. Hence, he has two wives.

As of this writing, I am reading about the murder of someone by the sons of Jacob who defiled their sister, Dinah. All of this and I am still in the first book of the Bible, Genesis!

This sounds like a book about living in 2016, not a book about living in the beginning of time. Isn’t it amazing how, temptation, alcohol, lying, and sex was just as prevalent back then as it is today?

So what does this say to me about humanity? It doesn’t say so much to be about humanity, except it is the same—sinful and fallen. What it says to me about God is how He loves, forgives, and uses men and women who have failed Him at some point and time in their lives in spite of themselves. He can and does do the same today with us.

We are not perfect either, but God will forgive us and use us for His purposes in the here and now.

I don’t believe there is anyone that God cannot recreate into someone better, if only we give Him the opportunity.

Do you feel useless and of no value to the Lord? Pick up the Bible and read. You will find God using people just like you to do His will.