Psalms

Bible Reading Plan for 2018

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My dear 5x5x5 readers… Some 300+ of you started with us last January on the journey through the New Testament.  I hope many of you are finishing Revelation with us in this next week!  (Revelation puts a whole different spin on the Christmas season, right?!)

I confess, we had two reasons for doing a church-wide reading plan:

(1) To consistently remind you that Bible reading is a priority for all believers, it is not an extra thing super-Christians do in their spare time!  Our goal is for you to become self-feeding – no longer eating only baby food on a spoon served by your pastoral staff – but a thriving adult who eats well and eats regularly.  A church where the majority of the people are reading and studying the Bible daily will be a healthy, growing community and we pray that will be true of us!

(2) To help you get started in the discipline of daily Bible reading.  It’s one thing to know it’s important, it’s another thing altogether to carve out the time and mental energy to actually do it.  I pray that the 10-15 minutes a day you spent reading your Bible in 2017 was richly rewarded.  I pray you will continue with this habit for the rest of your life.

Several of you have asked what the reading plan is for 2018.  I am going to make three recommendations, pick one:

(a) Through the Psalms in 90 Days. (click to download 90DaysInPsalms )
I skipped many of the Psalms when I read through the OT in 2016, so now I’m going to read them.  As you read ask, “What is the character of God revealed in this Psalm?”  Give each Psalm a title in the margin of your Bible, instead of just a number.  Highlight song lyrics you recognize – after all, the Psalms were the hymnal of the ancient church.

(b) Bible Chapter Checklist (click to download BibleChapterChecklist )
Start somewhere, anywhere that looks interesting.  Read one chapter a day.  No fair rereading a book before you have read them all.  If you keep at it, you will finish the whole Bible in 3 years.  Psalm readers, you can do this too… and if you read the NT in 2017 then look how far you have come already!

(c) Explore the You Version Bible App.  If you prefer to read electronically, then explore the many reading plans available in this app.  Just pick one and keep reading!

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
– Joshua 1:8

365 Challenge – Psalms

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Dear 365 Readers,  Tuesday, June 7th we start reading Psalms!  We’re calling this “The Psalms of Summer” in which we will cover Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon from June 7 to July 15.

If you are just joining us, the reading schedule is here http://mylhumc.net/365-bible and can also be downloaded from the sidebar.

Also we have redone our Facebook discussion group, so you can easily find “Psalms of Summer”, click to attend and then share your thoughts as we read together!  https://www.facebook.com/events/256170971405707/

How to Read the Psalms:

For nearly every mood and emotion, there is a psalm.  It is the longest book in the Bible, compiled by David and other song writers over a period of many years… it’s a bit like a hymnal compiled for temple worship.  It’s interesting to note that the New Testament writers quoted the Psalms more than any other book of the Old Testament.

As you read the Psalms, consider these things:

  • Do you recognize lyrics from a hymn or modern song? I like to mark a musical note in the margin.
  • What is the character of God as reflected in each song? What do we learn about who He is?  Consider using a blue or purple colored pencil to circle passages that reveal the character of God.
  • What title would you give each psalm? I like to give them my own titles, which I write in the top margin of my Bible – I seem to remember them better that way, instead of trying to remember just their number.
  • And if a psalm in particular strikes your heart, pray it out loud back to the Lord. Often the cries of our hearts are reflected in these ancient worship songs.

Enjoy this change in literature style!  And join our Facebook discussion, I’d like to hear what Psalms resonate with you!  — Mindy