Habakkuk 2-3, Zephaniah, Mark, Ruth, 1 Kings 1

This is my last post before I leave for Spring Break.

I will try to post while I'm away.

If not, I will catch up when I get back.

Matthew 4-28, Joel, Nahum, Habakkuk 1

Two more days worth.

It's good to read the Gospels as Palm Sunday and Easter draw near. I especially enjoyed the translation of Matthew.

Galatians 3-6, Obadiah-Micah, Haggai-Malachi, Matthew 1-3

Two more days worth. After finishing Galatians, I decided to read some of the smaller books that I had skipped over in the Old Testament. Easter is fast approaching and I am so enjoying this practice that I wanted to try and read as many books as possible before Easter.

Speaking of Easter, I will be on vacation from Palm Sunday to Easter and may not have time to blog even every other day. But I will be keeping notes and blogging when I get back.

Zechariah 10-14, Acts, 2 Corinthians, Galatians 1-2

Wow that's a lot of reading for two days, isn't it?

I must say that the epistles are far easier reading than the Old Testament books. So many of the verses I know by heart.

It's nice to revisit them though.

Ezekiel 29-48, Zechariah 1-9

Two days worth of reading. As soon as I finish Zechariah, I am moving on to the New Testament.

Ezekiel 18-28

Today's readings.

Isaiah 63-66 & Ezekiel 1-17

Today's readings.

Isaiah 27-62

Noting my readings from yesterday and today.

Isaiah 12-26

Just a short post to note what I read this morning. And to get back into Lenten mode after yesterday's political rant.

Psalms 147-150, Isaiah 1-11

This morning I finished off Psalms and moved on to Isaiah.

I love these passages in Isaiah and how they tell of the coming Messiah. I didn't love how The Message translated the familiar "His name shall be called..." Prince of Wholeness? This is better than Prince of Peace? I think not.

Psalms 28-146

My pattern seems to be to blog every other day even though I am reading every day.

So, over the past two days I have read these Psalms.

The only one that was really striking to me in this translation was Psalm 50. This Psalm talks about how God doesn't NEED any thing from us. He created the universe so we can't give him any thing that he didn't create already. The only thing he needs from us is to turn to him for help and to offer him our praise.

You see, he gave us free will. And that means that we have to choose whether or not we worship him. When we make that choice, and choose him, it is like a feast for God with much celebrating and rejoicing.

I think that is a perfect idea to reflect upon during Lent. Lent is like the period of time between creation and decision while we are wandering in the wilderness. But Easter is coming, the feast day when God will celebrate and rejoice with us that we have turned to him.

2 Chronicles 30-36, Job, Psalms 1-27

Once again, this is two days worth of reading. I enjoyed this version of Job, but I am not enjoying the Psalms in this translation.

One of the things I like about reading the Psalms is the poetry of them. They have a rhythm to them that I find helps me to remember them and to take comfort in them in times of trouble.

I will finish reading the Psalms but if you are not familiar with the Psalms, please do not read The Message translation of them. Get yourself the NIV or the King James. Enjoy the poetry of these verses.

2 Chronicles 12-29

Since I didn't blog this yesterday, I wanted to make a note this morning of what I read yesterday. More stories of the building of the Temple by Solomon.

Off to church now!

1 Chronicles 11-2 Chronicles 11

Once again, I didn't blog yesterday so these passages represent two days worth of reading.

I am really enjoying reading 2 Chronicles more than 2 Kings.

2 Kings 23 - 1 Chronicles 10

Kings and Chronicles cover the same period of time and were written by different people about 100 years apart. Similarly to the Gospels, they relate the same stories from different perspectives. I skipped 1 Kings. Maybe I will skip 2 Chronicles?

Stay tuned...

1 Samuel 28- 2 Samuel 24 & 2 Kings 1-22

I went to bed last night without blogging what I read yesterday. The Samuel passages were from yesterday & Kings was today.

Being history books, these contain a lot of names and battles and such. But also exciting and memorable stories of the children of Israel.

Good reading!

1 Samuel 10-27

Today's passage is the story of David. Well, it's the beginning of the story. How God works was manifested in that this passage also went along with the sermon I heard in church today, even though this was not a passage read in church today.

But all the passages, and the sermon, and the conversations that I had today with church friends fit together in an illuminating puzzle.

Life is an amazing journey.

Deuteronomy 28-34 & 1 Samuel 1-9

I forgot to blog yesterday's reading so I'm combining yesterday's & today's.

I found the end of Deuteronomy to be quite moving and a bit sad. It's funny because I know these stories and I've read the Bible hundreds of times but somehow The Message makes them more compelling.

And even though Sundays in Lent are mini Easters, I'm keeping up my reading on Sundays so that I can really make it a new habit.

Deuteronomy 8-27

Today's reading included one of my favourite passages in the whole Bible. A sign of Hesed and a foreshadowing of salvation by grace, God instructs the Israelites that every seven years all debts will be forgiven and all slaves set free.

I was reminded of the beautiful song "Jubilee" by Michael Card.

Click here to listen to it.

Numbers 23-Deuteronomy 7

I was struck by the Introduction to Deuteronomy which compelled me to continue on with that as my next book. According to Peterson, Deuteronomy is the longest sermon in the Bible, if not the longest sermon ever. One last chance for Moses to instruct the Israelites before they cross into Canaan without him.

I never really looked at Deuteronomy in that light before and will try to keep that in mind as I read it.