Knowing God: Bible Reading in 2020

As 2019 come to an end and we look forward to what God has in store for us in 2020, it’s important to remember what’s most important. Resolving to take better care of the bodies God has given us or to be better stewards of the money He has entrusted to us are excellent goals, but our chief goal in this new year must be to know and love God more in 2020 than we did in 2019. To love God, we must know Him. His primary revelation of Himself is through His Word, so our primary tool for knowing Him better must also be His Word. Whether your aim is to read through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in 2020, to read through the New Testament in a year, or to simply take one book at a time and glean from all it has to offer, don’t neglect to prioritize the reading, meditation, memorization, and application of God’s Word this coming year.

If you have a plan that works for you, stick with it! If you don’t or if you’re looking to try something new, there are several great options to choose from!

• We have copies of the Bible Reading Chart in the lobby. Pick one up and read through the Bible at your own pace. Mark off each chapter as you read it. It’s also available as a PDF file for you to download here.

• Chronological reading plans give you a sense of the Bible’s timeline and can be helpful for seeing how it all fits together. You can find Chronological plans online or here on The Bible app by YouVersion.

• The Bible Project provides great videos to help you understand the sections you are reading. You can see these videos and read along with it on the YouVersion Bible Project Reading Plan.

Whichever plan you choose to follow, ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what you are reading, interpret it correctly, and apply it to your life. Check out 5 Common Mistakes in Bible Study to give you some good guidelines for how to read well! If there are things you don’t understand, ask a brother or sister to help you think through it or consult a good commentary! Your life will be richer for having spent time with the Lord! We are praying for you, Resilient Life, that the Lord will help you as you seek to know and love Him more!

Cast Your Cares

In times of trouble, it’s easy to focus on our surroundings and begin to sink, like Peter did when he began walking towards Jesus, or even worse refuse to trust God with our lives like the other eleven who never got out of the boat. If Jesus is our Good Shepherd, then we (as His sheep) should be willing and eager to listen to and follow His voice, no matter where He chooses to lead us. We should do so because we know Him and how much He cares for us; God is the one Person we never need doubt.

Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch watchmaker and author of The Hiding Place, faced and overcame the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps because of her faith in God and encouragement from her older sister. She passed on several words of wisdom, two of which I will share with you:

1. “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

2. “If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at God you'll be at rest.”

As I listened to the message on Sunday, the lyrics to a classic children’s song came to mind: “I cast all my cares upon You; I lay all of my burdens down at Your feet, and anytime I don’t know what to do, I will cast all my cares upon You.” Let us never forget the fantastic opportunity laid before us – to enter God’s throne room, approach our Heavenly Father, and lay our requests/burdens at His feet, knowing that He will replace them with His love, joy, and peace.

Here are some verses to remember and be encouraged with whenever you are facing trial, tribulation, or trouble of an everyday sort:

“Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.” Proverbs 12:25

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:6-7