Over the past six weeks, I’ve had plenty of time to reflect. Being on a Sabbatical has allowed me not just time to be away from work, but to reflect on the condition of my heart. As I did, I was a little surprised by what I found.
Like many of you, my life can be busy. It is filled with the normal day-to-day routines. My wife and I do – after all – have five kids under the age of six. I can get up, and stay occupied for pretty much the rest of the day. What I am doing isn’t bad. In fact, most often it would be described as very good.
I want to know God. I want to become more familiar with him each day. I’ve had this desire in me for over 20 years now. Some seasons I acted more on it, and others I didn’t. As I sat and reflected over my time off, I had a big realization.
My heart has been starved for more of his Word.
God wants to be known by us. Not only is his creation a sermon in and of itself – revealing the majesty of God – but also his Word is alive and active, unfolding the mysteries of God to us.
Sadly, many of us never get past our initial intimidation of the Bible. Like my son pointed out to me this morning, my Bible is 1,007 pages long. Where do you start?
I’ve just started a new Bible reading system. It is not a plan that walks you through the Bible in a year. I’ve done that before and written about it here. This is merely a system for reading it. I’ve avoided this system, as I knew it would require much of me.
It is Professor Grant Horner’s Bible Reading System.
Each day I read a chapter out of ten different sections of scripture. At first glance, this is really intimidating. I balked at the idea for a couple of years now, because I wanted to have time to reflect and pray once I read the scriptures. What I’ve found is just the opposite. In reading so much, it has caused more reflection and then more prayer.
When I read, my mind skips easily. So for me, when I read a chapter and then turn to another chapter, my mind stays engaged. If I miss a day, I’m not requiring myself to read 20 chapters the next day. This system serves me. I don’t serve the system.
Life is difficult. Each day brings many new blessings, but quite often, much pain as well. We give and teach and encourage and discipline and help until we have nothing left to give. This is where I realized my heart was. Tired. Spent. Worn-out. And worst of all, cold.
Out of the overflow of our hearts, our mouths speak, says Jesus. So as leaders, we have all the more reason to be cognizant of the condition of our hearts.
This system isn’t magical, but it is a system. If you are aimlessly flipping about your Bible each day waiting for divine revelation, let me challenge you to do something different. Read the Bible systematically. The system will help give you direction on the days you need it most.
Years ago, I read the book, Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ. In the book, Jeanne Guyonne recommended slowing down and reading scripture deeply. You might try that as well. Either way, a system can be super helpful in the process.
Maybe unbeknownst to you, your heart is craving more of God’s Word as well. I’d encourage you to try this system for a month. You might be surprised at how much you get out of it.
Do you use this system, or a different one for reading the Bible?
Like This Post?
Sign up for
my blog updates and I'll send them to you right when I post.
Subscribe Via Email or Subscribe Via RSS
Get new posts via email.
I have used many systems through the years with varying degrees of “success”. But the key is to determine what success is when reading the Bible in a system! I love the comment about “the system serves me. I don’t serve the system”. When I reflect on the times I felt unsuccessful in a Bible reading system, I was serving that system. Thanks for the wisdom brother.
So true. Success to me is providing a framework that I might be able to dig into the scriptures. Without a good framework, we are likely to get nowhere in the process.
Amen, Kevin. I’m about 10 days from finishing Prof. Horner’s System (I think it could be finished in 250 days, but it’s taken me around a year). You can ask my wife… she knows the days my heart is starving and when it is fed. Thanks for sharing and inspiring, brother.
That is great. I’m looking at this system as one that I might use for a while. I love the repetition and focus in certain areas of scripture. Good to hear from someone who has been using it for a year now.
Kevin! It’s so great to hear what you’ve been learning during your sabbatical! We read that same reading plan during the Forge. Subscribing to it in the YouVersion Bible app on my iPhone made reading it a lot easier. Let us know what you think of the structure of the plan a few months from now!
I have found this true for myself. As a mom, I have been starving for more of him, but didn’t realize it until I started reading more recently. I an so thankful that his Word truly is alive and well!
Hi Kevin!
On a practical note, how long would you say to put aside each day if you were wanting to do this reading system?
Most days it takes between 35 and 45 minutes for the reading. It sounds like a lot, but it really is rich time that leads to focused prayer.
Kevin
Thank you for sharing the challenge of staying on track with God through daily consumption of His Word for our spiritual growth. I use YouVersion and Time with God (AFCI Australia). I have been reading Roger Barrier’s (PITI) book “Got Guts, Get Godly”. Powerful! Would you and anyone else reading this please pray for me, that God would make me a spiritual man at any price. God bless you real good.
Larry Kennard
Denver
Will do, Larry. I appreciate your humility in asking.
And as a matter of reminder, you are a spiritual man already. If you mean spiritual leader, I’ll be praying that your passion and love for Christ be evident to all around you….