November is coming in like a lion here in northwest Ohio! On October 31, I rose early to a clear sky full of stars and a very bright full moon. Hope of sunshine after a dark, dreary week. In the evening, I set our clocks back one hour, an action that promises earlier sunrises. Sure, there is negative (in my opinion) flip side in the much-too-early sunsets. But in our house, two out of three of us, the two who rise early five days a week to begin work, favor the shift to lighter mornings.
I woke up this morning still on Daylight Savings Time, with an extra hour of morning rather than night. Perfect for a Sunday, giving me quiet time before my guys get up, allowing me to be ready for 8:15 on-line church without rushing. No stars or moon out my kitchen window today, I was greeted by pelting rain and gusty wind, thankful for time spent outdoors yesterday when it was so bright my eyes hurt.
Breakfast. Coffee. Prayer. Then I remembered that I finished a book yesterday, one that has provided me with a lighthearted chapter each day that culminated in a perfect-for-this-time-in-my-life lesson in faith. Now what? It was clear that reading God’s Word was the answer, but it took longer than you might think for me to commit to a reading plan when someone was whispering to me about how I never stick to it very long and there are too many distractions here and I would want to write down notes about what I read but that would take more time and energy than I have.
I finally picked up my phone and looked up Bible reading plans and STARTED, silencing the negative, doubtful thoughts, reading about the Creation, the birth of Jesus, and how to be blessed by God’s Word. I have a hunch that some of you would like to know more about what the Bible says and could use a reading plan other than beginning on Genesis 1:1 and reading straight through, though I don’t discourage that!
Here is what I started today. Each day has 3 short readings, one in the Old Testament, one in the New Testament, and one in the Psalms or Proverbs. I encourage you to say a prayer before reading, asking God to bring understanding to you as you read. You can look up the passages in your Bible or you can just click on each Scripture reference link and read it right there on your phone. CHANGE THE START DATE FROM JANUARY 1 TO NOVEMBER 1 so you’ll have Today’s Reading display correctly.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105