Lots of baking happened at our house over Christmas and the New Year holidays. We’ve had family home, and between their favorites, and friends dropping by plates full of goodies, I’ve enjoyed lots of delightful treats, filled with sugar and spice. My midsection bears proof of my pleasure.
The flavors we enjoy meld together during the baking process. Beginning from separate ingredients, fusing in the heat of the oven, they re-form into wonderful delicacies. Which we top with sugar.
Much like how the Lord made you and me and every person who ever lived.
God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
The Lord underscored the value of human life when He carefully instructed Noah on life after the flood. God stressed that if anyone sheds human blood, then their life is forfeit—for in the image of God has God made mankind.
God baked his image into you and me. Every person who’s ever lived, male or female, bears the flavor of that image. As a result, to destroy an image-bearer carries profound consequences.
Every person I will meet today holds the image of the God I claim to follow. The way I interact with my fellow image bearers reveals a great deal about whether my claims of devotion in my quiet room match my practices once I leave the house.
Genesis 1 & 9 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022
When I sit down to read from my Bible, or when I listen to the words of Scripture, I always try to preface my time with a simple prayer. A few words to help me focus, and more importantly, to invite the Holy Spirit’s involvement. I don’t want to just scan words across a page (which sometimes happens), but I hope the wisdom contained sinks deep roots into my heart.
The following are a few passages from scripture that I pray regularly, cycling through them at different times. I’ll share the passage and then the prayer I say from it.
Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.
Lord, as I read today, open my eyes and let me see the wonderful things in your law.
Psalm 119:18
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord.
Lord, please give me a heart to know you, and may this time in your word grow that heart.
jeremiah 24:7
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
Lord, may this time in your word bring light to my path.
psalm 119:105
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
Lord, I want to know you better. Please grant me your Spirit of wisdom and revelation as I spend time in your word.
ephesians 1:17
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
Lord, open my mind so that I can understand these Scriptures.
Luke 24:45
As you can see, I simply pray the line from scripture back to the Lord. It’s not hard, as long as I remember to do it, and I write these prayers in my journal so I won’t forget.
Inviting the Holy Spirit to read over my shoulder helps me gain the most from the time I devote to reading or listening to the Scriptures. On my own I gain head knowledge, but with the Holy Spirit I gain his knowledge.
As a person who likes to mess around in my yard and garden beds, I carry a distinct aversion to thorns. Most weeds popping up are simply annoying, but certain ones here in Colorado carry tiny thorns, painful when I grab the plant to yank it from the ground. These require leather gloves to pull without cussing (or at least with only a minimum of curses).
Jesus tells us of a sower, a planter of seed, who also dealt with thorns. Some of the seed fell upon rocky soil and failed to properly root. Others fell in an area infested with thorns. The seed grew, but the power of the thorns choked out the mature plants.
The parable refers to the word of God, and you and I the seed scattered across the fields. I picture myself in the field of thorns:
Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
The phrase Jesus chose—the desire for other things—rings loud. What other things?
Literally, as I read this passage, I thought about checking a detail on the phone in my pocket. This very instant. I desire endless scrolling. I desire more stuff and more entertainment, and I’m already mourning the coming conclusion of the football season (while my wife rejoices). I desire to know the news of the world, and I hope to look good in the eyes of those around me.
One more desire bubbles up. I allow thorns to root in order to avoid the introspection the Holy Spirit brings, especially through quiet, unhindered time in the scriptures. The thorns suffocate his quiet voice, allowing me to roll forward in an oblivious haze of digital living.
In my garden, thorns take a practiced eye and thick gloves to clear. Thorns are ever present, and I’m always looking to nip them in the bud. In my life, I need the Lord to help me identify the thorns, and give me the grace and courage to clear them.
Here’s to a thornless, or more in line with real life—a thorn inhibited—2022.
Mark 4 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022
It’s one thing to decide to read the entire Bible this year, but it’s another to prepare to do so. Here’s a few tips I’ve discovered along the way.
Pick a Bible version you find engaging. I’ve read the Bible cover to cover 27 times, and I’ve read at least a dozen different versions. The King James Version, for instance, contains beautiful, classic passages, along with loads of “thees” and “thous.” Other versions read more modern, and thus digest easier. Pick one you enjoy. Personally, I prefer the New International Version (NIV) for reading and listening. I also regularly read the English Standard Version (ESV); the New Living Translation (NLT); and The Message (an American language version). While I prefer reading a physical Bible, I use both the YouVersion Bible app and the ESV Bible app on my phone.
Choose your best time of day. I find that picking a time of day to read or listen, and protecting that time, helps make it happen. It’s too easy to let my reading slide when “I’ll get to it sometime,” takes over my thinking. I’m an early riser, so I choose the mornings, when I’m first up, with coffee in hand. Others prefer the quiet of late evening. For those who listen, the morning commute opens time to hear the scriptures, or a walk at mid-day. Pick a time that works for you, and commit to it.
Choose a reading plan. Some years I read the Bible from start to finish, Genesis to Revelation. I’ve also read the Bible chronologically, as the events occur historically. This year, I’m using the Five Day Bible Reading Program. I like it because the Old Testament is presented chronologically, and each day contains a New Testament passage. Best of all, you read only five days per week, leaving two extra days for catch-up. Download and print the plan and keep a copy in your Bible.
Keep a journal or note-taking app handy. I find that I retain more from my Bible reading when I jot notes as I go. Don’t think of this as in-depth Bible study, or writing Bible commentary, but a notepad to write questions and impressions from scripture. I’m surprised when I look back over a year and see what God’s shown me. Plus, something good happens when I write down my thoughts. I think deeper and longer, and these thoughts sink below the surface where the Holy Spirit might use them. I write in an blank, unlined journal. Nothing to distract me from my thoughts – except my other thoughts.
I encourage you to join me and investment in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2021. You can do it. If you spend 30 minutes a day on social media, you can read the Bible through in a year. Start the journey – your soul will thank you.
Join me in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2025. If you spend 30 minutes a day on social media, you can read through the Bible in a year. Download the 5 Day Bible Reading Plan, grab your Bible and join in. You’ll be glad you spent this year with the men and women of Scripture.
Seers, Sayers, Schemers & Saints
Stories to encourage you with the leadership experiences of overlooked men and women of the Bible. Their lives will inform your story, and move you to step out and lead.
GO: Following Jesus to the Ends of the Earth
This book contains reflections on the Lordship of Christ, the Great Commission, and a life of adventure and eternal significance. Read this book and you won't be able to sit still!
