You might be thinking, "Why do they have a two year Bible mediation
chart?" The reason for this is because with my experience of reading through
the Bible, I have found that we are trying to read it too quickly and are
not meditating on it like we should! Look what Joshua 1:8 says: "This Book
of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day
and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.
For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."
The point of reading God’s Word should be to meditate on it so we will
know what God wants, and in this way we can do what He wants, and as a result
we will have success in our lives!
I feel too often, we are intent on reading the Bible through in a year and
some how we feel this will make us spiritual. For most of us, this is not a
realistic goal, especially if we want to "meditate" on the Word, we may know
a lot, reading quickly through the Bible each year, but how much do we really
understand? How much are we thinking deeply about it, and trying to put into
practice those things that God wants us to do? How do we have time to hear God
speaking to us if we are rushing to get lots of reading done each day? Until
we slow down and let God have a chance to speak to us, when we are reading,
we will not have the success we desire. We need to MEDITATE on the Word, it
is our spiritual food. We need to chew the "cud," so to speak, like those sheep
in Psalm 23 that lie down in green pastures, beside the still waters ( when
they have eaten they lie down or relax and chew the cud, this is a picture of
meditating on the Word of God after we have read). The sheep are not standing
up and rushing around! They are in a peaceful mood and reflecting as they eat
(chew the cud)! The result of this meditation on the Word, as it says in Psalm
23, will be to have your soul restored, and then you can be led in paths of
righteousness for His name’s sake!
Some other verses you want to consider when thinking of Bible meditation are:
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands
in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight
is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall
be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in
its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."
(Psalm 1:1-3) Think about this concept of day and night mediation, how
could you make this work? We have set up this mediation chart in such a manner
that you can use it several different ways. You could have the Old Testament
in the morning and the New in the evening, or you could go with the New in the
morning and the Old in the evening. Maybe you want to do both and have the poetry
section in the evening. Notice too, that Joshua 1:8 also has this instruction
of having your meditation time day and night.
Warning!! My New Year’s resolution was to read the Bible each
day, using a one year reading chart. For sometime I did not get started reading
the Bible every day, because usually I missed the first day of the year to start.
I thought; now that I have missed it. I better wait until next year to start;
this is a trap of Satan, he does not want you to ever start mediating on God’s
Word! Or another trap of Satan is when you miss some time reading, for one reason
or another, you will think, now I have to make those days up. Guess what, you
probably will just get farther and farther behind. It is better to just start
on today’s date and keep going, trying never to miss from here on out! Remember
to take your Bible with you if you go on vacation, etc. Probably the best advice
I can give is: "Do not wait until the first of the year to get started,
start today on today’s date!" This Two Year Bible Mediation Chart
has several nice features. It is easy to find your place because the Scripture
chapter, in most cases, will correspond to today’s date. For example if you
are reading on the 10th of the month the chapter will be related
to that number in some way as much as possible. Many times you will be reading
the 10th chapter on the 10th day, or you may be in the 91st chapter on the 21st
day, such as in Psalms. I have repeated several key books of the Old and New
Testament. You will read more in the New Testament. The Psalms and Proverbs
are also repeated. Just before Christmas you will have the Christmas story.
God Bless you, as you meditate on His Word! I know He will make you like a tree
that is planted by the water (His Word), and He will give you spiritual fruit
and make you spiritually prosperous, if you obey what He says to do in His Word
the Bible, the Holy Scriptures!
A Two Year Bible Meditation Chart (Joshua 1:8) Year One