Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Encouraged

These past couple of weeks I have been studying a chapter in Colossians in preparation for a devotional I will be giving this coming Saturday. It has been very encouraging to me. Not only in the way it has convicted my spirit and caused me to reflect more on Christ, but also just the amount of time I am actually studying God's word. There is intent in my reading. There is intent in my quiet times. I am not just reading through the Bible to fulfill my goal of reading through it in a year, but I am reading now with the intent to draw something from the text. Through this enriching experience, I have decided to try and create a short devotional a week rather than reading through the entire Bible in a year. I have had success in reading throught he entire Bible in the past, but feel I was more concerned with fulfilling that specific day's quota of pages rather than focusing on what the text was intented to teach me. No more. I want to read with understanding. I want to glean from the pages God inspired for our benefit. I want to become more like Christ in seeking Him through His word, His instruction.
I encourage you to be intentional in your reading as well. I plan to post my weekly devotions on here as a form of accountability and encouragement to not only myself, but to you as well, and most importantly... for the glory and good pleasure of our Heavenly Father.
Please feel free to keep me accountable in my efforts. Thanks.
LL
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. ~Rev. 1:3