Bible Reading

THE WORD OF GOD: Is It In You?

~ Pat Vick ~ Leave a comment

The world and satan would have you believe that the Word of God cannot be understood -that it’s a mystery. While it’s true that the Bible does contain many mysteries, God wants you to understand His Word. Why would He speak it in the first place if He didn’t want you to hear it? Why would He commission it to be written if He didn’t want you to read it? Why would He allow it to be protected through millennia of time, bound and reproduced if He didn’t want you to study it?

The true mystery might be why does satan NOT want you to understand God’s Word? Why indeed? Could it be because God and His Word are inseparable? Could it be that to know God’s Word is to know God Himself? Could it be that to know God is to know His Plan? Could it be that to know God’s Plan is to know that satan will be defeated and that God’s people will be victorious in the end? Mystery solved.

So you want to draw closer to God? If so, you must get His Word in you. There have been generations of people who have lived and died, never having the opportunity to study God’s Word for themselves. That’s certainly not the case for our generation, at least generally speaking. There are Bibles in every bookstore, library, and hotel room. They are collecting dust on family coffee tables and office bookshelves. There are Bible apps for every device and multiple devices at once. There are video and audio Bibles for the non readers, and Braille Bibles for the seeing impaired. They are uploadable, downloadable, programmable, digital, and my personal favorite, the old school, leather bound, paper edition. Truly, we have no excuse not to read God’s Word.

I have decided that I’m going to get God’s Word in me in as many ways possible. I’m also going to make it a number one priority each day. First thing each morning, usually at 6:00 a.m., I sit down in my library with my coffee. I have my old school King James Bible and my GoBible Traveler. I listen and read three to four chapters, picking up where I left off the day before. In this way, I can read/listen through the whole Bible in a year. Listening and reading simultaneously helps me to focus more clearly and retain more of what I read.

This way of ingesting the Word is not sufficient for in-depth study, however. I also have a system of study that I follow most days where I choose a book of the Bible and work my way through each chapter verse by verse. Currently, I am in the Book of Acts. I usually cover about a chapter a week, using a concordance to break down the meanings of each word and taking notes with multi-colored pens in a spiral notebook as I go. It’s not uncommon to collect four to five pages of supporting notes on one or two verses as I spin off studying various subtopics and running references.

These handwritten notes are tangible proof that I have been in God’s Word, and are the seedbed for many teaching points. This is a slooow process, but that’s okay. I don’t have to be in any rush. Unlike the previous year-long Bible reading method, this verse by verse study will take me a lifetime. Coincidentally, that is exactly how long I have.

I also take opportunities when I am walking on the treadmill, riding in a car or flying on a plane to listen to scripture. No moment is ever wasted if it’s used to ingest God’s Word.

Is it in you?

POINTS TO PONDER

How do YOU get the Word of God in you?

As always, feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, and email me at pat@patvick.com.

Warm Regards,

-Pat

Product Review: GoBible Traveler

~ Pat Vick ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been reading the Bible through yearly for many years using a B.R.E.A.D. Chart, which stands for Bible Reading Enriches Any Day. You can purchase a pack of charts at http://Pentecostalpublishing.com.

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This year, however, due to travels, sickness, and well, dare I admit,  a good bit of laziness thrown in, I fell way behind in my Bible reading. So far behind that I didn’t know how I would catch up.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you must read the Bible through every year. It’s actually a lot to consume so quickly. For me, however, I just don’t feel like my day is complete unless I’m up to date with my BREAD Chart.

Enter the solution to my problem, the “GoBible Traveler”, an MP3 player that is preloaded with the entire Bible. I purchased this little piece of technology and it has been worth every penny. Now before all you techies start snickering under your breath, I do realize that I can use my smart phone to listen to the Bible, and have done so.

I prefer the GoBible for several reasons. I don’t have to worry about using up my phone battery or data. I also don’t have to worry about multitasking on my phone and not catching a call or text. I can bookmark the last chapter that I listened to and start right where I left off the next time.

I am a King James Version girl (But that’s a different story.) which you are able to choose when you make your purchase. The scriptures are read by Alexander Scourby, who most people agree is the best Bible narrator of them all.

One thing that could be perceived as a negative is that this model has no external speakers. This hasn’t bothered me in the least. I could not wear the style of earbuds that came with this model (pictured), but the jack is universal, so I just popped my old faithfuls in and now my ears are happy.

It has been perfect for me to listen my way through the B.R.E.A.D. chart while I am walking on the treadmill and riding in the car. I am also looking forward to using it on upcoming flights. Now I can spend more of my Bible reading time in actual study.

You can check out this little helper at http://GoBible.com. They also have other models to choose from. Let me know what you think in the comment section and feel free to share.

GoBible Traveler