What if next year really could be your best year ever in God’s Word?

Not because you found the perfect app.

Not because you heard better sermons.

And not because you squeezed in a verse or two whenever you had a spare minute.

But because you finally decided to wade in deeper.

In Ezekiel’s final chapters, the prophet sees a remarkable river flowing from the temple.

At first, the water is shallow.

Then it rises.

Ankle deep.

Knee deep.

Deeper still.

Until eventually it is water deep enough to swim in.

It’s a beautiful picture for thinking about our own relationship with Scripture.

Some truths are easy to grasp.

Others require more time, study, prayer, and careful thought.

And some remind us that we will never exhaust the depths of who God is.

So here’s the question:

Are you content to stay where the water is shallow?

Or could this be the year you finally wade in?

We’ll also look at Peter’s words to believers facing trials and persecution, and four attitudes that can help us respond faithfully when life gets hard.

My free God’s Word Day by Day devotional can help you get more from your Bible reading, whether it’s ankle-deep, knee-deep, or deeper still.

And if you’d rather follow along as I read through the Bible on YouTube, you can subscribe here.

Today’s Readings:

Ezekiel 47 & 48
Psalm 135.8-14
Proverbs 29.9
1 Peter 4.1-19

How Deep Are You Going in God’s Word?

Ezekiel 47 & 48:

Christ, the Gospel & Living Water

These two chapters close out the book of Ezekiel. As I said in the introduction, chapter 47 describes a river flowing out of the temple. Symbolically, the Temple is Christ, and the river is the Gospel. The Living Water flows from Him and blesses everything it touches.

In the depth of the water, we see the fullness of Scripture. While in some places it’s ankle-deep, in other places knee-deep, and in other places even deeper, God wants us to wade in.

As Paul told Timothy:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth (2 Tim. 2.15).

The fact that we won’t understand everything about God in this life (2 Pet. 3.14-16) is all the more reason to worship Him. A god we could understand fully wouldn’t be God at all!

Why not “wade in” deeper with your Bible reading in the coming year by signing up for the “God’s Word Day by Day” devotionals or subscribing on YouTube?

Today’s Other Readings:

Psalm 135.8-14:

No Power of Hell or Earth

This psalm of praise to God for creation and redemption says that He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt, both man and beast. He sent signs and wonders, defeated many nations, slew mighty kings and all the kingdoms of Canaan, and gave their land as a heritage to Israel, His people. Verses 13-14:

¹³Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations.
¹⁴For the Lord will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.

God is God. Matthew Henry (Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary on the Bible) says, “No power of hell or earth can prevent the accomplishment of the promise of God when the time, the set time, for it has come.”

The same God whose exploits are recounted here is the God we serve. He is not some kind of spiritual “errand boy” to whom we pray for what we want. It’s His will and His purposes that will stand. Instead of asking God to bless what we want, we need to see what God is doing and join Him. Jesus said, “… not my will but Yours, O Lord.”

Proverbs 29.9:

The Futility of Arguing with Fools

If a wise man contends with a foolish man, whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace.

If a wise man has a discussion with a wise man, both can listen and reason together, but if you try to reason with a fool, it will profit you nothing!

Proverbs 26.3 says:

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the fool’s back.

The only thing a fool understands is consequences!

1 Peter 4.1-19:

4 Attitudes to Have Amid Trials & Persecution

This is a great chapter to study and meditate on if you’re going through a trial, hardship, or persecution of any kind. John MacArthur (MacArthur Daily Bible) lays out the four attitudes we are to have in difficulties:

Expect it. Jesus said, “In this life you will have tribulation …” (Jn. 16.33)—not you might, but you will!
Rejoice in it. “But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (1 Pet. 4.13).
Evaluate its cause. Too often we suffer, not for doing right, but for being hypocrites. Let’s be sure that we are truly suffering for doing good.
Entrust it to God. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10.13).

So …

Whether it’s weathering trials, learning to walk in wisdom so we won’t be the proverbial fool, or just growing in our understanding of His character so we can worship Him more fully, the source of our help is His Word. Let’s “wade in” deeper with our Bible reading starting today and in the coming year.

Your Thoughts About Today’s Bible Reading:

How has God spoken to you today? Perhaps you saw a passage in a new light or an area where you need to grow and change. Did you find a promise to hold on to? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Coming Up:

In the next few days, we’ll discuss false teachers, friendship, judgment, and how to respond when we struggle to trust God. We’ll also discuss the question, “Is the Bible enough in a complex world?”

I hope you’ll join us.

Getting ready for Next Year:

The holidays are just around the corner, and the new year will be upon us before we know it. What will you do to make Bible reading an ongoing habit in the coming year? I want to encourage you to set a goal to read through the Bible again or for the first time. If you join me, I’ll take you through a plan that covers both the Old and New Testaments in about 30 minutes a day. You can read each day’s post or watch as I read through the passages on YouTube. Sign up so you don’t miss any of them. The emails can serve as gentle reminders to stay on track, and I believe you’ll benefit from the additional information I share and grow as you learn to apply God’s Word to your own life.

You can check out our YouTube channel here.

If this post spoke to you, I would love it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.

Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥

Note about this post:

I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years.

A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”

I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)