Why a fresh start through the Bible? And why “through” the Bible? Why not just read here and there, perhaps finding a subject that interests you? Or how about a short devotional? As long as you read something every day, isn’t that good enough? Today’s reading from the book of Psalms gives us a very good illustration of why it’s so important to read God’s Word in context.

The psalmist in Psalm 1 talks about a man who is like a tree planted on a riverbank where it gets plenty of water and is always fruitful. The psalmist goes on to say that God prospers whatever this man does.

I don’t know about you, but I want my life to be like that. But despite some who teach that God wants to make every believer prosperous, there are requirements for this prosperity. There are things we must do and other things we are to avoid. We also need to understand what the psalmist meant when he wrote about prosperity. If we don’t, we may find ourselves disillusioned, even angry, with God.

But this is just one example of the importance of understanding God’s Word in context, in its entirety. One of the biggest problems I find among believers is a failure to know God, to know His character, and to know how He works through our tests and trials. As a result, far too many lead faithless defeated lives.

Why “through” the Bible?

But when we read through all of Scripture, we begin to see the big picture. As we go through the book of Genesis, for example, we’ll look at the creation account and what it tells us about our incredible God. It will launch us on a journey through the history of God’s people and some of the most fascinating stories ever recorded. As we go through the Prophets, we’ll see the many examples where their prophecies have already come to pass and our faith will grow. We will, also, come to better understand what was really happening in the book of Job, how much the psalmists were like us, and see the wisdom we can gain from Proverbs. In the New Testament, we’ll walk with Jesus and the Apostles, read Paul’s letters with fresh understanding, and marvel at the glories of eternity future.

So, why read “through” the Bible and not just here and there? So we understand the whole counsel of God and so we know the God of the Bible and not God as we think He should be.

Perhaps the question should be, “Why not read through the Bible?”

Happy New Year!

Welcome, to “God’s Word Day by Day” where I blog through the Bible each year. To keep it interesting, we read some in the Old Testament, some in the New, a portion of a Psalm, and a verse or two in Proverbs each day.

Whether you’ve been following me for a while or are new to the blog, I’m glad you’re here.

Every time we make this journey we’ll be changed. That’s true whether we have read the Bible many times or if this is our first serious attempt.

Maybe you’re a new believer or have always wanted to read through the Bible. Maybe you set out to read through the Bible before but fell behind and quit. Whatever your situation, we can do this together.

As well as, blogging through the bible systematically, I write on other Christian living topics like marriage, parenting, depression, anxiety, spiritual growth, how to handle tests and trials, and more. You can sign up for any or all of my posts here.

Now on to today’s readings …

Today’s Readings:

Genesis 1 & 2
Psalm 1
Proverbs 1.1-7
Matthew 1.1-25

A Fresh Start through the Bible

Psalm 1.1-6:

The Person God Prospers

This is one of my favorite passages of Scripture, especially verses 1-3.

As I said in the introduction, I want verse 3 to be true in my life. You probably do, too.

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.

But what does that mean and is that automatic for a believer?

Prosperity

Years ago on a trip to visit family members, we were invited to attend their church, a well-known faith and prosperity church. We were very familiar with the doctrine and considered the visit a bit like research since we counsel many people struggling with issues related to that false teaching.

The pastor taught from verse 3. Over and over he expounded his point that all of us could be like that tree planted on the riverbank and experience his brand of prosperity. (I’ve written about the difference between the prosperity doctrine and true biblical prosperity here.)

He did give certain conditions, mainly having enough faith and giving to the church. But as false teachers often do, he failed to teach the verse in context. In fact, he never even mentioned the rest of Psalm 1.

God’s Conditions

But, for us to experience verse 3 there are some things we must do and other things we’re told to avoid:

1 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
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

What We’re to Avoid

We’re not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful (v. 1).

This is a progression of things we can fall into if we don’t obey verse 2. First, we tend to just “walk” in the counsel of the ungodly. Maybe we start listening to and entertaining some false teaching or worldly ideas, watching things we shouldn’t be watching, going places we shouldn’t be going, and reading things of no eternal value. The next thing you know we’re “standing.” We’re stopping, getting more involved, and caught up in those things. And finally, we’re “sitting.” We’re downright comfortable there!

We can’t avoid, and shouldn’t, being in the world altogether. But we must be careful not to begin buying into the world’s philosophies or falling under the influence of false teachers.

Delighting & Meditating

Instead, we should be delighting in what God delights in and meditating on His truths (v. 2). The only way we can do so is to put God’s Word into our hearts and minds on a regular basis.

It’s, also, important to read the bible in context. Reading in context means reading a whole passage or chapter of Scripture. It also means reading, studying, and understanding the bible in light of all Scripture and understanding at least a few basic rules of bible study.

Finally, it’s important to attend a biblically sound church where we can grow in our understanding of the Bible and sound biblical doctrine.

So, when we’re delighting in God’s laws, when we’re able to meditate on His Word day and night because it’s hidden in our hearts, when we avoid getting our information, opinions, and counsel from ungodly sources, then and only then, will we see God prosper and bless our lives.

If you would like to read more on any of these subjects, you might check out one or more of these posts:

“What Is the ‘Whole Counsel of God’ & Why Is It So Important?”

“The Prosperity Doctrine or Biblical Prosperity?”

“6 Ways to Enjoy True Prosperity”

“10 Principles for Effective Bible Study”

Today’s Other Readings:

Genesis 1 & 2:

In the Beginning

I love the book of Genesis. It contains this wonderful sweeping view of early history, as well as, so many foundational truths that have application for our lives every day!

In chapter 1 we see the creation account—God’s wonderful record of His six days of creating the world and everything in it.

Man has since put forth his theories of evolution, of the “big bang,” of “carbon dating,” and the like. But God already gave us the truth. It is the truth because God has proclaimed it, but more and more scientists are admitting that much of what has been called science in this area has little to substantiate it. Many facts have to be ignored or explained away for one to believe much of what has been put forth in the name of science.

But you don’t have to be a believer for long to realize that God’s truth often clashes with the world’s interpretation of truth, whether it’s theology and science, the source of true wisdom, or how we view God. Each of us must decide, “What will be our source of truth?” Will it be fallen man’s theories or God’s inspired Word?

I’m not against true science, but I believe all true science backs up God’s truth. In reality, those theories that oppose God’s Word are really belief systems—secular religions—and take much more “faith” to believe than the truth! If you want more information about this subject you can go to a number of websites including the Institute for Creation Research.

So, what can we learn from the first two chapters of Genesis?

Ex Nihilo

Among other things, we learn that God created the world and everything in it in a literal seven-day week. He worked on six of those days and rested on the seventh. He created it “ex nihilo,” from nothing. Instead, He spoke it into existence (Gen. 1.3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 27).

Creation & the Trinity

Also, all three members of the Trinity were involved in the work of creation. Genesis 1.26 says, “Let Us make man in Our image …” The word for God there is plural. Verse 1 contains the general term for God, verse 2 says “the Spirit of God” (the Holy Spirit) hovered over the waters and John 1 tells us that Jesus is the Eternal Word of God who spoke everything into existence.

Chapter 2 expands on chapter 1. In it we see God giving dominion over the earth to Adam and Eve (v. 15). We see the institution of marriage (v. 24) and we see God’s desire for mankind to choose to serve and obey Him (vv. 16-17). God created us in His image including the ability to think, reason, and choose.

A note on the institution of marriage, notice it was God who created marriage, not society, not men. That means we don’t have the right to change it. God designed marriage as a lifelong covenant relationship between one man and one woman. It is the basic building block of society.

If you would like to read more about God’s design for marriage, you might check out my series, “Marriage Made in Heaven.”

Well, tomorrow we’ll continue the story and read about the first really bad choice!

Proverbs 1.1-7:

Educated Fools

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction (v. 7).

We should never forget the first part, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” I don’t care how smart or well-educated people are by the world’s standard if they don’t fear the Lord, the Bible says, they’re fools, not wise men or women.

Matthew 1.1-25:

God of Grace

Have you ever wondered why God put all those genealogies in the Bible? Rest assured nothing in God’s Word is there by accident.

Matthew begins his gospel with the genealogy of Jesus. His lineage is listed both here and in Luke 3.23-38.

God had said the Messiah would be a descendant of David (2 Sam. 7.16). The two lists taken together establish both His legal and ancestral right to be Israel’s King (Lk.3.23-38).

There is also a great testimony to God’s grace here in Matthew’s account. Verse 1 says that Jesus was the “the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.” Both David and Abraham, by all accounts, committed grievous sins.

David, though he had a heart for God, was an adulterer and, in effect, a murderer. He was a man of war and in many ways a poor father.

Abraham was a man of great faith, yet twice he lied about his relationship with his wife to protect his own skin instead of trusting God. And while waiting for the promised son, he and Sarah tried to take matters into their own hands instead of continuing to wait on God.

Yet they are both in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

The 5 Women Named

Five women are mentioned by name and it’s interesting who they are:

Tamar – a woman who tricked her father-in-law into sleeping with her when he failed to keep his promise to her (Gen. 38).

Rahab – the former prostitute who protected the spies in Jericho (Josh. 2.1-21).

Ruth – a gentile whose family worshiped pagan gods (Ruth 1.4).

Bathsheba – an adulteress (2 Sam. 11).

And finally, Mary (Matt. 1.18).

Even though Mary was a godly young woman shown by her humble, submissive response to the angel who came to tell her of God’s plan (Lk. 1.38), she was not sinless. She was a sinner in need of a Savior just like everyone else.

God’s mention of each of these women should give us all great hope that He can and will redeem our pasts and use us, too, if we have repented and put our faith in Him!

Coming Up:

As we continue through Genesis, one of my favorite books of the Bible, we’ll meet real people with real stories like yours and mine. Tomorrow we’ll read about that first really bad choice. In the coming weeks, we will, also, read about Cain and Abel, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob, Esau, and Joseph, just to name a few. We’ll witness sibling rivalry, murder, favoritism, idolatry, deception, manipulation, and revenge. But through it all, we’ll see God’s sovereignty and grace and find hope for the messes we make of our lives.

In the New Testament, we’ll talk about the difference between regret and repentance, about fighting temptation with the sword of the Spirit, about radical surgery, and look at Jesus’ outline for prayer.

Getting Off to a Good Start in the New Year:

This time of year many of us are thinking about the next 12 months. Many of us will set goals to get healthier, financial or career goals, and other personal goals. But let’s not neglect the most important area of life … growing spiritually.

As I have said, these daily devotionals will take you through the Bible in the coming year. The readings only take 15-20 minutes a day. The commentary is practical and easy to apply to your life. And it can help you go deeper in your understanding of the Bible. Even if you have times when you do it imperfectly, you will know God better and trust Him more as you spend time in His Word. You can sign up here for these devotionals, other Christian living posts (often a series of posts on a particular subject, the newsletter, or for information about our Joyful Marriage Ministry, including upcoming events, posts, and other information.

Blessings,
Donna

I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.