Blogging Through the New Testament

For the many years now, most of the Bible studies I have done have been in the Old Testament.  Other then knowing the basic stories that you learn in Sunday school and VBS, I had never read much of the OT.  I was eager and jumped right in to it.  Who knew that there was a talking donkey or a king that was killed while having his morning constitution???  Ok, I am sure some of you did, but my Sunday school education came up short in the OT.  It was an exciting journey to go on, and on, and on.  I say this not out of boredom but because I had done like 3 or 4 back to back to back to back OT studies some of which lasted a year or more (there were some shorter studies of NT mixed in along the way).  That is a long time to spend with the stiff necked Israelites.  It is a long time to be beat up by the law.  Not saying it isn't needed, but it's a long time to focus on the OT with only a little NT. I am in no way claiming to be a theologian.  I am just sharing my journey in the NT as I have talked with others who are also feeling trapped in the OT.  

My husband and I agreed to buy each other Lutheran Study Bibles in large print (because you know...we're old) for Christmas this past year.  We went all out.  We ordered Bible highlighters and marking pins.  I ordered hymnal bookmarks for the spine.  We were set!  As I explored my new, treasured gift, I saw that there was a two year reading plan.  Yes!!!  Sign me up!!!  I am ready!  I started shortly after the new year.  I read, and I read, and I read!  Anyone want to guess where I started???  Yep, you got it!  Genesis!  I was smack dab right back into the OT!  I dutifully read Genesis and Exodus daily.  Then, I started to dread the daily reading.  Not because it wasn't important, but because I had already read it, studied it, and bought the t-shirt.  I finished Exodus.  I went to bed that night and prayed (literally) that my passion and energy would be reignited.  

I woke up the next morning with an epiphany (I believe it was answered prayers)!  I didn't have to continue in the order of my reading plan, did I???  I mean are their LCMS Bible police that come to your house to make sure that you are following the plan in sequential order everyday???  Will I disappoint my husband if I don't follow the plan to a T???  NO!!! No one would care!  I picked up my Bible that I had been dreading for a couple of weeks and opened it to the New Testament!!!!  I swear the clouds parted (if you have spent much time in Indiana, you know there are clouds nearly everyday) giving way to the sun and the angels sang as I opened the first page of Matthew.  I was at home.  I don't know that I have ever read a gospel from cover to cover.  I am pretty sure the last time I did a Bible study on them in much depth was 21 years ago before I had kids.  My soul needed it.  My soul was being fed and it rejoiced.  I am sad to say as a Christian that I had neglected Matthew for all of these years.  Not just Matthew, but all of them.  

My husband also gifted me The Treasury of Daily Prayer.  It is one of the best gifts I have ever received.  Everyday, it has a Psalm reading, OT reading, NT reading, Writing from a theologian from the past, a verse from a hymn, and a prayer.  If it is a special day in the church calendar, additional information is also given.  The NT reading during Easter has been Luke.  I have basically been reading Luke and Matthew side by side.  My heart is happy!  I know that I have probably read them both multiple times but never cover to cover sequentially and certainly not simultaneously.  I can't express the joy and revelation I have been feeling.  It's like when you are in college in the middle of your major courses and all of a sudden it all clicks and you see how they are all connected.  You see the big picture.  I have never realized how in sync they are.  Matthew and Mark are the Gospels I have read the least.  It is amazing experiencing God's grace through His Word.

I guess what I am trying to say is sometimes our needs are more important than a schedule.  My soul, my heart needed the Gospel.  I have to give credit where credit is due.  While I firmly believe God was behind getting my attention off of the schedule and on to the gospel, he used my daughter for inspiration.  She loves her Bible and reads it nearly daily.  She is quiet about her faith but told me she was reading the NT.  She is currently reading the letters of Paul.  She was excited and animated as she spoke.  I was jealous of her passion and excitement.  Why wasn't I this excited?  I had a new Bible.  I had the Bible highlighters and marker.  I was keeping a schedule.  Where was my passion???  It was trapped in the pages of the stiff-necked people of Israel.  I think I said it above, but it bears repeating, the OT is just as worthy as the NT!!!  I don't ever want to take anything away from it. My journey just needed another path.  It will make it's way back, and my soul will rejoice.  I just needed a break.  Don't let your faith journey stall out because you are spinning your wheels on the same path.  Sometimes, we just need a different path.  The good news is that all of these paths have the same destination.  I am not sure it matters how we get there. 

I have made it through Matthew and am over halfway through Mark.  I can't wait to blog with you again about my renewed joy.  Here I come Luke!