It’s only January 19, and my read-through-the-Bible plan has already fallen apart.
On January 7, I met with a few friends, and we were all excited to start reading Matthew. Two days later, I was scheduled for what I was told was a “minor, one-day outpatient procedure”—which I still haven’t recovered from. Just when I was starting to feel better, I came down with the flu, and for the past three days, I’ve been running a fever. (Don’t worry, I’ve been talking to the outpatient nurse just about every day. It’s just two unfortunate things happening at the same time.)
None of this is terrible, or unusual. In fact, my experience is that life is a constant cycle of progress followed by adversity (or just losing interest) and needing to restart. We all still have a lot of growing up to do, and no amount of discipline can push all challenges to the side.
Before all this happened, a new Apple Watch ad caught my eye. A woman steps out of her house and starts what seems to be a New Year’s resolution run. She struggles a bit at first but ends with a confident, steady stride as she achieves her goals, with “a little bit of help on her wrist.”
Technology can be useful, but next week, as I get ready to restart (exercising, work, reading Matthew, and connecting with friends), I know I will need a little more than a piece of tech. I will need God‘s healing and wisdom, and the gentle, motivating power of the Holy Spirit.
Resources
The Bible is packed full of stories of starting and stopping. One of those stories includes the many starts and stops of Joseph, the faithful, earthly father of Jesus (Matthew 1:18 through 2:23). As you read through the story, think about how many times Joseph had to change his plans and what helped him make those shifts.
And if you’re looking for a plan to read through the Bible in some way this year (it’s never too late to start), you can find a bunch of options here.
