Hosea

From time to time I think, "if I had to get a tattoo, what would it be?" Most of the time I can't think of anything. Sometimes I think it would have to be an ampersand because I collect them, but it doesn't really mean anything to me. I know that I would want it to be a testimony to God's faithfulness in my life or a reminder of His grace and power. 

Quickly becoming my favorite passage in Hosea is chapter 6 verses 1-4. 

"Come, let us return to the Lord;
 for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
 he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.

2 After two days he will revive us;
    on the third day he will raise us up,
    that we may live before him.

3 Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;
  his going out is sure as the dawn;
  he will come to us as the showers,
  as the spring rains that water the earth.”

So there it is. Right now, that is what I would choose. :) in someone else's

Handwriting, of course. 

1. I am struck by how much God is doing in this passage: tearing/healing, striking/binding, reviving, raising, coming, going, refreshing as the rain. 

2. Secondly, look at what we still have to do: return, live before Him, press on. 

I'm asking the Holy Spirit for help with my  tasks today. And resting in His perfect plan. 

3. It is hard to return to someone that has struck you down, unless you know that they love you. I'm glad that I know a Soverign God who is in control of all things. 

Hosea is refreshing my soul. I can't wait to dig into the other minor prophets! 

Ps. I remembered the other book I've read this month. A Praying a Life by Paul Miller. It was excellent!! I'll probably resd it again in a few years. So many helpful ideas about prayer. 

Bible Reading Plans

I saw this on the Gospel Coalition Blog a week ago and thought it was useful. 

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/bible-reading-plans/ 

It is a summary of a bunch of Bible reading plans for the year. 

I just finished the Robert Murray M'Cheyne reading plan for last year. It was a lot of reading. Four chapters a day was rough some days, especially when you miss a day and have to read eight. I am glad I made it through, but I didn't feel like I could digest what I was reading because I was reading so much. This year I am going to try the 5x5x5 plan. 

Last year I focused on just getting in the routine of reading my Bible EVERY day. I missed a few, but overall it was good. This year I want to focus more on studying and meditating on passages. I don't plan on following it exactly 5 days on, 2 days off. 

As a mom I find that some days both boys get up super early (which is normally when I read my Bible with a nice cup of tea) and we run around all day doing thigs and it isn't until right before bed that I realize, I never found time to catch up and read my Bible. I am going to use the empty days for those times. So it might be 3 days on, 1 day off, 8 days on, 2 days off, 2 days on...etc. We will see how it works. 

What plan are you doing this year? 

Hebrews 12

Esther and Mary's Bible Study starts in a few weeks; this year we are studying Hebrews.  I am so happy and blessed to be a part of their study again this year. I have been reading Hebrews to get ahead on my studying (in case Martin starts crawling around soon and I have to chase him instead of reading as many books).  I have learned to read the verses in several versions. Pastor Shelton recommended The Message as a paraphase (not a literal translation). I enjoy the different perspective that it gives.  I usually read the ESV, NKJV, and The Message. 

Once in a while, The Message says that makes me think differently about a passage that I have read many times. I have always loved Hebrews 12: 1 – 2.  It might have something to do with listening to G.T. And the Halo Express and singing the first 2 verses over and over and over again. Below I have listed how the Message phrases these verses.

Hebrews 12: 1 – 4 (From the Message)

This passage follows the chapter about faith and how Abraham, Joseph, Issac, Jacob, Moses, Rahab, and many more acted in faith and believed the promises of God and were able to do great things.

“Do you see what this means – all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on?  It means we'd better get on with it.  Strip down, start running – and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parastic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in.  Study how he did it.  Because he never lost sight of where he was headed – that exhilarating finish in and with God – he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever.  And now he's there, in the place of honor, right along side God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over the story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”

What sections of the Bible are you studying right now? Has any passage stuck out even though you have read it many times?