Dear Modele

 

Happy New Year!

 

I think we all start each year with the expectation of having a better relationship with our heavenly Father, or experiencing growth in our faith walk. We certainly focused on that last year as we endeavored to build an intimate prayer life with Him.

 

In 2023, I think we should add a little bit more to what we did last year. What, you might ask? Well, developing a habit of reading the word.

 

"The unfolding of your (glorious) words give light; their unfolding gives understanding to the simple (childlike)." (Psalm 119:130, Amplified).

 

If you look up the word "unfolding", it implies you spread out or open to get easy access for reading; or to layout to make the reading of an item easier; to observe a sequence or pattern of ideas or thoughts; or disclosing of information that may previously be unknown. 

 

Simply put, I think it means that reading makes information available to you.

 

Now, to be able to make an informed decision, I must access all the information about what I am about to do. Notice that in the scripture above, the reading of His glorious words gives us light (illumination), then with that information comes understanding. Therefore, to know about God and my rights and privileges as a child of His would require me to read His word.

 

"I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives, and at the last, He will take His stand on the earth." (Job 19:25 Amplified)

 

"And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.

(1John 5:20, NLT).

 

"I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1John 5:13 NLT).

 

" We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them."

(1John4:16 NLT).

 

Reading verses like these lets me know what God has done for me, in me, and is doing through me. When I have this understanding, I live a life full of appreciation for Him, and also one where I can take advantage of all that He's made available for me. I cannot develop my faith, my trust or reliance on God and His word without reading them. There is nothing to build my trust on without it. "So then the faith (our faith in God and his word) is by a report, and the report through the sayings of God," (Romans 10:17, Youngs Literal Translation).

 

Reading the word, is reading a report of my Father, what He has done for me, in me and is doing through me!

 

How do I start? Well, for us at PneumaFaith Church in 2023, we found an NLT one year bible (available in any book store) with some portion of the bible printed for each day of the year to read.

 

There are no hard and fast rules to reading the word. I just want to encourage you to start.

 

If you have a bible app on your phone and/or tablet, there are numerous free plans that you can sign up for through them with daily chronological reading texts available to you. However, If you do not want to buy a one year bible, or maybe you are not into gadgets, pick up a bible from a book store and read a portion daily (may I recommend you start from the New Testament epistles which give us information of who we are, what we have and what we can do right now in Christ).

 

I am going to give you some advice here. If you miss a day, please don't give up or throw the towel in or feel sad or condemned in your heart. Pick up wherever you left off the next day and keep reading. Keep at it! You set your own pace and do some reading and let God's word speak to your heart. 

 

"You spoke to me, and I listened to every word. I belong to you, LORD God Almighty, and so your words filled my heart with joy and happiness."

Jeremiah 15:16, Good News Translation).

 

In Him,