This year I have vowed to myself....and to God to take a more productive role in my Christianity and to conquer something that I've wanted to do but was afraid to do. Which is to read the Bible in a year.
I have always had King James Versions of the Bible and have always struggled with the language. All the "thous" and "shalt" and different words that we just don't use in every day current language, so I've avoided reading it. In fact, I would try and read it initially but I would get bored. My eyes would just glaze over the words and then get frustrated and just put it down.
This past Christmas, my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I asked for something at the local Bible book store. I asked for a parallel bible. Something that I could read but also reference back to the original Kings James Version. The idea of have two books open at once is too frustrating to me and I thought how cool the parallel Bible is so I asked for the one with the New Living Translation. My brother has many Bibles and I compared and read a few scriptures from a couple of his and I liked the NIV so I asked for that one in the parallel version. What a difference it has made too!
I started reading the NIV version. I feel that if I take baby steps and first read that version first, that it will be easier the next time around when I decide to read the Kings James Version.
I started reading the Bible in January. I have a guide as to what chapters to read each day. At first I slacked off and ended up being way behind...something like 15 days behind but over the last few days I have really started to close the gap. From reading 15 chapters last week, 12 chapters Monday, and 7 chapters yesterday and so on, I am now only 10 chapters behind. I should be caught up here in the next day or two. I am really excited too!
The one thing I have found that I'm getting out of this experience is....it truly is bringing me closer to God. I feel it! I'm always thinking about Him, more and more. More than I ever had and I feel I'm becoming more the Christian God intended me to be.
Don't get me wrong, I still have my moments. I'm human. However, I am working toward to having that relationship I long to have which will become a domino effect which is what I so greatly hope for. Hopefully I will be the one to plant a seed in others so that they may have a relationship with God, just as I'm finally working towards for myself!
I feel blessed and so grateful to have Him in my life! What a great blessing!
