GOD has a plan.
His plan for me was that I would know Him from a very young age, THANK GOD. My parents raised me as a Rastafarian, which is to me the truest form of Christianity. Regardless, my point is that through this faith I was taught to read a chapter of the Bible a day from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. We were taught to read it in order, just as you would any other book. So many other faiths based on the Bible have classes and gathering to read from the Bible, but I cannot think of any other faith that covers every word from cover to cover, much less in order. PLEASE, correct me if I am wrong, no sarcasm intended.
I have read the Good Book twice and am on my third time through, reading a chapter a day. Now don’t get me wrong, MANY a day has passed that I have not read, but without failure, the chapter I do read for that day is oh so relevant to my life at hand. I truly cannot ink my gushing emotions about this. I somehow am not a good enough writer to get you to feel what I do.
Here is an example of Him giving me the right time to read the right thing. I have recently had some trying times with a person I considered to be a really close friend. Through some unwarranted conflict, I started to feel ill will towards that person in my heart. Well, I recently started reading again religiously (no pun intended) and here is one of the sentences from my chapter yesterday: ZECHARIAH 7 vs 10 “…and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.” I was pleasantly surprised and short of saying it out loud, thanked GOD for sending me that message.
So, I went on with my day and the issues came up in third party conversation and, without realizing, I voiced my strong opinions about my feelings of the person and situation. They were not very kind and I did not reflect much on what I had read earlier, apparently.
Here is the proof in the pudding that GOD is always watching and He has a plan for us and He is WAY smarter than we can even humanly imagine. I sat down this morning and was reading my chapter and here is one of the sentences from my chapter today: ZECHARIAH 8 vs 17 “And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour…”
Are you kidding me? Don’t EVER think you can hide from GOD. He truly sees everything. God did this for me because I have been asking Him recently to help me be a better person so that I may do things that are pleasing in His eyes. Thinking ill things against this person was not pleasing to Him and so He sent me words of instruction and inspiration (again) to help do the right thing.
My point of this post is that there is help for anyone who wants it. Start reading your Bible a chapter a day from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. It is almost like a 12 step program. You will start to discover and nurture a relationship with GOD that is bigger and better than anything you already had or could have imagined. He will give you amazing guidance through His inspirational works, if you believe.
I pray for your appointment of GOD as the Senior Engineer in your life!
April 23rd, 2009 at 12:25 pm
You could not have said it any better, I too can relate to what u experience when you read your bible. When you are experiencing something in your life, it is amazing the ways that God responds to you, but then again you have to remember He is Everything
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Well put, Levi!
April 23rd, 2009 at 2:02 pm
One of the many pleasures of reading a chapter a day is that no matter how many times you have completed the book (approx 3 1/2 years if no breaks are taken) you find something new and relevant each time.
As for the difficulties you are experiencing, try to remember the Lord’s prayer…. we are told to forgive as we wish to be forgiven…actually we say “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”…How often do we truly contemplate the full content of this prayer… what we bind on earth is bound in heaven…if we cannot forgive our fellow man/woman we, ourselves, cannot be forgiven. I do not mean this to sound self-serving, but in truth and in fact the forgiveness that we give to someone is more for us than them.
We must release the negativity to welcome the blessings that await….
Name it and claim it!! Popular saying, but do most of us remember that if all we claim is complaints, negativity, gossip etc, we reap what we sow…If on the other hand we see God around us, in all of us, we can make space for the abundance that He has in sotore for all that love HIM.
April 24th, 2009 at 7:20 am
I am so pleased that you brought up that forgiveness is for ones own sake. I try to remember that all the time when I am the one stressing, losing sleep and having to tolerate my own poor attitude. The person who has caused you strife is usually going on with their life just fine. It is for our own soul and our own sanity that we must learn to forgive.
Thank you sister Joseph for your continued support and worthy input!