I call my quiet times with God "Penuel" which means "the face of God"--It is the name that Jacob gave to the place where he wrestled with God and where after an all night wrestling match, the Lord, touched Jacob's hip and crippled him. This is kind of an odd story--but it is one that is meaningful to me. I have certainly had times when I wrestled with God in prayer to gain his blessing and response- just as Jacob did. And I understand what it is like having bad hips...RA destroyed my hips and I had them replaced...and my left hip has had total dislocations about 7 times. But the point of the story is the change that occurred in Jacob's life and character following this encounter. He was a changed man. Penuel will do that for you.
This year, in Penuel, I am once more reading through the whole Bible...but this year I'm changing it up a bit. I'm reading the Chronological NLT version. I started out using the BlueletterBible.com program which I liked because you can go at your own pace and if you miss a day you don't have to read two days to catch up. It doesn't matter if I don't end on Dec. 31st. I actually started in November I believe so I may end up early. I did have some issues with the BLB website because when I clicked on the Daily Bible Reading it would almost invariably skip several chapters and it wouldn't let me backtrack....So what I did was, I went to that site and found a place where you could download and print a list of the Scriptures and the chapter readings in order and then I had the option of reading the online Bible on that site (and doing this also allows you to choose a version to read...you aren't married to the NLT) or I could read my own Bible. Reading my own Bible is nice because if I want to underline or write a note directly in my Bible I could do that. However you also have the option on BLB's Bible,to highlight and add your own notes --and this is the course I have taken.. My Bible is miniature Bible and there is not really room for notes.
It is SO important, as believers, to have a quiet time with God. I know there are proponents who stress that giving God the first moments of our morning is the only way to do it.And I used to do that, I got up at 4:00 and studied and prayed for several hours before my day started. That was back when I had busy days and those were the only hours available. However, now, my situation has changed. My early hours are times when I drift in and out of sleep...Sometimes I'm clear minded then but not always. I usually do not have a lot going on in my days to the point where I cannot find an hour or two to have Penuel. So I don't really have a set time for it. And I don't honestly know if that is important or not. What IS important is that I do it. And I have been doing it....daily.
So far I have read Genesis, Job, Exodus and now I''m finishing up Leviticus. And I tell you truthfully that I have read the Bible cover to cover numerous times...and every single time I discover new things...and even the books the Law, and the genealogies and the listings of the numbers of the tribes etc...even there I find nourishment. And you know what? I am finding that it is changing me. My language has cleaned up and I'm learning when to keep my mouth shut and when to keep my opinions to myself. It's like God inserted a Anti-Malware program into my brain and heart and I catch myself before the words come out of my mouth. I have prayed that God would help me with this for years and it is only recently that I'm able to capture my words as well as my heart. And I attribute this to the time I am spending reading God's Word. Now, to those who know me, please understand that I am a "work in progress"and it doesn't mean that I am perfect so if I slip and say something troubling to you, please feel free to tell me about it and I extend to you my apologies to you in advance.
I invite you---and I challenge you--to find some time....the best time for you (it might be in the evening after the kids are in bed) to spend some quality time with your Lord. Read the Word! Pray! and then stand back and watch what God does in your life as a result. Turn the TV off and read (and if you don't like to read, on BLB and also on BibleGateway.com there is an option to listen to the Word rather than to read it.) . The Bible talks about the "washing of the Word" (Eph. 5:26) and I honestly believe that if you are not reading and studying Scripture, you will continually struggle with the same "besetting" sins over and over and it will be hard to impossible to gain victory over them. Jesus is the WORD and it is by inviting the Word into your day, that you will walk in intimacy with Jesus.
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