A Life Changing Event
It all started when Cindy renewed her commitment to Christ. Since it was the third time she had made a commitment, Crystal encouraged her to immerse herself in the Word. That morning Jeff had mentioned how Bible reading plays a part in victory over temptation. In passing he mentioned the three month Bible reading plan that one of his acquaintances was following. So Crystal suggested the three-month plan to Cindy. Then some of us youth girls, as well as Jeff and Crystal, decided to try this plan ourselves to encourage Cindy. Jeff printed off the plan and we all started reading.
A Life Changing Event
At first it was hard – really, really hard. Just try going from reading three or four chapters daily to approximately thirteen to sixteen! But the best part was that everyone else in the house was reading by the same plan. We had great discussions about the Law of Moses. Bible stories that we hadn’t noticed before produced comments. Mealtime discussions were exciting. Since we were all reading in different versions, “What does your Bible say?” was a frequent question. Even the genealogies came alive when Melody realized that the Prophet Samuel was a descendant of Korah! If one had to wait for meals, one tried to read another chapter. We kept asking each other, “Where are you at in the Bible?” And woe to you if you fell behind! If fifteen chapters a day is difficult, just try twenty-five or thirty.
Originally, I had thought that by reading so much Scripture in a day I would retain much less then I would by reading slowly. But, no! Now verses that I haven’t even read recently come to mind quickly when I need them. And by reading the stories through so quickly, I find that I understand the whole story better and am also able to understand how it relates to the rest of the Bible. When you read through the Minor Prophets one week and the next week start through the Gospels, the prophecies that are being fulfilled in your reading are just amazing. And I never realized before how much the New Testament quotes the Old.
Then something started happening that I never expected. One of my friends had heard about our Bible-reading plan through another friend and had started reading through the whole Bible for the first time. Another friend told me that after hearing about our challenge she had started reading large amounts of the Word daily, and was richly blessed by it. One of the youth from the Santa Rosita church is determined to read through the whole Bible in a month!
We started on the 1st of November. According to the plan we should be done the end of this week. We’re already talking about what Bible-reading plan we will choose next. Some of us want to read through the Bible chronologically this time, but at least one is going to read it through again in three months.
And what about Cindy? Today Jeff encouraged us to pray for Cindy because she has “fallen” as we say it in Spanish. But there’s a verse that gives hope for her (as well as for the rest of us).
“So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11
God’s word will not return unto Him “empty” (direct translation from Spanish).
Two months later…
Cindy was in church for prayer meeting today. She returned to Sta. Rosita after her relationship fell apart with her boyfriend in El Naranjo a week or two ago. Crystal has some contact with her and we will keep praying for her.
May God get the victory!
~Yolanda Miller
::Note:: To download a PDF of the entire Newsletter for these two months simply click the link below!
July/August 2012 Newsletter