Dr. David Jeremiah said, “Most people don’t realize that half the books of the Bible can be read in ten to forty-five minutes each.” Ten minutes. My son has to read ten minutes every night for homework. I’ve suggested to him that it would be a quick, easy way to knock out homework AND Bible study if he read his Bible during those ten minutes. So far, he’s not made the connection.

Ten minutes… waiting to pick the kids up from school… waiting while dinner cooks… waiting at the doctor’s office… Just ten minutes. Just reading, so you don’t need your big study Bible and notebook and colored pens and commentaries. (You use all that stuff too, right?) Just reading.

What would happen if you took ten minutes and read some of those “one sitting” books… Ruth, Lamentations, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Malachi, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude. (That’s 28 books right there!) Then Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Daniel, Hosea, Amos, Zechariah, Mark, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians and Hebrews aren’t much longer. (14 more. Now you’re up to 42! That’s almost two-thirds of the Bible.)

Don’t worry about understanding everything you read.  I know that some of those minor prophets can be tough, keep at it!  The Holy Spirit will bring the Word to life for you as you read and reread. If you want more proof, take one of those 10 minute sessions and read Psalm 119 for all the benefits of God’s word: Blessings, rejoicing, revival, strength, salvation,  liberty, comfort, hope, life, guidance, and more!

Ten minutes…

Related posts:

1. Study Tip: Go To the Source
2. Study tip: Seek God
3. STT: Seeing in Greek

What have I learned? No online geek stuff, but I’m learning MediaShout. Our computer master at church upgraded us, so if I have hopes of getting VBS on the big screen, I need to get a handle on the software. So far it’s fairly intuitive, but I’ll be building my cues this week.

What am I reading? Captured by Grace by David Jeremiah. He intertwines the story of John Newton and his tremendous hymn with Paul’s life and writings especially from Romans. He covers what grace means for us past, present and future. I think we have a decent grasp of grace’s role in our salvation, and how it results in our eternal life, but we’re less clear on what it means for us to walk in grace each day. I never cease to be impressed/amused by Dr. Jeremiah’s knack for alliteration. His chapter titles- The Captivating Presence of Grace, The Converting Power of Grace, The Comforting Provision… The Confident Promise… The Continual Praise… and five more! The book fits well with Max Lucado’s In the Grip of Grace. Both of these make me want to go back and read The Grace Awakening by Chuck Swindoll.That may be my favorite book.

On a side note- we got a pool pass this year, so I envisioned reading by the pool for an hour or two a day… Thanks to a mild, wet summer, it ain’t happened. So like the addict I am, for every book I’ve read, I’ve bought 2 or 3 more and have made NO headway on my stack. Oh well, maybe next week.

What has God taught me? In 2 Chronicles 29:11 Hezekiah encourages the priests and Levites “…do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him…” The Lord has chosen me… me… chosen by God. Okay, this was not new information, but a refresher never hurts. God doesn’t just save us because it’s a nice thing to do. He saves us for a purpose, for some kingdom work of eternal significance. Nothing I do (for Him) is wasted, no matter how small it may seem to me. God says to me, “Now, do not be negligent… Don’t sit on this grace, on this calling. Fulfill all that I have for you.”

Related posts:

1. Friday update- 21 down, 4 to go
2. Friday Update: Healing Is a Choice
3. Friday Update- Getting Unstuck