Proverbs 19:27

Does this sound kind of like you...

...reading bible scriptures or even attempting to read the bible in a year seems kind of boooorrring?  My church, Grace Community, recently gave out a calendar planner with daily scripture reading assignments  to read the bible in a year.  I decided to try the challenge even if don't complete the planner, besides the daily readings seemed small and easy to finish. 

Incidentally, I am practically an OCD (over-compulsive) and goal-oriented kind of person.  I have to make daily task checklists just to keep my head on straight and I have even started a "bucket list" for life goals.  I thought reading the whole bible in a year would be a neat thing to add to that list. So I added the scripture readings to my morning routine of working out on the treadmill.  As you might be able to tell, I don't have much of a "life"! Things are on "my" schedule for now. I am sure that if I am blessed to have kids (which is also on my bucket list), things will total change and I will only be "dreaming" of this lifestyle!

 

Turns out this scripture reading is not as easy as I thought.  Sure we can glance at the scriptures, quickly read them, and "check" them off our list.  Yet is that really "reading" the bible? Ah, for me it was.  So I have made it nearly half-way through Genesis, half-way through Matthew, and some of Psalms and Proverbs.  By the way, I have those sticky tabs to quickly find the books of the Bible, otherwise I would still be searching for Psalms and Proverbs! One by one I gleefully checked off the scriptures on my little planner….until……the other morning.

As usual, I tried to stay awake on the treadmill as I easily read through the Genesis and Matthew assignments.  Those were easy and most of them were stories I had heard before anyway. I was nearly done with the Proverbs assignment when the scripture just jumped out at me.  I felt as if God had been over my shoulder the whole time then shook me with this scripture:

²⁷ Stop listening to instructions, my child,
   and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Proverbs 19:27 (NIV version)

Wow! I had to look around to make sure it wasn’t a joke.  God basically told me to “pay attention” to what I was reading. I never knew that the Bible could really speak to us in such “plain” English. I had been ignoring all the little Proverb sayings which sounded like cheesy bookmark sayings to me until God woke me up that morning.  That’s exactly what I need from God sometimes – just tell me in plain English! Lol

Having checklists and bucket lists can be helpful, but if the task we are doing doesn’t mean anything, then what’s the point? Do you care more about the checkmark or the task itself? I still plan to complete the challenge but I won't fret if I don't get a "checkmark" for the day. The learning of the lesson is more important.

Satisfaction comes from enjoying and loving what we do.