In the Beginning...

For the past 10 years or so I have journeyed through my "One Year Bible" which allows me to read the ENTIRE Bible in a year by reading it in "bite-sized pieces".

Some folks have NEVER read the Bible from cover to cover, and others have and said that ONCE was good enough for them. To each his own. Even though I've read the entire Bible a number of times, God shows me something NEW every time. That's because His Word is not stale, stagnant or dead. His Word is ALIVE, so there is ALWAYS something to gain from it.

More than just reading and rushing through the Word each day (which takes of minimum of 20 minutes), I actually STUDY. I always read with a pen nearby because so many questions come up and I like to make note of them. I also like to underline passages as they jump out at me.

I am only 2 days in and my book is already marked up. Sometimes I end up with more questions than answers, and when this happens I rely on the various commentaries that can be found online. If nothing else, they show me that I'm not the first person to have some of questions that I have.

So here's what's jumped out at me and has me scratching my head in just two days:

Genesis 2:18-23 New International Version (NIV)

18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam[a] no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[b] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib[c] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

23 The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”

My question was this: Why didn't God make the woman FIRST? Why did He make all of those animals to be the "suitable" when surely, with He being God, knew that only WOMAN would be sufficient? I just don't get it.

Then there was this:

Genesis 3:14 New International Version (NIV)

So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,

“Cursed are you above all livestock
and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.

It made me wonder...how did the serpent get around BEFORE being cursed to crawl on its belly? Did it walk, fly, swim???

And this:

Genesis 3:22 New International Version (NIV)

And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”

I said, "Wait a minute! I thought they already ate from the tree!"

This prompted me to go BACK to Genesis 2:9 where I realized that there was a "tree of life" AND "a tree of the knowledge of good and evil" Wow! I'd never even paid attention to that before!!! And this is what I mean by how God will show me something NEW every time I journey through His Word.

Genesis 2:9 New International Version (NIV)

"The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

So there you have it folks. God-willing, I will get through the Bible yet again,and I am excited! Excited about the encouragement that I will receive, the wisdom, the peace, the knowledge, and so much more.

And if you don't believe what I have said about God's Word being "alive" and "fresh", just read what God Himself has to say about it:

Hebrews 4:12 New International Version (NIV)

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Psalm 119:105 New International Version (NIV)

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."

Romans 10:17 New King James Version (NKJV)

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Before I close, I'll ask these questions: How was your 2014? How has your life been? Has it been full of sorrow, heartache, confusion, sadness. Has it lacked joy? Have you searched for answers and still haven't found any?

If your answer to ANY of those questions was not what you wanted it to be, then I encourage you to pick up a One Year Bible and commit to reading it each day. Notice, I didn't say STUDY, as I do...I simply want you to READ. Because even in just READING God's Word, He WILL speak to you and give you what it is that you are lacking.

Let the DIALOGUE: Where do YOU turn when you need answers to life's issues?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Be BLESSED!