For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Around this time last year, I started reading the Bible in a year. The timing worked out perfectly because this missional process ended up taking a year, so I recommend starting your reading plan now if you go through this process. Now that I have completed the challenge, I thought I would share a few things I have learned.
1. God has a plan. Ever since Genesis, God has had a plan for the salvation of the human race. We see in the Garden of Eden was a perfect place that would satisfy Adam and Eve’s needs. Ever since the unfortunate event, God has had a plan to meet and be with his creation personally as we see all throughout the Old Testament with the Tabernacle and Jesus, a literal savior, in the flesh throughout the New Testament. In Revelation, we see a rewarding picture of people from every tribe and nation worshipping the Lord.
2. God can use anyone to fulfill a promise. Abraham in his old age is an early example of someone who God used to fulfill a generational promise. God used Moses’ imperfect speech to be His spokesperson as he guided a people group out of bondage in the Promised Land. God uses Esther, a Jew, to save her own people from annihilation. Lastly is David, a juvenile shepherd boy who defeats a 9-foot giant and becomes King of Israel. Seeing all of these examples gives me confidence that I, an "anybody", can be used just as much as these prominent figures.
3. Jesus is in everything. Although he specifically is not mentioned, a being called the “Angel of the Lord”, who was most likely a theophany, emerges multiple times throughout the Old Testament. He appears to Hagar, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, and many more. Later on, we see Jesus incarnate enter the world and become a perfect example of how to live and treat each other with love and become the ultimate sacrifice to the human race. When one excepts Jesus into their hearts, He is supposed to be in everything they do, think, and say.
I am so thankful God gave me the endurance and patience to complete this plan over the course of last year. I felt like this was the perfect time to finish reading the Bible as Christmas approached because it helped me to better understand and appreciate Jesus’ role in our lives. Merry Christmas!
