“The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Exodus 34:6
This year, our church has been doing a one-year Bible reading plan as a church. It is the first time we have done something like this in the eight years our family has been here. It is completely voluntary, of course, and it has been encouraging to see how God has been using this togetherness while reading the Word for good in our church family.
It is easy to fall behind and that has happened for many of us (myself included) and yet, the power of the Word is still apparent as we have been reading through it together. It has been working in our hearts, transforming us as only God’s Word can, and bringing us together as only He can.
I asked my church family to share with me some of the things that this reading plan has taught them and was very encouraged by the answers.
One sister said that despite having grown up in the church and reading her Bible for most of her life, she has realized that there are parts of the Bible she had never read before. Working through this plan has helped her to read those parts and help her to have a better overview of the whole Bible than she did before.
Similarly, another sister said that reading through the whole Bible has helped her to see the “crimson thread” that runs through all of Scripture: how faithful our God is!
One brother said that this time reading through the Bible has emphasized different passages of Scripture for him – particularly in Daniel when God calls Daniel treasured, or greatly loved (Daniel 10:11, 19). Reading through Daniel helped him to see how much he desires for God to call him treasured.
Another sister said that reading the Bible daily has helped her to prioritize her day and live purposely.
Another brother said that doing this reading plan together as a church has been a wonderful way to draw us together as a community of believers. We are able to talk to one another about what we are reading, have accountability conversations of whether or not we are keeping up, and even share frustrations over difficult passages to understand. It has been a great reminder that we are a united family of believers.
One sister said that reading through the Bible in this way is giving her a new perspective. Whereas she used to concentrate on daily readings or passages that lined up with classes she was teaching or studies she was in, reading through the Bible chapter by chapter has made her realize how sinful the people in the Bible are, just like us.
As I said, I am one of the family members who has fallen behind in the daily readings. I am still plugging away, just a bit behind the rest. Like the sister who has been struck by the sinfulness of the people in the Bible, I too have been struck by the depth of humanity’s sinfulness. Frankly, it is depressing! It is easy to become discouraged by our lost-ness. And as I struggle to keep up or catch up in this reading plan, it feels like yet one more way that I am failing and not good enough.
But then I remember the rest of the story. This reading through the Bible has highlighted the sinfulness of mankind, but that’s only half of the story! As I read through the Bible, I am even MORE struck by the faithfulness of God. Specifically, I have been struck by the phrase “steadfast love” which appears over and over again in the Old Testament to describe God. It is often paired with descriptions of God’s faithfulness, compassion, mercy, and grace.
I looked into the phrase a bit more and discovered that it is just one way of translating the Hebrew word “hesed.” Apparently, there is no direct English translation for this word, so it is translated a number of ways, but always in a way meaning something along the lines of “kindness, goodness, and faithfulness.” The word is used about 250 times in the Old Testament, most often to describe God. How fitting is it that the word used to describe God is too complex to have one direct English counterpart? God’s love, kindness, and faithfulness toward us is so great, so complete that there is no perfect word to describe it!
So as I’ve been reading through the Old Testament, I’ve been highlighting every time I see “steadfast love” and I have been watching this beautiful tapestry depicting God’s love for us emerge. We sin, and God – in His great mercy and love – saves us. We sin again, and God – with steadfast love – saves us again. Over and over and over. This is as true today as it was in the Old Testament. We are still a sinful people in need of His grace, and He is still – always has been, always will be – the God described to Moses in Exodus 34:6, “the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” How beautiful that God never changes and is always here for us!
How is God revealing Himself to you through His Word lately? Don’t be afraid to ask your church family this question and to share with them what you are learning, too!
