Photo Credit: Ulrich Berens
Creative Commons
In the early days my custom was to read the Psalms and Proverbs on a daily basis. I learned that if I were to read one Proverb and five Psalms everyday, I could read through the entire book of Psalms and Proverbs in a month. And for the longest time, I did that. I received lots of direction and wisdom for my life. Lessons that I still carry with me to this very day.
However, as time goes on so does your reading and study habits. Even though I have moved on to other types of annual reading plans I often find myself going back to this simple one Proverb – five Psalms a day method when I am feeling like I need something different. Just the other day, I found myself in one of those moments and what I learned (or indeed relearned) is encouraging.
On that particular day, as I read through Proverbs chapter three, my eyes seemed to notice words like: Forget not, (My law) 3:1, Despise not, (the discipline of the Lord) 3:11, Be not, (wise in your own eyes) 3:7, and Withhold not, (good from whom it is due), 3:27. In fact, there are nine or so types of these ‘____ not’s’ in this chapter – the above are of just a few.
I have learned enough to know that when words like these become so apparent when reading the bible that one can only conclude that the Lord is trying to say something to you.
It was a great day of bible reading.
The days, weeks and months that followed are the ‘next steps‘ for my walk with the Lord and my dealings with others. May it ever be so in my life.
From that day onward my meditation of Him has been sweet! His Word and Will is life to my soul!
~ Dan Ecker
