At the start of the new year I received a Daily Bible Reading plan from Sandra Kennedy Ministries which has proven to be one of the best I've ever used. I read the Old Testament portion from my New American Standard and then switch to THE PASSION TRANSLATION BIBLE for the psalms, proverbs and New Testament passages.
And I am loving this Passion translation! For example, Psalm 31: 19 - 20
Lord, how wonderful You are! You have stored up so many good things for us, like a treasure chest heaped up and spilling over with blessings - all for those who honor and worship you!
Everybody knows what You can do for those who turn and hide themselves in You. So hide all Your beloved ones in the sheltered, secret place before Your face. Overshadow them by Your glory-presence. Keep them from the accusations and brutal assaults of evil men. Tuck them away safely in the tabernacle where You dwell.
Paul wrote to the Colossians: For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (3:3) When you and I were born again, we 'died' to the old nature and received His divine life. We may not look different on the outside - though many do after being born again - but on the inside something radical happened. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Jesus Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us.
The phrase 'hidden with Christ in God' means our life now rests safely locked away in Christ. We are in Him and we have all the benefits Christ has as a beloved one of God. We are one with Him. Ephesians tells us that 'we are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus...' Eph. 2:6
This alone opens up a treasure that changes our soul and our outlook in life. It reiterates the most important truth of our lives—we’re bound to Christ forevermore.
So...if you are born again, you can joyfully expect and receive the blessings spoken of in the verses from Psalm 31 above. You and I can rejoice with joy unceasing and full of glory that Jesus hides us under His canopy of eternal love, He overshadows us with His glorious presence and withdraws from His treasure chest of abundant blessings all that we need to live our lives in such a way that when we stand before Him, He will say, 'Well, done, good and faithful servant.'
Whether you have a Bible reading plan or not, do yourself a huge favor and
make it a priority to read and meditate on the Word of God every single day.
You do have time. We all do...as long as it's the priority that it should be!
Feeding our spiritual life is even more important than feeding our physical body so let's make this year one of unparalleled devotion and commitment to spending time DAILY in the Word of the Living God for it is indeed 'living' and it changes us into that person that the Lord envisioned when He knit us together in our mothers' wombs.
Be blessed today and walk with the King!