A new year offers a new opportunity to dig into God’s Word. Join Joni and Ken in studying the Scriptures, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal new insights, guidance, and encouragement. God promises a special blessing for those who make a daily diet of reading his Word!
Visit joniradio.org for information about Joni's reading plan and the Beyond Suffering Bible.
Hi, I’m Joni and join me in reading through the Bible next year.
Because you know what? You’ll be blessed. And I can’t say that enough. Because God says so! In Deuteronomy and in the book of Revelation, God promises a special blessing for those who make a daily diet of reading God’s Word. And I know my husband Ken and I have been richly blessed reading through the Bible together for many years. Every year, God shows us something new about Jesus. The Lord even says in John 5:39 that the Scriptures – and of course back then, Jesus was referring to the Old Testament – all of Scripture testifies about him. And it’s why when Ken and I start our reading on January 1st with the book of Genesis, before we even flip a page, we will ask the Holy Spirit to show us Jesus in each chapter. “Lord, show us your fingerprints on these pages; teach us about your honor and glory, would you please?” And my husband and I are never disappointed. Our Savior loves answering a prayer like that. I mean, really he does. Right now I’m thinking back, oh back to August when my husband and I were reading in Ezekiel.
Okay so here it is – we were reading the third chapter, starting in the 17th verse, where God says, “I have appointed you as a watchman...Whenever you receive a message from me, warn people immediately. If you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible.” Now that’s a warning we need to take to heart, right? God calls us watchmen. He has appointed us to watch, to be on the lookout for people with whom we can share the message of salvation. Ezekiel 3:17 tells us to be witnesses; you and I are responsible to give the Good News to a world filled with bad news. And right now, the bad news is pretty bad, isn’t it? “Rescue the Perishing,” as the old hymn goes. “Jesus is merciful; Jesus will save.” But someone needs to give the warning, and if we fail to deliver it, people will die in their sins. And then God says in Ezekiel. “I will hold you responsible,”
Now don’t be thinking that’s just a stuffy old verse a prophet said thousands of years ago – a verse that has no relevance today. Remember the words of Jesus in John 5. He said all of Scripture – even the stuffy old parts most people skim over – all of the Bible testifies about Jesus. So if you meet someone who does not know Christ, and you sense the Holy Spirit pushing you to say something and you ignore that prompting, you will be held responsible. And I hope that alarms you. Because God intends that it should, and it’s why I am hounded and I want you to be hounded, by those words in Ezekiel.
Okay, so not all of the Bible is filled with such warnings; there are plenty of books and chapters that are overflowing with much comfort and encouragement. And Ken and I are looking forward to reading those passages, too, when we start up, especially in the new year. So join us in a year of discovery; a year of blessing and encouragement, comfort and warning; guidance and hope. And I want to encourage you to read along with us using the Beyond Suffering Bible. The sidebars and special inserts are just brimming with guidance for those who are hurting. Just go to joniradio.org today and look for the link to our store. Also on our radio page, sign up to receive our reading plan, as well as my monthly devotionals that go with each day’s reading. It’s all there for you at joniradio.org.
© Joni and Friends