Making Plans To Prosper

The Psalmist writes about a certain one that “whatever they do prospers” (Ps 1:3 NIV). Why shouldn’t we be that one, you and me? What was their secret?

The writer does not keep us guessing, this successful one delights in God’s Word, they chew on it day and night. They muse, meditate, and memorize. Hmmm, that sounds tough. Anything else? Maybe something a little less intense and intimidating than being thrilled and filled by Scripture?

Nope! That’s the secret. The one who prospers plants God’s truth into the soil of their thinking and it bears fruit in their doing (Ps 1:2 NIV). We can’t change the formula. However, we can acquire some new tools to help us sow and cultivate God’s Word so we too reap a harvest in our life. I will talk about three. Which one will you try out first?

Use A Study Bible To Make Sense Of The Strange

The people of the Bible and their stories happened over two thousand years ago, long before western democracies, modern science and the industrial and information revolutions. We need help to understand the history, geography, customs and idioms of Scripture. A good study Bible will clarify the confusing and provide guardrails to keep our understanding from careening off into the weird and implausible.

There are helpful study Bibles for all the popular English translations. If you have a preferred one then consider purchasing a study Bible in that version. If you are not particular, then I would suggest the NIV Life Application Study Bible.

Go Mobile And Make The Most Of The Time You Have

To my mind a printed book with a decent binding illustrates well the enduring nature of Scripture. God’s truth is not a tweet or post that jockeys for fleeting recognition in a noisy online world. That said online mobile tools can give us additional opportunities to engage with Scripture and I am for that.

YouVersion is a robust online and mobile Bible reading app. It gives you access to numerous Bible translations which you can highlight and add personal notes. It also offers an ever-increasing catalogue of Bible reading plans that you can use on your own or with a group of friends. This last feature provides built-in encouragement to be consistent in our interaction with God’s Word. We all need that from time to time.

Go Visual And Make The Truth Sticky

A lot of us better retain material that activates multiple senses, it sticks with us longer. The Bible Project has produced numerous animated videos that explore the books and themes of Scripture.

They have produced several reading plans which incorporate their animated videos into the schedule. You can access these through YouVersion.

Which Tool Will You Test Drive In 2019?

If the ‘same old’ is not setting you up to sow Scripture in your thoughts and reap fruit in your life then it’s time to try something new.

What will you do this year to increase your engagement with God’s Word?