January 3, 2023
Friends,
Don’t forget, there’s an Epiphany Service at 6pm on Friday, January 6 at Redeemer in St. Cloud! The service will be followed by an Epiphany Party organized by Vicar Otten and his wife Ehryn – introducing some of the European customs – cake and crowns and the blessing of homes.
How are your New Year’s Resolutions going? Whether or not you’ve made any, and whether or not you’ve managed to keep them so far, here’s a suggestion:
Read the Bible!
There are lots of things that would be very good to resolve this year — eat healthier, get more exercise, spend more time with family, spend less time on Facebook. Those all sound great, and most resolutions do. But reading the Bible is even better.
I’m in the fortunate position of being able to make some absolute and unbelievable promises about reading the Bible.
I was thinking about how our world teaches us to watch out for deals that are too good to be true. If somebody offers you a guaranteed return on a no-risk investment, you can be sure that you’re in for a ride. If somebody offers you a silver bullet – a no-effort, simple cure for whatever it is that’s bothering you, you can bet that it’s being oversold.
But that’s not the case with God’s Word. I can guarantee, 100%, with absolute certainty, that time spent hearing God’s Word is never wasted. There is no greater return on investment possible. There is no medicine or supplement, no training regimen, no productivity hack that can do as much for you as reading the Bible can. You should get as much Bible in your day as possible!
You might think it’s crazy. “But surely I can’t spend all day reading the Bible!”
Maybe, although Jesus says that God’s Word is even more important eating food (Deuteronomy 8:3).
But, let’s be honest. Who among us is really at risk for reading the Bible too much? Which of us is neglecting our earthly responsibilities because we’re reading the Bible too often? Isn’t it more likely that every one of us could benefit from more Bible?
But don’t let guilt or anxiety motivate you to read the Bible. It’s fine if it nudges you in the right direction, but let this be the reason that you take up the Bible daily, more and more and more all the time: because your Savior wants to speak to you. Your Good Shepherd wants you to know his voice so that when he calls you can follow. Because reading the Bible is the kind of thing that only gets better the more you do it.
Count that last bit as especially hopeful if you ever feel like it’s a chore to read the Bible. The more you do it, the less of a burden it becomes. The more you listen to the voice of your Savior, the more you will want to hear it. And before you know it, your life will be so steeped in God’s Word, you will shudder to think of the days you spent any less time hearing it! It’ll be a part of your thoughts, your conversation, your imagination. It’ll be the way you look at and understand the world and your life. It will be the very air you breath.
It’s one thing to talk about reading the Bible, and it’s another thing to put it into practice. So here’s some advice:
1) Start with a little bit every day. Whatever is easy and manageable, whether that’s 1 verse or 1 chapter – pick a target you can hit, and make it a daily habit.
2) Do it the same time every day.
3) Make it a priority. That is, put it before other important things. Before you look at your phone, read the paper, brush your teeth, or whatever else might be an indispensable routine in your day. When you put other things off to read the Bible, you kick the devil right in the teeth.
4) Make a plan, and keep a calendar, so you know where you’re going, and when you fall off the wagon, it’s easy to get back on.
5) Ask for help! I love helping with this in every way. Whether that’s helping you come up with a plan, helping you stick to it, helping you understand what you’re reading, helping you deal with obstacles – this is the good stuff, and I hope that you’ll take me up on the offer!
Happy 9th day of Christmas!
God bless and keep you,
Pr. Buchs
COMING EVENTS:
Epiphany Service at Redeemer in St. Cloud – Friday, January 6 @ 6pm
Family Night – Wednesday, January 11 @ 5:30pm
Elder’s/Council – Thursday, January 12 @ 6 & 7pm
Women’s & Men’s Bible Study – Wednesday, January 18 @ 6 & 8pm