(Chapter 11) God and Me in Twenty-Three (2023)

God and Me in Twenty-Three (2023): Even more about choices!

When I woke up this morning I was feeling a little down. Christmas is over for another year and in two days we will be moving into a brand new year. Will it be more of the same kind of stuff that we have been dealing with for the last few years? Covid issues, politics as usual, are news reports factual or not? I found myself thinking, “I’m just tired of the same old things that we are faced with!” Then I saw my Bible verse of the day for today, December 29, 2022:

Psalm 42:11 (NLT)
¹¹ Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!

My verse of the day was directed right at me! Thank you Jesus! I realized that without God, this old world is a confusing, scary place! I thought of the top level title of this blog. Do you remember what that title says?  www.mikehartfortruth.com, it’s there every Friday and is backed-up by Scripture:

John 14:6 (NLT)
⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Jesus says He is the source of truth. I would say without reservation that He is the only unshakeable source of truth; there is no other! So today I choose to once again put my hope in Him and praise and trust Him! It was amazing how quickly I went from feeling down to an attitude of excitement regarding 2023.

Here is a choice that my wife Shirley and I are making for the new year; we will be using a Bible-reading plan once again that will draw us into a closer relationship with Jesus and God the father, with the Holy Spirit helping us to understand what we are reading. If you are not currently using a Bible-reading plan, I would recommend it as one of the best choices you could make for the coming year.

So… where can I find a good Bible-reading plan and what should I be looking for? Good questions! Use DuckDuckGo, Google, Siri or whatever your favorite search tool is and ask for a “Through the Bible in a Year plan.” You will find a lot of choices that you can select from. I have found that choosing a plan consisting of a daily Old Testament reading, a New Testament reading, a Psalm and a Proverb gives a well-rounded view of the Bible, and it keeps you from getting bogged down in the Old Testament for a long period of time. Just a suggestion that has worked well for me.

Here are some additional thoughts:

• If you find that trying to keep up with a plan to finish in one year is too much, there is nothing saying you must finish in a year. Take as long as you need to but be determined to stick with it and don’t give up. If you fall behind just pick it back up where you left off.
• Ask Holy Spirit’s help in understanding what you are about to read and thank Him for His help when you finish.
• Remember… this is not a challenge to just read the Bible to say you did it, but it’s an opportunity to spend time in His presence and to learn who He is and how much He loves you!
• You might ask “what version of the Bible should I choose?” The New Living Translation (NLT) is what we will be using. It is translated into modern day English and is easier to understand. However, any translation is great if it works for you. (New international, New King James, King James or others)
• I would suggest choosing a true translation from original texts and not a paraphrased version.    

January 1^st is the perfect time to begin this journey because you will be joining literally millions of people beginning at the same time, including Shirley and me. GREAT CHOICE TO BEGIN 2023!  
Psalm 119:11 (NLT) ¹¹ I have hidden your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.