Just Do It!

The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Grandpa would get up early every morning to read from the pages of his worn-out Bible. Wanting to imitate his grandfather, the boy also tried reading the Bible every day, but didn't feel he was remembering much or getting anything out of it. "Grandpa, no matter how much I read the Bible, I still feel there is so much I don't understand. It seems like I forget what I read as soon as I close it. What good does reading the Bible do?"
The grandfather had been putting coal in the stove so he said to his grandson, "Take this basket that normally holds coal, go down to the river and bring me back a basket of water." The boy did as he was told and the water all leaked out of the basket before he could get it back to the house. Laughing, the grandfather said, "you are going to have to move faster the next time." Even though he did run faster, the boy still couldn't return before the water all ran out of the basket. When the boy went to get a bucket, the grandfather said, "I don't want a bucket of water. I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough."
Knowing the task was impossible, the boy wanted to show his grandpa that it just couldn't be done so he ran as fast as he could. By the time he got back, the basket was empty and he was out of breath. "See Papa, it's useless!"
The grandfather said, "Tell me what you see when you look in the basket." When he looked in the basket, the boy saw that the basket which had been dirty from holding coal, was now clean. "Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read the Bible, it will cleanse you and change you from the inside out."
Because the Bible is not just a compilation of writings from human beings, but rather comes from the heart and mind of God, it reveals us and speaks to us in super human ways (Hebrews 4:12; Isaiah 55:10&11). There is no logical or rational way to describe how God is able to speak to us with such great timing and power the way He does in His Word. It can only be His Holy Spirit who leads us to find what we need to hear in this big book, at precisely the exact time we need to hear it.
Regardless of what time of year it is, accept the challenge of reading through God's Word every year for the rest of your life. You can either call the church office and order a chronological Bible which puts our reading in the order events actually occurred. Or, you can look online and order one, simply by typing in, "Chronological Bible" in your Search space.
You will not always remember everything you read, but I can promise you after being through it eleven straight years that my thinking about many topics has changed and my life has changed with it, for the positive. Quit making up excuses and JUST DO IT!