I’m not a huge fan of New Year’s Resolutions, but one thing I do like to start new in January each year is a devotional book or two. I like ones that last the whole year. And one of my favourites is Our Daily Bread, published by RBC Ministries.
One time when someone asked me for a daily devotional recommendation, I suggested Our Daily Bread, and the person was surprised to find out that I used this material. “It’s so simple”, they said (I guess they don’t know me very well!), and I agreed.
One of my family members has been giving me the Annual Edition (all 12 months in one) since 2008. It’s great for personal and family devotions. Each day has a scripture reading and an uplifting story and is a solid foundation for a short devotional for morning or evening or anytime, really!
Whatever material you use, and there’s no shortage of resources out there, including mobile apps, facebook pages, etc., my encouragement to you is just to find something good and use it consistently. Find the time of day that works best for you; not everyone is a morning person, but it is a great way to start the day.
Some people like to do devotions on their coffee break or lunch break at work. Some people like to do devotions together as a family after dinner or before going to bed. Some people prefer to have their devotional time just before going to sleep. I think it’s o.k. to choose what works best for you – maybe you’ll find that you want to have devotional times more often!
I know someone that listens to podcasts during the day while working in a factory. I know someone else that holds a Bible study at work during lunch. A good friend of mine followed a reading plan while he was between jobs and read the entire bible in just 90-days!
Our Daily Bread also has a section, The Bible In One Year: hopefully that’s pretty self-explanatory.
I’d like to challenge you to join me in reading the whole Bible in 2014. Since we offer Our Daily Bread free at Kingsview (the quarterly editions), let’s follow the plan laid out in the 2014 edition; it’s also available on www.odb.org.
If you’re going to make a New Year’s Resolution, I can’t think of a better one. If, like me, you’re not into resolutions, that’s o.k.; join us anyway!