Psalms of Deliverance

After reading for the nth time another psalm (this time it's Psalm 35) that deals with asking God for deliverance, together with a strong plea to destroy one's enemies, I am now officially curious how many of these Psalms there are,and what percentage they make of the other types.  Also quite curious how different this makes these Old Testament worshipers from modern-day Christians.  

Another thing, I am also curious is how they go about singing these type of psalms.  I doubt they are of the contemplative mood type.

Lastly, I seem to notice that most of them have been composed by David, and even those that are not ascribed to him have a feeling of being influenced by him.  Shows a lot for a man that I think is so tough no one in these modern days can stand against him in a brawl.

Lent Devotional in YouVersion

I am currently going through the Lent reading plan of YouVersion, which started last March 9.  I was a day late, so I only knew today that the 46-day plan ending on Easter Sunday will allow me to go through the book of Mark, as well as a considerable amount of readings elsewhere in the Bible.  That will complement my regular reading plan and get me through more of the Gospels.  Since the plan does not have a reading on Sundays (because the counting of Lent days likewise do not include Sundays), you can still catch up if you start it today.  

The concept of Lent is not very familiar to me, particularly because I associate it simply with the "Ash Wednesday" practice.  I didn't understood its real concept of commemorating Jesus' forty days of tempting in the desert.  I guess that's a glimpse of my understanding of the Bible and God as well.  It really is an opportune time of discovery for me.

While I am at it, I find that the 21-day reading plan about fasting also from YouVersion is quite a related area of study.  I am doing both reading plans together, although I picked them up on different days and for totally unrelated reasons.  The reading plan on fast is intended for someone who is going through a fast, but I find that even though I am not doing a fast right now, it can prepare me when I do one.  

One thing to keep in mind when going through a topical reading plan is that you should not neglect your primary reading plan, which should be one that takes you through majority of the Bible in a given period of time, such as one year.  The topical reading plans can add color and variety to your readings, but it should not be a replacement to a read-through-the-Bible reading plan.  

Check out these reading plans at YouVersion, as well as others that may be of interest to you.  Have a blessed Sunday.

A 21-Day Devotional on Fasting

Just signed up with YouVersion for a 21-day devotional on fasting.    I was trying to sign up for either of the two Lent devotionals, but it seems like it's having some problems lately.  In any case, I hope this would be a good devotional to take on.  Already finished the first day reading from the Book of Daniel and the accompanying notes, and I must say it's been informative already, not to mention raising some questions.  Which is a good thing.  


Head on over to YouVersion's website and check out this reading plan and others that they have.

Psalms everyday?

Did some changes in my reading plan.  I just thought it would be better to read the Psalms everyday, rather than just once a week.  So I am reading one chapter of Psalms a day, with no reduction in the required reading for the other categories as well.  That would allow me to read the Psalms more than twice a year, while keeping to the schedule for the rest of the other categories.


Let's see how this goes!  

After Two Months - An Update

It's been almost two months since I started to read the Bible using a personal reading plan that I think will work for me.  As I indicated in another post I've decided to read through the Bible by dividing it into 6 categories.  I should read 3 chapters per day for each category, except for one where I should read 5, for a total of 20 chapters per week.  Since there are 6 categories, Sundays will be used as a way to catch up or simply take a break from the routine.  If all goes according to plan, on average I would be able to finish the whole Bible in about 60 weeks.  Some categories I would have read more than once (like the Gospels and Old Testament history), while the other categories I would have read more than halfway into.  Which means by the next cycle, my weekly readings would be composed of different chapters or books compared to this cycle.  

Now for the update:  I should have read 154 chapters as of yesterday, but I managed to read 159, or 5 chapters more.  This despite of not being able to read the Bible for about a week straight, as I tried to recuperate from some physical stress, plus not being able to read the required number of chapters per day (or at all) in some days.  What compensated for it are the times I read the Bible on Sundays, and reading more than the required number of chapters in a day when my senses are up.

From these two months I learned a couple of things that I would like to share to maybe help you out or encourage you:

1.   Have a plan that fits you.
2.  Don't get side-tracked by questions that may arise.  Take note of them and spend    time studying them.  But keep moving in your reading plan.
3.   If you missed a day (or even a week), just resolve to get back on track.
4.   Read the Bible whenever and wherever it's possible. 
5.  Read thoughtfully, but don't be bothered if you don't seem to recall much.  It will come eventually.  
6.   Pause to consider what you are reading.  This is not a speed-reading contest.
7.   Don't push your limits just to keep to the schedule.  The plan is not your master.
8.   Most importantly, discuss it with the Author as you are reading and throughout the day.

Have a blessed day everyone!