Sunday (4/24)

Before there was a Holy Bible with both the Old and New Testaments there were sacred Hebrew scriptures of the ancient Israelites. Jesus said this about the Hebrew scriptures and himself, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets: I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17 NIV). The phrase “Law and Prophets” was a first-century way of describing what we know of today as the books of the Old Testament. In the decades after Jesus ascended to heaven documents were written by Christians that formed the New Testament. Centuries later they were combined with the Hebrew scriptures into what became The Holy Bible.

 

Jesus’ earliest disciples had a living relationship with the holy scriptures. Those of us who are Jesus’ followers today need a living relationship with The Holy Bible. As part of our living relationship with the Bible we are reading and studying the “Law” and “the Prophets,” a.k.a. The Old Testament, in 2022. This Your Faith Journey devotional will provide you with a reading plan to help you to read and study much of the Old Testament this year. Throughout January and February, we read and studied the books of Genesis and Exodus. During the Lenten season, we turned our focus to the Gospel According to Luke, but now we are returning to the Old Testament books. Since Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are connect with the story in Exodus, we will turn our attention to Leviticus and Numbers this week. If you did not read the books of Genesis and Exodus, you are encouraged to watch the Bible Project video about the Old Testament. The video is available on YouTube.

TaNaK/Old Testament by the Bible Project:

 

Below are some suggestions and questions to help you as you read scripture this week:

1. Approach scripture with humility. Seek to receive what the Bible reveals without trying to make it say what you want it to say.

2. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak a message to you through the verses you read.

3. What do these verses reveal about God?

4. What do these verses reveal about humanity?

5. What do these verses teach me about myself?

6. How do you see yourself in the story when reading biblical narratives?

Which of these characters would I be?

In what ways is their story similar to my story?

7. Read, study, and discuss scripture with a small group or another person.

8. Are you using a Study Bible?

A Study Bible is a very helpful tool for understanding each book of the

Bible. They include information shared by scholars about historical and

cultural realities during the time depicted or the era of the document, the

author, when the book might have been written, the intended audience

of the document, themes and messages within a book or letter, and

more. The NIV, NRSV, ESV, and NLT Study Bibles are worth considering if you do not own one. There are a few available from the AUMC Library in the back of the Chapel. You can also purchase a Study Bible from

ChristianBook.com, Cokesbury.com, or Amazon.com.

 

*If you do not have a Bible, consider downloading the YouVersion Bible App for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play for your smartphone or tablet. You can also use www.BibleGateway.com to look up and read various translations of Bible verses online for free.

 

 

Monday (4/25)

Read the verses below from Psalm 30 to prepare yourself for time with the Lord:

You changed my mourning into dancing.

You took off my funeral clothes

and dressed me up in joy

so that my whole being

might sing praises to you and never stop.

LORD, my God, I will give thanks to you forever. – Psalm 30:11-12 CEB

 

You are encouraged to watch the Bible Project videos about The Book of Leviticus and The Book of Numbers to understand them more clearly. The videos are available on YouTube:

The Book of Leviticus by the Bible Project

 

The Book of Numbers by the Bible Project

 

Read Leviticus 19:1-2, Numbers 1:1-4, and Numbers 6:22-27. Which word, phrase, or verse is God using to speak to you today from what you read?

 

Pray through your day, including for the people you will be with, or have been with, as well as what you will do, or what you have done.

 

 

Tuesday (4/26)

Read Psalm 30:11-12 to prepare yourself to receive a message from the Lord.

 

Be silent for a few minutes to turn your heart and mind towards the Lord as you seek to be with him. You may find it helpful to sit, lay down with your face towards the ground, kneel, or walk during this time.

 

Read Numbers 10:11-36. You are encouraged to use the suggestions and questions on the list from the Sunday portion of this devotional during your study time.

 

Pray for:

• Those closest to you (family members & friends)
• Those who point others towards God (pastors, teachers, mentors, authors, musicians, etc.)
• Leaders (locally, nationally, and globally)
• People in need throughout the world (the hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick, imprisoned, neglected, abused, lost, etc.)

• Yourself (share your needs and invite the Lord to guide you)

 

 

Wednesday (4/27)

Read Psalm 30:11-12 to prepare yourself for time with the Lord.

 

Read Numbers 11. Which word, phrase, or verse is God using to speak to you today from what you read?

 

Pray however you feel led to pray.

 

 

Thursday (4/28)

Read Psalm 30:11-12 to prepare yourself to receive a message from the Lord.

 

Be silent for a few minutes to turn your heart and mind towards the Lord as you seek to be with him. You may find it helpful to sit, lay down with your face towards the ground, kneel, or walk during this time.

 

Read Numbers 12. If you haven’t yet, choose a question or two from the Sunday list of this devotional to wrestle with as part of your study time.

 

Pray in response to God using the ACTS acronym as a guide:

Adoration (praise the Lord)

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication (share your needs & the needs of others)

 

 

Friday (4/29)

Read Psalm 30:11-12 to prepare yourself for time with the Lord.

 

Read Numbers 13:1-14:4. As you read and study the verses you may find it helpful to use the questions and suggestions from the Sunday portion of this devotional.

 

Pray that the Lord helps you and our congregation to live the AUMC virtues revealed in Christ, which includes humility, compassion, forgiveness, and love.

 

 

Saturday (4/30)

How are you going to remember and observe the Sabbath this weekend? The sabbath is a day each week that is set apart from the others to worship God, rest, and enjoy life-giving recreation. You may need to begin by setting aside an hour on Saturday or Sunday to develop a new habit of observing the Sabbath. It might be helpful for you to incrementally observe the Sabbath by setting aside an increasing portion of a day each weekend until you are eventually able to worship, rest, and engage in living-giving recreation for an entire day each week.

 

Read Psalm 118:1-17. You may find it beneficial to return to this Psalm throughout the day. You could listen to one translation of the psalm from the YouVersion Bible App in the morning as a way to connect your day to God from the start, then read the psalm from a different translation during dinner or before going to bed.

 

Solitude and Silence. You are encouraged to find a place where you can quietly be alone for at least ten, twenty, or up to thirty minutes. During your time of solitude and silence with God, you may want to lay down, sit on a comfortable chair, couch, or swing, or go for a walk. During the solitude, silently listen for the internal whisper of the Holy Spirit.

For many believers the Holy Spirit does not speak in an audible voice. Instead, the Spirit will place a thought, phrase, verse from scripture, song, image, person, or idea in your heart and mind. Notice the physical sounds you hear and the way your body feels during this time of silence. Try to shut out the thoughts of to-do-lists, plans for the day, etc. Simply be with God. Afterwards, read the Bible verse listed below which is about the Sabbath.

 

Read Leviticus 23:3. What do these verses reveal about the Sabbath?

 

How did the Spirit of the Living God enable you to understand Scripture this past week? What new revelations did you receive or new understandings were provided by the Lord? What did you learn about yourself, God, and others this past week? You may find it helpful to write in a journal or spend some time talking to your spouse, another family member, or friend.

 

Pray in response to the Lord. You may find it helpful to use the words of the psalm as a guide for your time of prayer.