Sunday (1/8)

During 2022, the Your Faith Journey devotional led our congregation through a reading and study plan through the Old Testament that included portions of Genesis all the way through Daniel. To begin this new year you are invited to conclude the Old Testament journey with us by reading portions of the Minor Prophets section of the Old Testament of the Bible each week until the Lenten season begins. For those who are interested in reading and studying the New Testament, you will be invited to read Matthew’s Gospel during Lent, and then this devotional will guide you through reading and studying portions of most of the New Testament documents throughout the year.

 

The books in the Bible called “Minor Prophets” were given that distinction because of their shorter length than the prophetic scrolls of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. A note about The Book of the Twelve, or the Minor Prophets in the NIV Study Bible states, “In Ecclesiasticus (an Apocryphal book written c. 190 B.C.), Jesus ben Sira spoke of ‘the twelve prophets’ (Ecclesiasticus 49:10) as a unit parallel to Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. He thus indicated that these 12 prophecies were at that time thought of as a unit and were probably already written together on one scroll.” The prophetic ministries of the 12 Minor Prophets occurred from about 785 to 430 B.C. According to the biblical scholars Tim Mackie and Jon Collins in The Bible Project video The Prophets, “while the Biblical prophets sometimes speak about the future…They were Israelites who had a radical encounter with God’s presence and then were commissioned to go and speak on God’s behalf…And the thing that they cared about the most is the mutual partnership that existed between God and the Israelites.” The video reminds us that the prophets shared messages of warning and hope. For this week we will read portions of the books of the prophets Hosea and Joel.

If you did not read the previous books of Genesis through Daniel in 2022, you are encouraged to watch the Bible Project video about the Old Testament to have a clearer understanding of the full story within the text of the Hebrew Bible using the link below. The video summarizes the scriptures of the ancient Jewish people that became the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It 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 the verses with another person or small group.

8. Use a Study Bible. 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 (1/9)

Read the verses from Psalm 33 that are below to begin your devotional time:

 

“Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;

it is fitting of the upright to praise him.

Praise the LORD with the harp;

make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

Sing to him a new song;

play skillfully, and shout for joy.

For the word of the LORD is right and true;

he is faithful in all he does.

The LORD loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of his unfailing love.” – Psalm 33:1-5 NIV

 

You are encouraged to watch The Prophets video by the Bible Project that is available on Youtube as an overview of the prophetic writings and books of the Old Testament before you begin reading and studying two of the Minor Prophets this week:

The Prophets by the Bible Project

 

Consider watching the Overview: Hosea video on Youtube by the Bible Project before beginning to read the verses today:

Overview: Hosea by the Bible Project

 

Read Hosea 1. If you are using a Study Bible, it will be helpful to read the Introduction for this book. As you read the verses for today invite the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s message to you through the biblical text.

 

Pray that God will help us to be faithful, and that He will forgive us when we are not.

 

 

Tuesday (1/10)

Read Psalm 33:1-5 as a reminder that the Lord is faithful.

 

Solitude and Silence. You are encouraged to spend a few minutes or more alone with God silently listening for the internal whisper of the Holy Spirit. If you struggle to listen, focus on the physical sounds you hear. The Spirit of the Lord can use the noises you hear to help you set your thoughts on the One who enables your to hear and perceive.

 

Read Hosea 2 remembering that Hosea’s wife represents the Israelites and the prophet represents God within this account. Choose questions from the Sunday list of this devotional to wrestle with as part of your study time. If you are using a Study Bible, you may want to read the study notes to understand the chapter more clearly.

 

Pray for those who have wandered from God or never knew Him. Pray for the people of Avon UMC, our denomination, and Christians throughout the world.

 

 

Wednesday (1/11)

Read Psalm 33:1-5.

 

Read Hosea 3 and 11:1-11. As you read the bible verses, invite the Holy Spirit to reveal a word, phrase, or verse from the biblical text that is specifically for you for today.

 

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.

 

 

Thursday (1/12)

Read Psalm 33:1-5 as a reminder to praise the source of unfailing love.

 

Solitude and Silence. You are encouraged to spend a few minutes or more alone with God silently listening. Be still physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritual, knowing that God is in charge and in control (Psalm 46:10). Don’t let your mind drift towards to-do-lists or tasks, but stop long enough to let your thoughts cease so that your only focus is being with the Lord.

 

Consider watching the Overview: Joel video on Youtube by the Bible Project before beginning to read the verses today:

Overview: Joel by the Bible Project

 

Read Joel 1. If you are using a Study Bible, it will be helpful to read the Introduction for this book. As you read the verses for today invite the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s message to you through the biblical text.

 

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 (1/13)

Read Psalm 33:1-5 as a reminder to sing and shout joyfully today to praise the Lord.

 

Read Joel 2. You may find it helpful to choose questions from the Sunday list of this devotional to wrestle with as part of your study time. If you are using a Study Bible, read the study notes to understand the chapter more clearly.

 

Pray in response to God letting the Holy Spirit guide and intercede for you knowing that God has poured out his Spirit on all people who trust in Him, which includes you.

 

 

Saturday (1/14)

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 stop, rest, worship, and delight in the Lord and what he has given us. Because of our very busy culture and over-scheduled lives you may need to incrementally observe the Sabbath by setting aside an increasing portion of a day each week beginning with an hour, then increasing it to multiple hours or part of a day the next weekend, and eventually designating an entire day for remembering and observing the Sabbath.

 

Read Exodus 16 giving special attention to what the text reveals about the Sabbath and rest. “REST” is the Sabbath theme for this weekend. What is God’s message to you from this biblical text?

 

What is your body revealing to you about what you need? Do you need a nap?

Do you need more sleep each night during the other days of the week?

 

Are you willing to trust God to enable you to do whatever needs to be done during the other six days of the week so that you can rest in the Lord an entire day?

 

Do you need to take things off or your to-do-list and set a more sustainable pace for 2023 so that you are prioritizing resting?

 

Solitude and Silence. You are encouraged to spend ten, twenty, or thirty minutes alone with God seeking to rest in the peace that can only be found in and from the Lord. If you struggle to stop and rest, consider laying down, kneeling, or sitting on a very comfortable chair or seat. If you need a nap, then sleep so that your mind and body receive the rest that you need.

 

Read Leviticus 23:3 about the Sabbath and rest. Seek to do what the Lord commands in this verse, including stopping, resting, dedicating an entire day to God, and assembling with others to worship our Creator and Sustainer of life.

 

Pray and live in response to our God. You may find it helpful to use the words from the verses you read today as a guide for your prayer.