Welcome back B90 readers! Here we are ready to tackle days 50-56. We will be spending the week in Isaiah and the first half of Jeremiah.
It's such an unbelievable feeling to look back and see how far we've come and realize that we are over half the way through.
I've heard from many of you this week and you are just REALLY struggling right now. Satan has been on your backs so hard throwing distractions from every direction. You've found it so hard to stay caught up and discouragement is growing. I think we all feel it at some point along the way. You are not alone.
I can remember almost every time that I've participated in this journey that there has been a point that I've wanted to quit JUST because I felt like it was causing more trouble than good. I'm just being honest and transparent. There has always been a point that I felt that as I was growing in God's word, Satan attacked so hard that I wanted to quit. I figured it would just make things easier on me.
Let me just say: It IS A LIE! Satan is just wanting to defeat. Troubles DO come and times are hard. Distractions are overwhelming.
Please don't give up. You will come through the battles you are facing and the confidence you will have is indescribable. Even though I've completed several times before, the last few weeks have also been hard for me as well. It just seems to happen along the mid-way point for many of us. My husband has never successfully completed this task and many times didn't make it past the first couple of weeks. THIS time he is going to make it. He has stayed caught up the entire time. Well, until THIS week. He too his hit that wall with powerful distractions. Yet, with resolve, this morning he looked over at me on the way to church and said "I am going to catch up. I am going to do this." I believe him.
I believe in you as well. If you've thought of quitting or even if you have "quit"----jump back in. Jump back in right where are you. Forget what days the "calendar" says you should be on, and just start where you are. Take just ONE day at a time!
Satan seems to take so many things from us. I know I've let him win over and over and I've listened to WAY too many lies of his. Right now, join me in telling him to back off. Let the Victory belong to Christ. Let Him wrap His arms around you and support you through trying again AND winning!
Praying for each of you. Praying that He gives us all a renewed purpose and drive. Even if you aren't struggling with keeping up, I know that there are areas in your life that you feel defeated right now. STAND strong!!! Don't give up hope!!!
This week:
Monday Isaiah 14:1-Isaiah 28:29
Tuesday Isaiah 29:1-Isaiah 41:18
Wednesday Isaiah 41:19-Isaiah 52:12
Thursday Isaiah 52:13-Isaiah 66:18
Friday Isaiah 66:19-Jeremiah 10:13
Saturday Jeremiah 10:14-Jeremiah 23:8
Sunday Jeremiah 23:9-Jeremiah 33:22
14 comments:
Hello. This is Sam from Korea.
I am behind in the reading....I am currently reading Ecclesiastes 9. I thought about giving up when I was halfway through the Psalms, but God helped me finish the Psalms and Proverbs....and I continued with the reading.
Satan is trying to convince me that I should stop B90 because I am hypocritical in a lot of areas of my life. I will not give up. I will continue with the B90 reading because God is continuing to show me His grace and love through Scripture....
LORD, I pray for all of our B90 group members. I pray that You will be with B90 members who are discouraged and are thinking of giving up. LORD, please continue to show all of us Your grace and love as we spend time in Scripture.
I just want to encourage everyone who is struggling to get caught up, or to stay caught up. I had done pretty well at staying caught up, until this week. I realized yesterday that, somehow, I had gotten a day behind, even though I had read every day, and really thought that I was current. It was just one of those kinds of weeks. I am happy to say that I caught up again, but here is what I want to say to those who are not right now.
This is the third time I have started the B90 program. I didn't mention it earlier, because I didn't want to discourage anyone by hearing that I have started twice before and not finished. Both times in the past, something "major" happened in my life, and I got behind. The first time, I got discouraged, and basically gave up. The second time, I made all the way to day 60 before the "major" thing happened. I couldn't focus on anything else during that time, so I got behind again. Only by a few days, less than a week. But I couldn't get going again once I had stopped. I can say that I learned things from both of those attempts that have helped me this time around, and I know that I will make it this time.
If you are behind, DON'T GIVE UP! That is what the enemy wants you to do. Remember that there are two "blank" days at the end, where no reading is assigned. You can use those days to catch up. Even if you are a week behind right now, if you use those 2 days, you are only 5 days behind. That doesn't sound quite as intimidating as a whole week to me. Even if you don't finish in 90 days, reading the entire Bible in 95 days is quite an accomplishment, and something to be proud of! Most Christians don't manage it in a year. And really, reading the entire Bible in 95 days, you still get the same benefits of spending time daily in the word, you still see so much more of "big picture" than reading the Bible in a year.
Even if you read just one or two pages extra a day, you can catch up by the end. Don't give up!
Lord, I pray that you would touch each of us on this journey. Encourage us, and help us to find extra bits of time here and there to spend in Your Word, to get caught up. Help us to focus on you, and not on the distractions being thrown at us. Protect us from the fiery darts of the enemy. Thank you for comforting, strengthening, and sustaining us. Thank you for blessing our time and our efforts. We love you, Lord. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
I am here to check in--still keeping up! I am sad to be finished with Psalms and Proverbs, though. SO many beautiful promises in those books!
Like is crazier and crazier. Too many extra things going on that I cannot do anything about--most are with helping my disabled son get ready for college. I have Mark 10:27 taped to my bathroom mirror--with man, this is impossible. But not with God. Nothing is impossible with God!
Praying for all who are on this journey with me!
I'm in Nehemiah, just so you know.
Thank you all for being so honest about the difficulties. So glad you didn't give up, Sam! Angela, being as far as Nehemiah is FANTASTIC. Even if it isn't caught up, it doesn't matter. LOOK HOW FAR YOU'VE COME! Maggie, 3rd time just might be the charm!!! (That is what I tell my husband, too----he IS going to succeed on this 3rd attempt!) TN Quilt Bug/Susan: I so agree! Psalms and Proverbs was such an INCREDIBLE time of reading for me. Those reach my heart like nothing else. It brought such calm and refocus on my own priorities being out of whack. It was what my sould needed! I love that you also put reminders of God's word to get you through hard days on your bathroom mirror. I do that, too (and many other places since I'm SO visually oriented and easily side tracked!). Keep up the great work everyone! Reading is WHAT matters---not necessarily where you are! I've said OVER AND OVER and firmly believe that no amount of time in God's word is wasted!!
OOPS---what my "soul" needed!
Praise the Lord! Teaching is going well and keeping me very busy. However, it's a long weekend! I had Friday off and today. So I read and read and read! I read through both nap times this weekend and I am CAUGHT UP! Finished Isaiah 13 this morning! Now I just need to do today's readings.
For those falling behind... keep up! I was SO behind (missed nearly a whole week) but the Lord is faithful. I was praying specifically for encouragement and for extra time to read. My daughter spent thirty minutes this morning having quiet play time after she woke! That gave me more time. God will provide time!
I am so encouraged by the readings. It is amazing to see the sovereignty of God throughout scriptures even using Assyria to punish Israel and then saying to the king of Assyria how foolish to think that he conquered God's people by his own might. But rather stating that God raised him up to do His will and then will tear him down. He is sovereign over everything!
I just left a really long comment and it apparently got lost in cyberspace. Oh well!
I'm only in Ecc. but looking forward to catching up. I'm using The Message translation now and find it to be easier to understand.
I'm praying everyone catches up!
Laura
Robin: such GREAT news on both the job going well AND for catching up! EXCELLENT! Laura: Sorry the other message got lost in cyber-world, but I did get this one! So great that you are so near being caught up. Way to GO! Sometimes using a new translation is a great tool to help with enthusiasm and understanding!
Hi there, guys! I am checking in and caught up. Life has been a little hectic so I have not been able to post much the last few weeks besides just checking in, but I am praying for all of you each and every day!
Wow, two weeks in a row that I've forgotten to check in! Well, the good news is that I'm still on track and keeping up with the schedule. I enjoyed Psalms and Proverbs so much. I finally broke out my study Bible with a little help in Isaiah. The Message version makes it easier to read, but I needed a little commentary every so often because I felt like just "reading" through Isaiah wasn't enough - I felt I was missing out on some of the depth of what was being written. It's a beautiful journey - keep going!
-Kelly
(sorry I forgot to check in on Monday). I want to encourage ya'll not to give up. Tracye has said it before - every moment spent in the Word is NOT wasted! Once you get to Psalms, hopefully you will be encouraged to move forward (I love the Psalms!). I'm right on track, but it's not without struggle. I have had to cut some things from my schedule to spend time reading, and I'm ok with that. I'm reading some things as if for the first time, and the Spirit is shedding new light on things I've read many times before. May He give us all the desire to keep going!
Blessings!
Just checking in to let you know that I am still alive and kicking--although soooo far behind on my reading. It has been one thing after another at my house and at church--but the Lord is faithful who will not allow us to be tested above what we can bear, lol! I am "bearing and believing" at the moment that all of these things will pass and I will be able to get back on track.
Praying for blessings on all of us--those behind, those on track, and those marching on ahead!
Charlene
Thank you for the encouragement! Satan is truly attacking my family in a major way. I'm staying in the Word daily. I'm 5 days behind, but I AM going to do this!! I'm not backing down. I won't quit!! You're a great B90 host!!
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