Each day began the same way: I would get out of bed, take a shower, and sit down at my desk. Iâ??d place my New American Standard Bible in front of me and open it to where the bright green Mâ??Cheyneâ??s Bible reading calendar kept my place. I would close my eyes and ask God to illumine the texts I was about to ponder. And then I would begin to readâ??usually two chapters from the Old Testament and two chapters from the New.
For years this ritual was the high point of my spiritual life. Of course there were missed days. And take it from me: Itâ??s hard to catch up when youâ??ve missed a day or two of 19th-century Scottish minister Robert Murray Mâ??Cheyneâ??s calendar. (Knowing this firsthand, a friend of mine created her own irreverent alternative, â??A Bible Reading Plan for Slackers and Shirkers,â? which you can find online.) There were days when none of the readings seemed particularly edifying or inspiring. Still, this is where I believed I encountered God most fully and immediately. This was the best way to remember Godâ??s love and demonstrate love for him in return.
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