In 2015, Mason, my third grandson, graduated high school and began preparations to attend a university later that same year.  I thought about his ‘mostly’ sheltered life up to that point—Christian family, private Christian school for grades 1-8, and primarily Christian friends.  Then, I began to envision the very different environment he would soon be entering (statistics show we lose so many of our young people when they enter college).  Other than prayer, what tangible thing could I do to make this transition easier and help Mason keep his focus on God’s plan for his life?

A plan evolved that included separately wrapping 30 small gifts—one for each day of the first month he would be away.  The gifts were numbered and packed in a large box so that Gift #1 was on top.  His instructions were to open one gift each day either at the beginning of the day or at the end of the day.  These were to remind him that his family loved him and were praying for him and also that God loved him.  Inside each gift were two small cards, each with a Bible verse (or verses) on one side and on the other side a short prayer.  There was a note on the outside of the entire package which gave the following instructions:

Mason,

There are 30 packages in this box, one for each day of your first month in college.  These packages are numbered, and I want you to open them in numerical order.  At the bottom of each package are two cards.  The rule is that you read both cards, Bible verse first and then the prayer on the back, BEFORE you enjoy the treats inside (ha, ha)!!!

I hope you enjoy these little surprises.  God loves you, we love you, and we know you are going to do really well in this next chapter of your life.

Below are some scripture and prayer examples:

Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you;
He will never let the righteous be shaken.

(Psalm 55:22)

Oh God, let my trust be in you.

Let me never give in to discouragement.

(Prayer)

In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

(Proverbs 3:6)

Father, help me to put you first in my life today and always,

and let me walk the path You have for me.

(Prayer)

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

(Isaiah 41:10)

Help me overcome my fears by filling my mind with positive thoughts and my life with positive actions.  Thank You for always being with me to give me the strength and wisdom I need

to make wise decisions and to overcome the challenges of each day.

(Prayer)

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power

through His Spirit in your inner being.

(Ephesians 3:16)

Oh God, let my heart be flooded with light so that I will grow in my knowledge of You

and better understand the greatness of Your almighty power.

(Prayer)

These cards can be purchased or handwritten, and the gifts do not need to be expensive.  For instance, one day for Mason was two of the protein bars he likes.  Another day was a package of microwave kettle corn.  One day we put in a package of Puffs (a baby food snack that his little niece Summer was always trying to feed him), thinking the memory would brighten his day.  On some days, the gift was enough to share with a friend or roommate.  When we ran out of ideas, we repeated some of his favorite things.  Everyone said that Mason would open the gifts all at one time, but he actually opened one each day for 30 days.  In fact, when his Mom went to pack him up and bring him back home for the summer of 2016, Mason had all the cards in one place and she reminded him that he could use the cards over and over again.

Mason has now completed his second year of college.  He still has the cards, he still attends church, and God even provided a Christian roommate this past year.

This fall, my granddaughter Camille will also leave home and go away to a university in Illinois.  I plan to do the same thing for her, selecting the scriptures and prayers as God leads.  Will these cards help my two grandchildren stay on God’s path?  Only God knows, but He tells us in Isaiah 55:11:

So is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

I don’t have time! It’s too hard to understand! I already attend both a Bible study and worship service weekly. Sometimes I even come on Wednesday evenings. That’s more than enough.

What about you? How would you rate your spiritual appetite? Do you regularly “feed” on Jesus, the Bread of Life, by reading, studying, and applying His word? If not, why not begin 2017 by asking God to increase your hunger and thirst for the study of His Word. In John 6:35, Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

While there is no right or wrong way to read the Bible through, here are some suggestions to consider:

1. Alternate between the Old and New Testaments.

• Start with the Books of Genesis and Exodus.

• When you finish Exodus, move to the New Testament and read the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) in whatever order you prefer.
  • Mark was probably written first, is the shortest, and is quick and fast-paced. Luke is the longest and is written for Gentiles. John was written later, focuses more on what Jesus said, and has some of the deepest and most profound verses.
  • When you read the gospels, you might decide to make a list of the attributes of Jesus. For instance, just in the first chapter of John, Jesus is the Word, Eternal, Creator, Life, Light, gives believers the right to become children of God, is God made flesh, brings grace and truth, makes God the Father known, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, God’s Chosen One, the Son of God, and King of Israel.
• Return to the Old Testament and read Joshua–Esther.
• Read Acts which tells about the early church and the spread of Christianity.
• Read the Minor Prophets (Hosea–Malachi)
• Read Job–Song of Solomon and Lamentations.
• Read the rest of the New Testament: Romans–Revelation.
• Read the Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel).
• Read Leviticus–Deuteronomy.

2. Read the books by subject matter. Start with the area that appeals to you most.

• History: Genesis–Esther plus Acts
• Wisdom/Poetry: Job–Songs of Songs
• Prophetic/Apocalyptic: Isaiah–Malachi plus Revelation
• Gospels: Matthew–John
• Epistles: Romans–Jude

3. Read the shortest books first.

• Three Books of the Bible (Obadiah, Philemon and Jude) each have one chapter. The Book of Ruth, some of the Minor Prophets, and some of Paul’s epistles have only a few chapters. There are 66 books in the Bible. One day’s reading could quickly reduce this number, give you a deep sense of accomplishment, and encourage you to keep on reading.

After you choose the reading plan that best suits you (there are several other plans available if none of the above appeals to you), here are some suggestions to make your study more enriching:

• Begin your study with a new Bible. This will enable you to underline and highlight words and verses that speak to you right now.
• Choose a partner and share with each other what God teaches you.
• Always pray first before reading God’s Word. Ask God to eliminate distractions and for His wisdom to understand and apply what you read.
• Avoid coming to the Scriptures (especially familiar passages) with your mind already made up about what it says and means. Let the Holy Spirit be your teacher.
• Read the Bible expecting to learn, change, and to hear a word from God.
• Take notes on what you read.
• What does it say? What does it mean? What am I going to do about what it says and means?
• Is there a command to obey? Is there a promise to claim? Is there a warning?
• How does this truth affect my relationship with God? Others?
• After you have finished reading God’s Word, pray again, take time to listen, and ask God to help you apply what you’ve learned.
• Remember as you read the difficult, hard to understand books, God does not grade us on whether or not we totally understand and remember everything we read. God is much more interested in our desire to spend time with Him and study His Word.

A loaf of bread that stays unopened and on the shelf will not satisfy hunger. God wants us to regularly feed on His Word to equip us, to encourage us, to strengthen us, and to give us a deeper faith. Fight for the spiritual nourishment that only comes from time spent with God in His Word.

“Eat” the Bread of Life—open your Bibles and read and meditate on God’s Word.