Big Bites-Small Bites and

God's Grace-Graffiti

When my youngest daughter was in preschool, I’d have to get on to her for shoving a whole Chick-fil-A nugget in her little mouth. She couldn’t even close her mouth as she chewed. I tried teaching her to take smaller bites. Taking a big bite out of something is one way to get it done, but we can also take smaller bites. You may be big biter like my youngest daughter--preferring to read large swaths of Scripture in a day. Great. Take the whole Bible or Old Testament approach. However, you may be more dainty in your dose of God's word. Then take the New Testament plan or the Chapter per Day plan. The point is that you're setting aside time to read God's word, allowing the Lord's to speak to you and following His leading. This is not merely a school assignment. This is life with the Holy Spirit guiding you and you obeying Him.

This week, you’ll read…

EXODUS 1-14: God is miraculous, and, in your reading this week, you’ll see for the first time in the Bible God’s use of people in displaying His miracles to the world. Moses is born, leaves Egypt under duress, is called by God at the burning bush, and then goes back to Egypt as God’s agent (with Aaron) of deliverance for His people through the display of God’s might in ten plagues against Pharaoh and his gods. Ultimately, Pharaoh and his army are destroyed at the Red Sea after the Israelites walk through on dry ground.

PSALMS 16-18: “Paint grace-graffiti on the fences” (Psalm 17 in The Message Bible). If you look for God’s grace, you’ll see it displayed everywhere. The souls of redeemed rebels and sanctified sinners are often tattooed or tagged with God’s grace-graffiti. Are you looking for people’s imperfections or for God’s grace on display?

MICAH 1: It’s easy to get comfortable in our lives and forget God or at least put Him on the backburner, but God is not unresponsive to our complacency and sinfulness.

LUKE 1-6: A miracle conception happens for the old couple Zach and Lizzie, and the virgin conception and birth occur to bring the Savior, the ultimate grace-graffiti artist, into the human world. The Artist displays God’s grace, tagging the sick and sinners with God’s grace as He heals, forgives, and teaches.