Congratulations! We are starting the NT today!!

If you have been doing the Daily Walk Bible (DWB) reading program with us you know we have spent the last 9 months reading through the Old Testament and that today, October 1st, begins our journey into the New Testament....hooray!

I love the Old Testament, and I need to read and understand the Old Testament to fully grasp the grand meta-narrative of God's redemptive plan and purposes, but I'm also really ready to dive into the New Testament. With that said, yesterday's DWB Quarterly Gathering was a wonderful encouragement and reminder though of just how important reading the OT is to our understanding of God's Word. And then reading Matthew 1-4 today was further confirmation that we have to understand the Old to fully grasp the New!

As you read through Jesus' genealogy think of how those names now come to life because we just read through the OT! Think of how similar John the Baptist's message is to the other Old Testament prophets! Think of how Matthew's 10+ references to the Old Testament (as signaled by the familiar phrase, "this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet" (NLT)) jump off the page because we just read them days or weeks ago! Even Satan got into the act of knowing the OT by quoting Psalm 91 to Jesus. This final example is only further proof of how important it is to know God's Word, and to know it fully!

On a different but related note I was amazed again at how God was at work and how he helped people make critical decisions. It was awesome to see how God spoke to Joseph in a dream or via an angel FOUR different times (Mt. 1:20; 2:13, 19 and 22). And with the Wise Men God used the "star from the east" (2:2, 9-10) and then warned them via a dream to go a different direction home (2:12). Man, I wish God would speak to me through dreams and angels and stars...

and then I remembered...

I have the Holy Spirit who dwells within me (John 14:15-18, 26; 1 Cor. 6:19) to help guide me and lead me! I pray that each and every day I might become more like the disciples who heard Jesus' call and so "they left their nets at once and followed him" (Mt. 4:20, 22, italics mine).

To close, and to help us better know how to follow the Holy Spirit's leading, I wanted to recommend a great little book

If you can't read the small print on the cover it says "Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will OR How to make a Decision without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Impressions, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in the Sky, Etc."

It is a fantastic little read that is packed with scripture, helpful anecdotes and suggestions for how we can obey the plain commands of scripture rather than trying to figure out the supposed "corn maze" or "magic eight ball" that we think of as God's will.

Today, may we all read the NT in light and with the knowledge of the OT so that we might be obedient followers of Christ who joyfully follow where He calls!