As I sit in a recliner at the house I grew up in I can’t help but reflect on years past. I recall riding around this town on my bicycle exploring every nook and cranny this place had to offer. My memory brings to the forefront the years of driving the back country roads with friends, often at higher than reasonable speeds. While I am not one to sit around reminiscing old times that often, I can’t help at the end of each year looking back to the previous 12 months.

Reflecting on the past year should come as no surprise or as anything out of the ordinary to most. At the end of every year and beginning of the new, it is typical to find people making resolutions. More recently I have gotten in the habit of making annual goals for myself. I make goals in multiple areas of life: physically, emotionally, familially, vocationally, and spiritually. My tendency is to keep it to 7-10 goals so as not to overwhelm myself into failure. But there is one goal that is always a part of that planning I would like to encourage you to include in your new year’s resolutions as well.

An excellent annual goal would be in the area of Bible engagement. Anyone who has heard me teach or interact in a group for any length of time surely has heard my passion regarding Bible study, reading, or engagement. So I want to encourage you, my readers, in this endeavor this next year. Make a goal. It should be a challenge, yet realistic. It should stretch you, but not burden you. In case you have never embarked on this type of journey before and are unsure of what “studying your Bible” may even look like, check out Brian Tabb’s article “10 Tips for Getting Started with Inductive Bible Study“.

I hope you enjoy the New Year. Remember the past, look forward to the future, but always seek to enjoy the present. As always be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s day and enjoy the article!

Photo by Michael Skok on Unsplash