What Are You Reading?

Posted on January 11, 2016 by America's Keswick in Freedom Fighters

I have had several friends ask me to compile of list of books that I have recently read that I would recommend that you read in 2016. I welcomed that question because of think it is important for men to be readers. Women do a much better job in this area and are much more well-read than men.

Dr. John C. Maxwell has preached for years that “leaders are readers” and the more I read, the more I see the value of reading.

And we are really without excuse. There are so many resources available for us and we never have to leave home (or the comfort of our comfy chair).

I still the feel and smell of a real book in my hand. When I was working in a Christian Bookstore, my boss used to open a new book or a Bible, fan the pages, and say, “This book smells like a best-seller.” And most times he was spot on.

Have a computer? A Kindle? A smart phone? Call your local library and you will be amazed at the number of books you can get electronically for free. Amazon has free book offers almost daily.

And if you are a Kindle user, more and more books are coming out that having audible versions for free. So if you want to read while on the treadmill, you can have the print on your screen while someone reads to you. You will be amazed at how much more you will comprehend.

Before I share some recommendations with you, I want to first of all say that your most important reading of the day should be what you are reading in your quiet time.

I am a devotional book junkie. I have a huge collection. Some devotionals I go through once, others I have used for years.

But this year I purposed that I was going to place a priority on only reading God’s Word first. I have four ways of reading just the Scriptures this year:

1. The ESV Bible Reading Plan (which I blogged about last month) which is just Scripture from the Old Testament and New Testament arranged by Robert Murray M’Cheynne. If you use no other tool, you will enjoy this.

2. Daily Light – These are daily compilations of Scripture which can be read morning and evening. They are short enough that I read them both at once.

3. Words of Wisdom is the book of Psalms and Proverbs arranged for each day. You will go through the Psalms and Proverbs 12 times during this year. I love it.

Don’t be afraid to highlight the Scriptures that stand out and speak to you. Underline. Write notes in the margins. It will be a cool way over the years for you to see how God has used those Scriptures in your life.

And grab your favorite pen and get either a nice leather journal or even just a plain old composition book and journal what God is teaching you. This is an exercise that you will not regret.

Uh oh … I am out of space. I guess you will have to wait until next week for the list. And by the way, I’d love to hear what you do when you spend time with the Lord. I am a willing learner.

Written by Dr. Bill Welte is President/CEO of America’s Keswick. He has been married to his child sweetheart for 40+ years, and has three married kids, one that is engaged, and 10 amazing grandkids. He loves music and is an avid reader.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 11; Proverbs 11

Click Here to Download our 2016 Daily Bible Reading Plan

Daily Quote:  “You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” ~Ray Bradbury

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” ~Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)