Snow and Scripture

As I write this, it’s another snowy day here in western North Carolina. The flakes are sometimes tiny and large at other times. They are not sticking as it isn’t cold enough for that. Wherever you are today in this winter storm, I pray you are safe and dry and warm. So many in our area still do not have a permanent home since Helene. Keep those people in your prayers, please.

If you remember, I told you a while back we are in our fifth time reading through our Bibles. Hubby and I just finished the Torah and, after talking about it, moved on to the New Testament. We will take our time getting through it. We plan to read with deliberation, using commentaries and multiple translations.

The Bible we are using is the 2012 Tyndale Chronological Life Application Study Bible. If you have never used a life application Bible, it promotes deep thought with questions and comments about how God’s Word applies to our daily lives. We highly recommend it. This translation is the New Living Testament, or NLT.

If you recall, the Old Testament ends with Malachi. After that, we are told God was silent for four hundred years. That doesn’t mean time stopped, or that God didn’t know what was going on in the world. He has been and remains in control.

Snow and Scripture @DDuPreeWilliams #Faith #StudyBible #Writing Share on X

EVENTS OF THE SILENT YEARS

This particular Bible has a wonderful chart which tells about major world events and covers the period from 525 BC (now BCE) to AD (now CE) 641 when Rome ruled Judea and Egypt. I always learn something new when I get down to studying.

Did you know there is a known date for when Nehemiah and all the workers completed the restoration of the wall around Jerusalem? This Bible says it was October 2, 445 BC. And did you know there was more than one Cleopatra? I didn’t. Historical records relate that there were seven Cleopatras in the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. It is this seventh Cleopatra who is the most well-known, and the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty.

This chart is helpful and has many names familiar to most of us, especially if you’ve read through your Bible at least once. Just by reading the chart, I learned things that were not mentioned in the Bible but are historical events and names. Very interesting. This NLT has many such charts, maps, and photographs to make God’s Word come alive on the page. Like being there!

GOTTA LOVE AN EXCELLENT STUDY BIBLE

These things are why I love an excellent study Bible, and this one is excellent. I urge you to find a study Bible that fulfills your needs as you read. If you have questions, a study Bible can either explain or point you to other Scriptures to clarify and expand on your daily verses.

Reading our Bibles daily, without fail, has created major changes in our lives and hopefully, those of our children. I hope you will find time to dig into God’s Word, whatever version you use. It can change not only your life here on earth, but your eternity, too.

 

Blessings, y’all!

Another anthem we’ve sung. This was an annual favorite on Christmas Eve in our Birmingham church, Independent Presbyterian. I miss those people so much and the joy of singing with them.