Read me a Story Chapter

"Read me—not a sermon chapter, but a story chapter; they've pictures in them, which I see when my eyes are shut. Read about the New Heavens, and the New Earth; and m'appen I'll forget this."

'Bessie Higgins' in North and South

You have probably realized by now that I love a good story! And North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell is one of my favorites. 

What sets it far above books such as Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice or Emma and even Gaskell's own Cranford and Wives and Daughters (which are all enjoyable stories) is the undercurrent of true faith in God, even if not frequently mentioned.

Even Jesus the Christ frequently used stories [parables] to teach in a way His hearers could absorb and apply to their own lives.

But the above quote goes beyond simply a good work of fiction to the best stories of all: those collected in the Bible. 

What makes them "the best"? Because they are True - from the history in Genesis to the prophecy in Revelation! Rather than calling them Bible "stories," a more fitting word is  "accounts." 

The fictional and endearing 'Bessie Higgins' was chronically ill and stuck in bed with the constant pressures of physical pain and emotional stress when she asked the main character, Margaret, to read to her from the book of Revelation.

Through my own years of chronic illness I can fully understand how much more readily a weak brain and weary spirit can absorb truth from a story than from a sermon or epistle.

And so, as mentioned in a recent post, I am back in the book of Genesis - learning from our earliest ancestors as well as later heroes from among God's chosen people.

And all along, I'll be finding signposts pointing to the greatest story/history of all: the gospel [good news] of Jesus.

What parts of the Bible keep drawing you back the most?

Public Domain Illustrations:

Frontispiece from North and South

Hubert and Jan van Eyck, Adoration of the Lamb from the Ghent Altarpiece

Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Woodcut for "Die Bibel in Bildern", 1860.

Unknown Artist, Joseph makes himself known to his brethren

In Quietness

Does anyone else need this reminder today?

In returning and rest you shall be saved; 

in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.

Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you,
and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you.
For the LORD is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for Him.

• Isaiah 40:15,18

(Photos of a prairie sunrise last week)

Bible Reading Plans

As the mantel clock was chiming in the New Year, I was finishing up the book that helped me study my way through the New Testament in 2021. Click here for a little read-aloud from the last day's entry to get an idea of the way the daily readings are put together in the ESV Daily Devotional New Testament.

After a whole year primarily in the New Testament, I am eager for more of the Old Testament again. So I have begun my second time through this study guide for Genesis, which is one of my favorite books of the Bible. [The Family Bible Study Series was developed for homeschool families.]

Do you have a Bible reading/study plan for 2022? What did you do for 2021?

I'd love to hear your ideas and thoughts in the comments below! I believe I made the settings easier to leave comments recently, so you do not need a special account to join in.

One More Year... Grace for Grace

Happy New Year!



Click HERE to enjoy the below poem along with current footage of our snowy acres.

Χαρις επι Χαριτος
[Grace for Grace]

One more year since Christ was like us
    In a tent of clay;
One year less till He shall take us
    Home for aye.
Oh how bright the path before us!
Oh how great the glory o'er us!
Oh how strong the Hand that tore us
    From sin's sway!

One year less of toil and trouble,
    Till we see His face;
Each new step will gain us double
    In our race.
Less and less of tears and sinning,
More and more of work and winning,
Joy that ends in fresh beginning,
    Grace for grace.

by Agnes Smith Lewis, 1892
From How the Codex Was Found by Margaret Dunlop Gibson, 1893

Listen to the complete audiobook I recently published for free on YouTube or Librivox.org
See my previous post for more information about these sister-authors and their little book.

P.S. - I don't like putting in a plug like this but thought I'd just mention one time: Any time you choose to hit the "like" or "subscribe" buttons on my YouTube channel, you will help others see the truth and the reading recommendations I am trying to share on there. ~ Thank you!