Moving Forward

I know that this isn't the normal format that I have been using for the past 272 days, but I thought that moving from the Old Testament to the New Testament would be a good opportunity to briefly share what I have learned over the past 272 days. It's interesting because as dry and religious as the Old Testament may seem, I believe that we could never fully understand grace until we have learned the depth of the law. I realize that reading through the Old Testament one time doesn't make me anything close to an expert, but I know that I have definitely learned more over the past 272 days than I ever could have by reading any other book. I mentioned to someone yesterday that I had finished the Old Testament and he replied, "Wow, how did you make it through Leviticus?" It's funny to think that I was pretty apprehensive about reading through a book as formidable as Leviticus or a book as negative as job or as judgmental as Isaiah, and yet throughout every single book I've read, I've learned and documented something that the Lord has shown me. Sure there have been alot of repeat revelations and concepts that I have gone over more than once, but I believe that that in itself is something we can learn from the Bible. If a concept is listed once in the Bible it's important; if it's listed more than once, it must be really important. We've seen time and again throughout the Old Testament that God requires righteousness of His children. We've also learned that man cannot attain righteousness on their own. The people of Israel unmistakably illustrated the truth that no matter how "perfect" we are, we will always be in need of a Saviour. I believe that although stopping right now would still provide me with so many important Biblical principles and truths, it would also be an incredible waste of the last 272 days. Just as Hydrogen and Oxygen are very beneficial in and of themselves, when combined together in the right formula, you end up with something that may not necessarily be better than either of it's parts, but contains it's own life giving qualities that neither part could fully provide on its own. The Bible is not just a book about the living, it is truly a book that brings life to all of those who will commit their time and energy into studying. I have learned so much from the Old Testament and I cannot wait to see what light it will shed on the New!