Ending well

 I’ve ended 2020 by completing the “Bible in One Year with Nicky Gumbel,” a Bible reading plan on the YouVersion Bible app. 

I had to catch up on about 25 days of reading in 3 days. (I missed about 3 weeks in March-April and struggled the rest of the year to get and stay caught up.) I am grateful to have made the commitment to finish. There is still much I don’t understand in the Bible, especially Revelation. I’m seeing that more becomes clear each time I read and study. 

The final day’s commentary was about “how to begin and end,“ guidance I’m always seeking as one year transitions to another. 

The Scriptures included Psalm 150, Nehemiah 13 and Revelation 22.  In a nutshell: Begin and end with Jesus, with the love of God and with worship. 

— From Psalm 150: Begin and end with worship. 

Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! 
Praise the Lord!
Everyone. 
Everywhere. 
All the time. 
In all ways. 
For everything. 
Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!

— Nehemiah, like the Bible as a whole, begins and ends with prayers grounded in God’s love. “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love ...” Nehemiah 1:5

“Remember me for this also, O my God, and show mercy to me according to Your great love.” Nehemiah 13:22

— Revelation 22: Begin and end with Jesus. 

“In the beginning, God ...” Genesis 1:1 
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... Through Him all things were made.” John 1:1,3
“The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory ... full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22:13

“”Surely I am coming soon.”
“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.” Revelation 22:20b-21

When I finished reading, I felt exhausted, humbled, blessed, grateful, hopeful, confident in the Lord, loved. I am His! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

In making it a priority to finish reading through the Bible with this plan and commentary, I let go of many of my usual New Year’s Eve rituals and expectations.  

This will be my year-end blog post and my social media post (a shortened version). Any attempts for a profound look back at 2020 will come at another time, if at all. It’s time now to wish a friend Happy Birthday, then focus my attention on my beloved husband as we bid farewell to 2020 and prepare to greet 2021, in all things giving thanks to God!