Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Reading Through the Bible With Mister - and a Free Gift

Bible on the Parlour Table, in the Evening, at Mrs. White's Vermont Home.




Last month, my husband and I finished reading through the entire Bible together. This was the first time my husband had read, or heard, the entire Bible.   It took us four and a half years.  It was such an incredible blessing to have this precious time of Bible reading, each night, for such a long period of time.

We started doing this shortly after his injury. He had been in a frightening accident that caused permanent damage and his permanent disability. We spent a great deal of time going to physical therapists, seeing specialists, and attending many doctor appointments. One night I offered to read the Bible to him.  I read a short chapter in Psalms. We did this again the following night. Soon I was saying a short prayer after the reading.  Then I asked if we could sing a hymn from one of our hymn books. He agreed.

Eventually, my husband was the one saying the prayers. Soon he was picking out his own Bible passages to read to me.  Then he selected 1 to 4 hymns, each night, and we sang together.  Over a period of several months, we established a precious routine of Bible time, which went like this:

1.  I read, out loud to him, one to two chapters in the Bible (with the intention of reading through the entire Book to him.)
2. He read a chapter out loud, that he had selected from the Psalms.
3. We sang hymns from our hymn books.
4. Later, at the end of the day, he said a prayer out loud - every single night.

If any of our grown children happened to be visiting with us, at the time of our evening devotions, they would sit with us and listen, or join in the singing.

There were some difficult days when I had to be away from home.  (This would be for an overnight trip to stay with one of our grown children.)  I would call my husband on the telephone, at the appointed time, and he would read a Psalm to me over the phone.  Then he would pray.  It was so comforting.

A few months after we established our Bible routine,  I would have a prayer request before the evening prayer. I would say, "One of the grandbabies has a cold." or "I am not feeling well."  or "I am scared or worried."  He would include this concern in his prayers. The Lord heard our prayers and our faith grew stronger. 

In all of the four and a half years of doing our evening Bible time, we only missed one night.  This was because I was having a rough day. I was not in a good mood. I let this ruin my day. I said to my husband, "I do not want to do Bible time tonight. I am going to bed." Then I cried myself to sleep because I was so miserable, feeling like I was missing out on our beloved time of Bible reading.  I felt terrible.  From this, I learned to keep my moods in check, and get over a bad mood quickly, so I would never miss our evening devotions again.  It was a difficult lesson, but one I learned very quickly.

On other nights, I would be very sick in bed. I could not sing or talk without coughing. On those nights, my husband would sit in the rocking chair beside my bed. He would read a chapter to me from his Bible.  Then he would sing a verse or two of one of our favorite hymns. We were determined never to miss a night of Bible reading, even if one of us was sick.

There were times when the days had been stressful and the hour would get late. On these days we would simply read something like Psalm 23 and then sing one hymn.  On better nights, I would read several chapters in Psalms, or nearly all of the book of Esther or Ruth - in one sitting.  But our usual routine was for me to read 2 chapters, in order, to accomplish our goal of reading through the Bible. Then my husband would always select a Psalm to read to me.  After this, he would pick out four hymns.

When we started doing this, my husband did not know that many hymns.  He was familiar with "Amazing Grace" but not much more than that.  Every now and then, I would suggest a new one and sing it for him. He learned many hymns in this way, and found many favorites.  He marked the ones we know in his own hymn book. He now has 23 hymns marked in his book.  He has memorized every single one of these.

Sometimes, as we go about our day, in different rooms of this old house, I can hear my husband singing one of the hymns as he goes about his chores. I am so grateful and blessed to hear this.

His faith and wisdom have grown tremendously over the last four years.  There were times I felt troubled about some trial or difficulty.  My husband was able to direct me to the Lord, with a reminder of something we had read in the Bible. Or he would mention a verse from one of the hymns. This would give me courage and peace! 

Last month, after we finished reading the entire Bible, we started again in Genesis.  Our goal is to read the entire Bible in about 2 years.  But there is no rush.  The purpose is not to have pressure or meet an unrealistic goal.  We may not make it within the 2 years. But we will continue on, night after night, year after year, to the best of our ability; Even if we have many nights of only reading a chapter in Psalms.

 I created a Bible chart that I use and thought some of you might like a copy of it.  It is in a PDF format and can be downloaded for FREE:


Here is the page - "Bible Reading Chart from The Legacy of Home Blog."


I hope you are able to do your own version of daily Bible time in your own home.  It has made an incredible difference in our lives.

Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Always Remember - The House Comes First.

Happiness in Marriage - Serving Mister.

The Greatest Use of Mother's Time - A Humble Parlour as a School of Theology.



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Find Home-keeping Inspiration, and Encouragement
 in Mrs.White's book -Mother's Book of Home Economics .  

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16 comments:

living from glory to glory said...

Dear Mrs. White this blessed and encouraged me so much, thank you for sharing how this has become a Godly habit that is blessing you both! I wish we all could make this a priority in all of our marriages! All I can say is this; what a powerful testimony...
Love, Roxy

Elizabethd said...

What a lovely post. How wonderful to feel your faith and Bible knowledge grow so beautifully together. I know what comfort a Psalm can bring, and many times have read one to my husband as he lay in a hospital bed.
Thank you, I shall come back and re read this.

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

God's continued blessings on your both as you study His Word.

Amelia said...

I thought this was so sweet and such an encouragement to couples and families. I loved the part of you hearing your husband sing hymns, that is wonderful. It's those sweet times where the proof is in the pudding so to speak. Beautiful entry.

Love, Amelia

ladypinktulip said...

This is such an important thing to do. Really it's a major priority. It blesses husband and wife and Glorifies God. Kelly

Teri said...

This is so lovely. I'm going to ask my husband to do this with me. Thank you, Teri

Homemaker's Heart said...

What a true blessing. You were/are a gentle wife that lead him, not pushing. And now he can inspire you. May God bless you both for your testemony of love and Faith.

We have a devotion time of selected Psalms and readings, but I am not as consistent as he is since I am making dinner or just too tired. Your story inspires me. Thank you.

Wishing you Peace,
Mrs Peterson

Brenda @ Its A Beautiful Life said...

What a lovely post. What a sweet time together for the two of you. There is nothing like the comfort of an old hymn or reading an encouraging Psalm. And to be able to do it together, it's a beautiful gift. Blessings!

Be Be said...

Thank you for giving us a glimpse into your life. What an encouragement to keep on...day to day...making time for important things.

Mama Said No said...

Thank you for this Bible reading tool. You always take the time to offer little precious gifts to your readers. I still have the Elizabeth Prentiss study on my laptop, and I have a copy of the book Stepping Heavenward. I have printed the study out and given it along with a copy of the book to a few friends. Bless you, sweet lady

Linda said...

I was so encouraged to read this Mrs White. My husband and I also started this same thing (reading through the bible at night) about 3 - 4 years ago. We too aim to never skip a night. There have been nights when I have been so very tired, so I would just lay there with my eyes closed while he read :). It is such a comfort and a blessing. We finished reading through the whole bible after about 2 years, but had skipped the Psalms. At the end we went back and read them too :) Now we are reading through the New Testament. We don't sing hymns to each other, but I think that sounds very beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing this personal detail about your relationship. Blessings ~ Linda

Amelia said...

Hi Mrs. White, Just wanted to let you know I've placed a link to your newest book on old fashioned budgeting on my blog as it seemed so appropriate. I enjoy all of the books of yours I've read, your blog and videos. What an encouragement and blessing you are.

Deanna said...

Beautiful blessings. Especially like that here is no rush. Seems that when I read, if I take my time it soaks in better. This WINTER has been one with many coughs. I'm still coughing. All the best to you,
d

Laura Jeanne said...

Thank you for sharing this beautiful encouragement. My husband is not a Christian, but may I please ask whomever reads this, to pray that someday we will be able to enjoy reading the Bible and praying together? Thank you.

bina said...

Thank you so much Mrs. White. I find so much inspiration to make my little apartment a welcoming home in your writings. I recommend your writings to my friends. Thanks for the inspiration to return to singing hymns with my Bible time. For the encouragement to try my best to make my home a haven of peace and a sanctuary from the hardships of life. I appreciate that you always make time for us (your readers) and encourage me to keep house even when ill with a migraine or something else.

Chrystal said...

What a beautiful post! I hope to be able to do this too, and I love the idea of singing hymns. It is remarkable that your husband learned so many by heart over the course of time. I admire your faithfulness.
Thank you so much for sharing!