Not just a daily verse

First off, let me confess that if someone in my small group had not suggested I blog my daily "do not fear" findings, I may not have gone past day two. But now accountability has been built into this project, and I am committed to seeing it through. There - now that I've posted that, I can't quit, right?

As I embark on this year-long journey, weaving through God's Word, I see it as a treasure hunt or quest. I am armed with a map and clues and a plan. Each day I look up "afraid" or "fear" or some other synonym or variation in the concordance at the back of my Bible, and I choose a reference which seems contextually appropriate, then "Voila!" - I uncover the gem and post it. But the discovery of each verse is only part of the exercise. To help me meditate on the specific passage I look at any pertinent footnotes and cross references. The Life Application Bible is great for this because it has both of these features. I love following a trail of cross-referenced verses and seeing where I end up! (And trying to figure out how to get back to where I started!)

Here at the outset of this odyssey, it's quite simple to find the verses I seek. And when I've exhausted my Bible's concordance, I'll move on to a more comprehensive one. And I'll check out different Bible translations. And I'll use cross references to find more. But I expect that along the way it will get harder and harder to find all 365 verses I'm looking for. Obviously, the more I check off, the fewer there are left. What now seems like a joyous Easter egg hunt in a green meadow may at some point become more like searching for a needle in a haystack (or a library book in my daughter's bedroom!). But I'll leave it to God to guide me, and I'll comment on my experience as I go along. I'm certainly not above contacting Mark Richt at UGA and asking him to defend his claim!

To my readers, I welcome you along on my journey. Please make this as much or as little as you need or want it to be. If you're just curious to see how it turns out, check back every now and again and see how I'm doing. If you'd like to cheer me on to the finish, come on along for the ride. If you like reading a daily Bible verse, subscribe to the blog, and every day you'll be encouraged to "fear not." Or use these verses, daily or occasionally, as a starting point for your personal Bible study or quiet time with the Lord. I pray that you will indeed be blessed.