Eugene H. Peterson - The Daily Message: Through the Bible in One Year

THE MESSAGE:
THE BIBLE IN
CONTEMPORARY LANGUAGE

The Message is a contemporary rendering
of the Bible from the original languages,
crafted to present its tone, rhythm, events,
and ideas in everyday language.

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The Daily Message: Through the Bible in One Year

Copyright 2006 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.

THE MESSAGE Numbered Edition copyright 2005

Version 2.0

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Image from Elizbeth Simpson/Getty

Questions written by: John Blase

Creative team: Laura Wright, Lori Mitchell, Laura Spray, Pat Reinheimer

ISBN 13: 978-1-60006-003-8; 978-1-60006-357-2 (paperback)

ISBN 10: 1-60006-003-X

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C ONTENTS

H OW TO U SE
T HE D AILY M ESSAGE

T he books of the Bible paint an intricate, panoramic picture of Gods relationship with the human race. But its hard to get the big picture from reading little pieces. And yet many Christians have gaps in that picture because theyve only read bits and pieces of the greatest story ever told.

Maybe youre one of the myriad Christians who set off from the Garden of Eden in Genesis full of excitement and good intentionsonly to find yourself wandering in the wilderness by the time you reached Leviticus. The Daily Message helps you grow in disciplined Bible reading by reading through the entire Bible in a year and reflecting on what youve read. Youll develop a big picture view of God and a deeper, more meaningful relationship with him.

Heres how it works.

The Daily Message is the entire Message Bible arranged in 312 daily readings. The reading plan (adapted from the popular Discipleship Journal Book-at-a-Time Reading Plan) is comprised of two parts. First, youll read an extended section (usually three to four chapters) of a book of the Bible. That will be followed by a shorter, encouraging reading from Psalms, Proverbs, or Isaiah. And to make sure you get the most out of what you read, each days reading concludes with two thought-provoking questions one from each section to help you reflect on Scripture and apply its truth to daily living.

Youll notice that there are no verse numbers breaking up the text. This allows you to concentrate on complete sections of the text rather than on isolated verses. This big picture approach helps keep ideas and concepts in context.

Read. Reflect. Relax.

One of the biggest frustrations with many Bible reading plans is getting behind. If you miss a day, you have to read twice as much the next day just to keep up. The Daily Message builds in time to accommodate missed readings. Youll only have six readings a week. You can use that seventh day to reflect on what youve read or to get caught up if youve missed a day.

Read at your own pace.

You dont have to read through the entire Bible in one year. You can use your Daily Message over a longer period of time. Simply ignore the dates associated with each daily reading and use the books ribbon marker to keep track of your place.

Something old. Something new.

Your reading plan lets you focus on one book of the Bible at a time, allowing you to absorb the whole story before moving on to new material. But your extended daily readings will also alternate between an Old Testament book and a New Testament book, so youll more clearly see the connecting themes between the two testaments of Scripture. By alternating between Old and New, you avoid the feeling of being stuck in the Old Testament. And youll discover the truth in the old adage: The New is in the Old concealed, and the Old is in the New revealed.

Bonus material.

The Message was conceived and written as a reading Bible one that communicates the timeless truths of Scripture in contemporary language. Author Eugene Peterson put prayerful thought into each part of this translation. If you want additional background information about what youre reading, you can check out Eugenes insightful introductory comments in appendix B.

Ten minutes a day. You can do this!

If youve ever been frustrated by plans that feel like a forced march through the Scriptures, take heart. The Daily Message will guide you through the entire Bible in one year with about ten minutes of reading a day! You can do this! And when youre finished, youll have the big picture and a new appreciation for what God has done. May He richly bless you as you get caught up in Gods great story!

H OW TO S TART A G ROUP
B IBLE R EADING P ROGRAM

W hy have a daily reading Bible like The Daily Message? Maybe to learn the discipline of daily time in Gods Word or to finally get through the entire Bible or just to read Scripture for the joy of it. No matter what your reason, staying motivated month after month can be a big challenge. We start out with great intentions, but interruptions, busyness, and even the discouraging work of Satan all fight against us as we try to read the Word consistently.

Thats where the benefit of a group Bible-reading program comes in. One friend sharpens another, according to Proverbs 27:17. Ecclesiastes 4:9 and 12 encourage us that its better to have a partner than go it alone and with a friend you can face the worst. We need to speak encouraging words to one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11), especially about spending time in Gods Word. We need encouragement when we fall behind or lose heart.