Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Written by: Aida Yelitza Castro
I invite you to begin a journey, a journey in the reading of the word, to walk from one place to another, to visit each book, to stop at each chapter, at each verse and in them you inquire, in them you deepen. In advance I tell you that the guide, the one who directs this trip, will take you through ancient places, you will visit sad stories, your emotions, your feelings will be moved, your mind expanded, your heart sorrowful. The guide will take you by the hand and the more you walk through the word the more you will discover, the more revelation you will get and the more sensitive you will become. It is a journey that will transform your way of thinking, the more you walk through its pages your inner man will change, your spiritual maturity will develop. This trip will have such an effect on your life that those around you will notice your change. On this journey you will meet a number of characters; learn from them, from their stories, from their experiences. Delve into each of their stories, get to know their cities, their customs, feel part of each of their messages. Meet those men and women of yesterday, sit down and talk with them, learn from them, I assure you that it will be a great blessing to your life. Let yourself be impacted by each of their stories. The Bible is a book full of life waiting for you to open it and delight in every page, every verse. I invite you, in every chapter, in every book, to listen to God’s voice, to let his guide his Holy Spirit speak to your heart, to let his words flow in you like a spring of water, to live the intensity of every word, to let the Bible enliven you, fill you, let it wrap you in each page, feel each message, enjoy it, meditate on its reading. Understand that the Bible is not just another book, the Bible is the word of the living God, in it there is revelation, power, there is anointing, there is love, there is truth, there is life. Impress yourself with that truth, surround yourself with that love, empower your mind with its great message and each day let its spirit fill you with anointing.
Go through the word of God, in each book make a stop and through the Holy Spirit discover details, stories, stories that are only revealed to those who dedicate time to this sacred, historical, prophetic, symbolic, literal book full of life, full of truth.
Start your journey in the book of origins, the book of Genesis. Book in which you will find the beginning of absolutely everything. In Genesis you will meet the main Author, you will meetJehovah, you will meet God. In the first chapters you will learn about creation, the origin of everything. If you are passionate about science, the universe I recommend this great book, the first chapters are saturated with its origin of how by the word of God everything came into existence. Also, in this book you will find a promise given to a man full of faith, a promise of descent, an offspring, characters that you will meet during your journey in the word.
In the book of Exodus you will visit Egypt, you will meet Pharaoh, a man with a hardened heart, you will also meet Moses, a meek man in charge of leading his people out of slavery. You will read of plagues, the Red Sea, the provision of manna given by God. With Moses you will walk through the desert for forty years. In the desert, like the Jewish people, you will be transformed through reading, you will know more about God and together with Moses you will arrive at Mount Sinai, there you will receive the Ten Commandments, you will also know the details of the ark where the presence of God dwelt.
In Leviticus you will learn of God’s requirements for holiness. You will learn of laws about purity, laws about sacrifices, you will learn about the priesthood.
Numbers tells the story of Israel’s journey in the wilderness, also read about the census which gives us information on the size of Israel’s population.
In the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers you will walk through God’s established commandments, statutes, ordinances toward His people. In these early books, God is making Himself known to the people of Israel through miracles, such as the plagues, the manna, the parting of the Red Sea, the hearing of His voice on Mount Sinai, the feasts of God, His laws, His commandments. These books are what I would say the basis, the foundation, the establishment of a nation chosen by God. The people of Israel were called to follow each of these laws, these commandments (total of 613) known as the Mosaic laws and from generation to generation teach these statutes to their children.
In Deuteronomy you will witness the farewell of a great leader, the farewell of Moses. I tell you that on my second trip to the book of Deuteronomy the Holy Spirit ministered to my life and I could feel in my heart the farewell of Moses to his people. The book of Deuteronomy is a recapitulation of the first books, it is a reminder to the people of Israel of absolutely everything that God had done for them. On this journey you will witness a sad farewell of a great leader, a shepherd of a great flock of sheep, sheep full of fear, doubts, rebellion. In this book Moses reminds them of absolutely all that Jehovah had done for them by putting the heavens and the earth as witnesses. Goodbyes are sad and this is certainly no exception.
Joshua will teach you to be courageous, to be striving, to believe in God, in His word, to meditate on it. The book of Joshua will show you great conquests, the entrance to the promised land, the distribution of the land to the tribes of Israel.
Judges is a book in which you will meet characters such as Samson, Gideon, Deborah amongst others. You will also learn about the vow that Jephthah made to the Lord in exchange for defeating the Ammonites. You will read of how the people of Israel deviated from their ordinances and turned away from God. Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. The last three chapters (19-21) tell a horrific story of the Levite’s concubine.
Ruth, in this book you will learn the story of Naomi, a Jewish woman who loses her husband and two children. Naomi, being in a foreign land, decides to return to her town and to her surprise, one of her daughters-in-law, Ruth, decides to accompany her. Ruth 1:16 But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.” Ruth leaves everything and begins a life in which God rewards her by giving her a home, a family which would lead to the lineage of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ruth gives birth to Obed, father of Jesse, father of King David.
1 and 2 Samuel – 1 Samuel begins with the story of a sad woman, who goes to the temple and on the altar sheds her tears, her pain, her crying. God hears her prayer and blesses her with a son who is Samuel. In these books you will learn of a people who rejected the theocratic reign of the God of Power by asking for a man to reign their nation. You will meet the first king, Saul, a king who crossed his boundaries by making sacrifice something that only the priest was called to do. A king who disobeyed God’s command when ordered to utterly destroy all the Amalekites, king that was deposed, he was cast off and, in his place, God raises up King David, a young shepherd. Learn from his call to kingship, his wars, his courage, his faults, but even more of how he humbled himself before God acknowledging his sin and imploring his forgiveness.
1 and 2 Kings, you will read of the death of King David and the ascension of his son Solomon. Learn about the history of the kings of Israel. Meet the prophets Elijah and Elisha, delight in their stories.
1 and 2 Chronicles, go through the historical documents, you will read about the genealogy from Adam to David and his reign, you will read about the reign of Solomon and kings of Judah until the exile.
Ezra, you will meet a group of exiles, join them in their reconstruction of the temple.
Nehemiah, join him and his people and together rebuild the walls of the city. Also read of how Nehemias and his people continued to work in midst of the opposition that surrounded them. Although Sanballat and Tobiah tried to discourage them Nehemias, and his people proceeded with the task at hand. Don’t let the Sanballat and Tobiah’s around you discourage you from the mission that God has given you, stand tall and counterattack the darts of the enemy.
Esther, you will read the story of a young Jewish girl who is selected to be queen, a brave young woman who said in response to Haman’s decree. Esther 4:16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” Fear did not paralyze her; by fasting she received that courage to go before the king and her courage saved the Jewish people.
Job, his story is heartwarming, Job loses absolutely everything, his livestock, children, property, and his health is terribly affected. His friends accuse him, even his wife shows no compassion for him. The story of Job takes place in the anteroom of a judge. There you will meet the accuser Satan, the defendant Job, the witnesses, his friends, and the Judge, Jehovah. It is a case where Job is prosecuted, but in the end, Job says, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, Butnow my eye sees You,” Job 42:5. Sometimes we have to go through hard, difficult times, trials which will bring us closer to God and allow us to really know Him.
Psalms, delight in this book full of praises written by King David, Moses, the sons of Korah among other psalmists. Meditate on them, I assure you that they will increase your faith.
Proverbs, book that emphasizes wisdom. Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. When you get to the book of proverbs reflect on its inspiring literature.
Ecclesiastes, a literature of poetry that speaks of men’s vanity.
Song of Songs, a literature of poetry that speaks of the love expressed between a maiden and her beloved, symbolic of God’s great love for his people.
Isaiah is known as the Messianic prophet because of the prophecies he made about the coming of the Messiah.
Jeremiah, In the book of Jeremiah you will learn of the prophecy given to the people of Israel about the Seventy years. You will also visit the Potter’s house, there you will see broken vessels, vessels being processed, molded. Jeremiah will reveal to you his suffering for the people of Israel, and from Jeremiah you will learn that it is not possible to keep silent about the word of God. Jeremiah 20:9 And I said, I will remember him no more, nor will I speak any more in his name: nevertheless there was in my heart as a burning fire in my bones; I tried to endure it, and could not.
Lamentations, walk with Jeremiah through the poems of sufferings, learn of the destruction of Jerusalem.
Ezekiel, join the prophet and together come to the valley of the dry bones and see how these bones come to life through God.
Daniel, in this book you will meet Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah four young Hebrew men. Learn of their faithfulness, their loyalty to God, in midst of their captivity they exalted God above all. Travel through the empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, read about prophecies given to Daniel about Greece and Rome. You will read of his visions and end time prophecies.
Hosea, in this book you will read about Israel’s relationship with God. Israel is compared to an adulterous woman whose husband because of his merciful love manages to bring her home.
Joel, in this book you will meet one of the minor prophets, Joel, who speaks to the people of repentance. His prophecies also speak of the end times.
Amos, speaks of the judgment against the surrounding nations and against Israel, speaks of the call to repentance, of the destruction of Israel and its future restoration.
Obadiah speaks of the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother, read of the trial of Edom.
Jonah, in this story you will be taken to the sea, there you will meet Jonah, a man that God sent to Nineveh, but he makes the decision to go to Tarshish and because of his disobedience he ends up in the belly of a fish, which after three days vomits him on land. Disobedience to the Lord will have its consequences and Jonah’s story attests to this.
Micah focuses on the immoral injustice found in both Israel and Judah. The rich and powerful oppressed the poor, an injustice that the leaders allowed. Micah’s message to the people is clear. They must repent their wicked ways and seek justice for all.
Nahum, it will be your second trip to the nation of Nineveh but on this trip, you will see the fall of this nation.
Habakkuk, sometimes, it can be difficult to understand what is happening around us, especially when we have been suffering for a long time or when it seems that our enemies are succeedingwhile we are barely making progress.
Zephaniah, book of prophecies that talks about God’s judgment, God’s wrath.
Haggai encourages the people to rebuild the temple.
Zechariah, the book of Zechariah is a prophetic book. The main themes of the book include hope, restoration, and God’s faithfulness to His people. Zechariah’s prophecies and visions reveal God’s plan to restore Israel and ultimately bring salvation through the Messiah.
Malachi, in this book you will read about the rebuke given to the priests because they offered defective animals in their sacrifices. You will also read about the coming Day of the Lord. Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament.
In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John meet the main author, meet Jesus. Travel through each story, stop at each teaching, each parable, learn about the miracles, the healings, mourn the death of Jesus on the cross, I assure you that it’s a painful scene, but as you walk on your journey on the third day of his death you with Maria will receive the great news that the tomb is empty, and that Jesus had risen. Hallelujah!
Acts, go to the upper room and meet the Holy Spirit, read about how that day everyone was filled with God’s spirit. Travel back to the time of the early church. A church of power, of anointing, a persecuted church, but in the midst of persecution the gospel multiplied. Read of their faith, of how these men of God moved and with the power of the Holy Spirit the Kingdom of God expanded every day.
The next thirteen books’ Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon are known as the Pauline Epistles written by the Apostle Paul. Paul was chosen by God to be an Apostle of Christ, an Apostle to the Gentiles. Paul gives us so much doctrinal and spiritual depth, through his writings we get so much revelation which helps us to be good servants, good stewards of Christ. In his writings you will read about marriage, how to be a soldier of Christ, you will read about the armor of God, how to be a good leader in the church, the fruits, gifts, ministries of the Holy Spirit. You will read the great mystery revealed to Paul, our blessed hope. Together with Paul you will tour the regions he visited, the places where he evangelized. Do you know that many of his writings were written from prison? Paul tells us to always be joyful, and through his writings we see that Paul in the midst of terrible circumstances reflected that inner joy, joy that only God gives us. You will read about the advice that the Apostle Paul gives to his spiritual sonsTimothy and Titus, advice that is written for us to follow.
Hebrews, as you walk through this book you will read about Jesus, the High Priest, read about faith, about the Christian life. Also, in Hebrews chapter 11 walk down the Hall of Faith and meet these heroes from the Old Testament. I assure you that their stories will strengthen your faith.
James, you shall read of wisdom, faith, and works. How to survive trials and temptation. Peace with God and with one another.
1 and 2 Peter, addresses the misguided and reminds them of God’s promises. Peter reminds us, (God’s people) who we are; 1 Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Also knowing that his death is approaching, Peter warns them of false teachers, just as in past times there were false prophets. Peter also speaks of the Day of the Lord.
1, 2 and 3 John, letters in which you will read about the nature of God, the true Christian, true conversion, love, hospitality.
Jude, in this letter you will read about false doctrines and false teachers.
Revelation, the book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus. Its content is for the purpose of establishing the Kingdom of Jesus. You will read the message addressed to the seven churches. You shall read of seals, trumpets, bowls, the beast system, the wrath of God, the thousand-year reign, the great judgment of the white throne, the new Jerusalem where God, as well as in the beginning plows the new heaven and the new earth.
The bible from beginning to end is the story in which God the main author wants a relationship with His earthly creation, and just as at the beginning of the word we read that God dwelt, shared, visited our first parents Adam and Eve, so God in the end will dwelt with His creation, with those whom persevere, those who say no to the world and yes to Jesus Christ, those that were cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Revelation 21:1-3 says, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and the sea was no more.” 2 And I, John, saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, come down out of heaven from God, ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them; and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them as their God.
What a journey, how much have you learned, how much have you walked, how much have you matured, and your life has been impacted. But don’t settle for just one trip, start this trip every day, get lost in the stories, I assure you that on each trip you will learn more, you will visit new places. Every day walk through its pages and reach those places that the Holy Spirit wants to reveal to you. What you didn’t see, the places you didn’t visit on your first tour you will visit on the next one.
By traveling through the Bible you will discover stories, messages, you will visit places, you will meet characters, on each trip you will heal the wounds of your heart, you will learn to be a better person, you will learn about true love, humility, kindness, on each trip you will receive clarity, understanding and above all on each trip you will get closer to its main author, you will get closer to God.
Start your journey today, go through every page, every paragraph, every book, get lost in every story, in every message, I assure you that each journey will be more intense than the previous one because on each journey you will receive more revelation.
