Each year, I choose a new devotional book to work through. Last year I enjoyed Henri Nouwen's Bread for the Journey and By Way of the Desert, with daily excerpts from the Desert Fathers. I highly recommend both.
This year I discovered Eugene Peterson's The Message / Remix / Solo: An Uncommon Devotional (also available at NavPress). This devotional book contains an excerpt from Peterson's wonderfully-popular Bible translation, The Message, along with questions and guides for prayer and living out the Scriptures. He uses a modified form of the ancient Christian practice of lectio divina, "holy reading." Each day you are invited read, pray, reflect and live.
What I love about this devotional Bible is its strong emphasis on an encounter and relationship with God. Ideally, this is always the case when reading Scripture. However, in practical terms, sometimes our Bible reading takes the form of information gathering or searching for self-help material, rather than an encounter with the Living God.
Another gift of this devotional Bible is that every seventh day, you are invited simply to pause and reflect on the readings from the previous week.
If you're struggling with regular Scripture reading as a way to begin the New Year, I highly recommend The Message / Remix / Solo.
(While we're on the subject of readable Bible translations, one recent translation that's been getting a lot of buzz is the Common English Bible. Check it out.)
*Note: I do not receive any promotional benefits from any individuals or companies involved with the products named above. I simply have enjoyed them and recommend them.
