Monday, December 10, 2007

Accountability through the Bible

I am currently going through the Old Testament with my good friend Liz, who is my accountability partner, was my maid of honor, and is my dear friend of more than ten years now. We are halfway through the book of 1 Chronicles. We try to go through a book of the Bible about every two weeks. Of course it depends how large the book is. For example since we are in the book of 1 Chronicles we will read 15 chapters the first week and then 14 chapters the second week.

Liz lives in Southern California and I live in Texas so I don't get to see her as much as I would like. But when Sunday rolls around we call each other late at night to do "accountability". She will ask me how I did with my reading and vice versa. We also talk about what God taught us the past week. I always look forward to Sunday nights. I am so thankful that I have a friend as faithful as Liz who seeks hard after God and sharpens me on a weekly basis. Her friendship reminds me of Proverbs 27:17 which says, "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."

What helps me to plow through the Old Testament is keeping a list either written or on a Word Document of the attributes or characteristics of God in each chapter. This causes me to know God in a deeper way, see how He worked with men of old, and worship him for his Sovereign control over the affairs of mankind. Here are just a few examples of what I discovered when I was in 1 Kings :
  • Chapter 1: God is Faithful, Powerful, Blessed above all other gods, Worthy of praise, Sovereign

  • Chapter 2: God is Sovereign

  • Chapter 3: God is Great, Steadfast and Sovereign

Ultimately we are to be accountable to the Lord first and foremost--for everything in our lives. But it is so important to have someone that will stretch us, encourage us, and challenge us in our walk with Christ. Thank you Liz for being such a wonderful friend for so many years.

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