Be Still: A Biblical Advent Plan of Rest
How One Question Sparked a Life-Changing, 5-Year Journey
Starting the Journey: Choosing a Reading Plan
I set out to read the entire Bible cover to cover. After trying various “Bible-in-a-year” plans and struggling to keep up, I chose the not-for-the-faint-of-heart Robert Murray M’Cheyne Reading Plan. M’Cheyne was a 19th-century Scottish minister who lived from 1813-1843 who devised a system to combine daily readings from the Old and New Testaments, totaling four chapters per day. If you’re going to do something — you may as well do it right.
Finding A Faithful, Surprise, Wise Mentor
I tried my best, but this one-year Bible reading plan still took me five years to complete. But not for the reasons you think; my turtle-like pace wasn’t because I was slacking or forgetting to get my daily reading done. I was actually reading more than the required reading — but ended up only reading 1.5 chapters a day.
Here’s why. When you begin to intentionally read a passage you think you know by heart, individual words will begin to shine like diamonds, their brilliance impossible to ignore. My questions about why Noah was suddenly remembered led me to know more. My curiosity sent me digging deeper into explanations from Bible scholars and theologians, chasing insights that illuminated the text.
Reading on my iPad made diving into commentaries effortless. That’s when I stumbled into the world of Matthew Henry. This 17th-century theologian, who lived from 1662 to 1714, became my go-to for every perplexing question. He turned ordinary passages into treasures, offering wisdom that astonished me every time. I began challenging myself: Could this man from the 1600s say something meaningful about a seemingly mundane verse relevant to a modern mom’s life? Bible scholars agree. Matthew Henry’s insights resonate across centuries.
So, instead of four chapters a day, my pace slowed to one or less. Matthew is the reason my one-year plan stretched into five rich, transformative years. My initial goal was simple: I wanted my life to change. If a passage felt dry, I took Matthew Henry along to keep searching until the words spoke to me.
I’ve learned that my enthusiasm is NOT universal. Few dive into archaic English commentaries for a fresh perspective on God’s wisdom.
Introducing a 24-Day Advent Journey of Rest as a Sacred Gift
So, I want to share an Advent lesson inspired by Matthew Henry without the heaviness of ancient texts. This will be a 24-day journey to discover God’s call to rest—not as a luxury but as something sacred. Ezekiel 20:12 (NLT) says, “And I gave them my Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and me. It was to remind them that I am the Lord, who had set them apart to be holy.”
Matthew Henry captured the beauty of this command: Sabbaths are privileges; they are signs that we are his. If we do the duty of the day, we shall find, to our comfort, rest. That it is the Lord who makes us holy… truly happy. Matthew frames the Sabbath rest as a divine gift—a command that fosters happiness and points to eternal joy.
Admittedly, my preparation for this ambitious Advent project isn’t perfect. Some drafts of the next 24 days still remain unfinished. So, I’ve been tempted to abandon the project altogether. While my preparation isn’t perfect, I believe in sharing the process. Instead of a polished study, I’ll offer daily inspiration throughout this Advent season.
Catch up on all of the Be Still Advent readings here.
2 Comments
Penny Curtiss
Looking forward to it!
Kelly Kullberg
Thanks for sharing, Susie!