A guest post by Melissa McLaughlin
Dear readers, this week I’m excited to introduce you to Melissa McLaughlin, who is a guest blogger this week. A friend and fellow writer, Melissa has just released an excellent new book, The Whole Bible Devotional. A Bible overview, followed by sixty-six short readings of Scripture and prayer, walk you through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. If you’ve had a tough time diving into reading the Bible, but you know you want to, this is a great way to help you on your journey. Melissa’s book is available here, and I hope you’ll consider it.—Jessica Brodie
I looked up. The trail’s rocky incline towered. A giant staircase of car-sized boulders lay before me. No human legs could stretch from one boulder to the next. Attempting upward progress involved hugging rocks and clinging to small footholds.
The climb felt impossible.
Have you ever tackled an obstacle you felt was difficult? Maybe even beyond your reach?
When we look back over our lives, most of us can recall daunting or dangerous experiences. Sometimes we succeeded. Sometimes we failed.
Often, we learn more from our failures than our successes. One example from my life was reading through the Bible from beginning to end.
Around age sixteen, I set out to read the Bible cover to cover.
There were days I didn’t find (or make) the time. However, I picked up where I left off the next day and kept trudging through. After persevering a little over a year, I achieved my goal. I read through the whole Bible!
I did not understand everything I read. I stuttered over big words the best I could and continued reading. Although I could not comprehend every detail, my general knowledge of the Bible improved. More importantly, my connection with Jesus grew stronger.
Fast forward to my years as a mom. When my kids reached their teen years, I wanted to help them read through the Bible as I did at their age. I suggested a Bible reading plan, and the kids’ eyes sparkled. The challenge moved our hearts, and we plunged in.
Sadly, after a few starts and stops, we sputtered, faltered, and eventually gave up.
Disappointment wrapped around me like a cold blanket. I felt like I failed my kids, myself, and God.
However, God had more in store for me. God inspired me to write The Whole Bible Devotional from that failure.
My goal in writing The Whole Bible Devotional is to provide readers in today’s fast-paced life with a greater understanding of the whole Bible in an accessible way. Further, many people have read the Bible from beginning to end, but still don’t understand how the books fit together.
If that’s you, you’re not alone. I’ve been there, too.
Therefore, The Whole Bible Devotional offers three components to help readers understand the Bible as a whole:
A non-academic overview of the Bible to give readers a bird’s-eye-view of the Bible’s overarching theme—Jesus.
Excerpts from every book of the Bible so readers can encounter important elements of God’s Word from beginning to end.
Scripture-based prayers to help readers connect with God personally while reading the Bible.
With the purchase of every book, a free downloadable Small Group Study Guide is available which complements The Whole Bible Devotional and equips small group leaders to use the book with church groups, home groups, Sunday School classes, online groups, or to enhance personal study.
Have you ever wanted to understand the Bible as a whole? Want to help others understand the Bible better or see how Jesus is the overarching theme throughout?
I am excited for you to discover how God can use The Whole Bible Devotional to deepen your spiritual life and enrich your understanding of Christ and His Word. Ultimately, my prayer is that you draw ever closer to our Savior!
The Whole Bible Devotional is available at Amazon here and through the publisher, CLC Publications, here.
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Melissa McLaughlin taught as a public school teacher for twenty-eight years, then retired and began a new career as a writer. Melissa authored a prayer guide titled In Dark of Night When Words Fail, Voice of Jesus Pray for Me. She earned a certificate in Foundations in Biblical Studies. Melissa is active in her local church and has led many Bible studies and prayer groups through the years. She hosts the Christian blog Truthful Grace and writes articles on topics such as biblical growth, spiritual growth, passionate prayer, and poetry. Melissa enjoys long walks in nature, taking in the sights and sounds of God’s beautiful creation. She loves spending time with her husband, children, family, and two cats—Cookie and Little One. To find out more about Melissa McLaughlin, visit her website, https://melissamclaughlin.org. You can also connect with her on X at https://x.com/MMcLaughlinsong, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/melissamclaughlinwriter and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/melissa.mclaughlin.7906. The Whole Bible Devotional is available at Amazon here and through the publisher, CLC Publications, here.
Thanks to my Patreon sponsors: Matt Brodie, Emily Dodd, Jane, Marcia Hatcher, Frances Nwobi, Kathleen Patella, Billy Robinson, Yancy Rose, and Lanny Turner.
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