Rediscovering an old book

I am tossing down a gauntlet, challenging people to read a book of the Bible a month. While reading Philemon (all 24 verses of it) won't take long. Genesis might take a few hours.

Why do it? To get reconnected to the power source of our life, God almighty, our Creator and Redeemer, who makes us holy.

I'm reading Nehemiah right now. Chapter 1 always blows me away, it starts with prayer and confession. It starts with the author humbling himself before God, and begging God to act. This is what I need in Lent; to drop to my knees admit my failures and short comings before God and beg God to act.

• admit my failure to follow through on ideas
• my failure to keep Christ the center of everything in my life because I've allowed the distractions to pull life out of shape
  
• my failure to serve the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength

in my confession comes an answer in the silence that follows...dear child of God, long ago, my son went to the cross for you. He paid the fine for your sins, and I still raised him from the dead. Do you think I would treat you differently? He made you holy and righteous, with a clean heart. Move on, do justice, love mercy, and continue to walk humbly with me, your God.