Starting strong for a year of spiritual growth begins with a few key things. I have some helpful tips, solid resources, and genuine encouragement to show you how to read the Bible in a year.
Last year was the first year of reading through the entire bible for me. The mission was to read it; the result was more than I could’ve anticipated.
Being a believer from the age of 13 doesn’t equate to always walking closely with God. There were seasons in my younger years that do not evoke proud feelings, but they do reveal evidence of God’s presence through it all. Thankfully, religion became a living, breathing relationship about 12 years ago; a delight and source of life for me through every new season.
WHAT DID I GAIN FROM READING THROUGH THE WHOLE BIBLE?
- A better understanding of God’s Redemptive Plan revealed to me through scripture.
- A clearer understanding of the scriptural relationship between Leviticus and Hebrews and what it reveals of Jesus Christ. WOW!
- Knowing more of the nature and attributes of God.
- A greater love of the written Word of God and what it is for us.
- A deeper love for Jesus Christ and what he did for me.
- A fuller love for God and all the ways he has displayed his faithful love for his people through the ages.
- A closer love for the Holy Spirit and all the ways he works in my life.
I can’t wait to see what this year brings!
WHY READ THROUGH THE BIBLE?
Have you ever read through the entire bible? Not just a little here in Lamentations and most of Leviticus, and then pretty sure your pastor has preached through most of the Gospels; but really read through the entire bible?
Up until the end of 2021, I had not, and often justified my lack of attempt by saying to myself I am just a tired & busy mom. Sure, I had probably read *something* from *most* of the books in the bible, but I had never made it through cover to cover. Many Christians today haven’t. Depending on what statistics you look at, anywhere from 30-50% of Christians have read the bible all the way through. We have become dependent on being fed scripture through various ways and less diligent in going straight to the source. This is your year to change that!
We are in a time and culture with so many, SO SO MANY, amazing resources available to us when it comes to bible study. This can be a blessing OR a stumbling block. As long as we use these as tools to AID in our study as opposed to replacements for the BIBLE.
5 THINGS TO DO WHEN READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR
DO READ THE BIBLE…EVERY DAY.
*Whether it is 1-2 verses or 1-2 chapters, read the Word of God! Psalm 1:1-2 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Reading the bible every day should be a delight to God’s people. And more than just reading it, meditating on it, pondering its meaning and being shaped by it! Then, putting it into action!
DO LOOK FOR GOD FIRST IN EVERYTHING YOU READ, NOT FOR YOURSELF.
*We are tempted to want to relate every part of scripture to ourselves. Look first for what scripture shows you about God and then respond because of who he is and what he did for you through Jesus Christ.
DO ANTICIPATE TO NOT UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING.
* Be patient with yourself. This is a marathon, not a sprint. You will be reading the bible for the rest of your life and still learn new things! Pray and ask God to reveal himself to you through the scriptures and trust the Holy Spirit to give you understanding. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will reach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26
DO MAKE A TIME TO READ YOUR BIBLE EVERY DAY
* There is no required time of day for you to read your bible, but building it into the first hour of your day is *typically* most successful. By waking up 5-30 minutes earlier to spend time in the Word before your day takes off, you are more likely to be consistent.
DO MAKE A PLAN.
* Be intentional about how you are reading the bible. Devotionals are great for some topical encouragement, but when it comes to building biblical literacy and your understanding of who God is and who we are because of him, reading book-by-book and through the whole bible will serve you best. You will also be less likely to misunderstand meaning and context of passages or verses and you will gain a clearer understanding of the meta-narrative of scripture, or the whole story.
SO HOW DO WE TACKLE THIS?
- Most bibles today have suggested reading plans somewhere in the cover pages. Explore your bible to see if yours has one!
- A printable reading plan from Pinterest or a Google search.
- A digital reading plan through an app like YouVersion or Blue Letter Bible
- A Podcast supported reading plan like The Bible Recap or A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace
- A book led reading plan like Foundations 260 or The Bible Study
This list is not exhaustive but gives you some ideas to explore. You may be reading this after the first of the year, but it is never too late to start reading through the bible! Whether you do it one book at a time and check them off as you go, chronological, cover-to-cover, in a year, or over the course of 3 years, just BEGIN!
If you have any questions about any mentioned resources, or success stories, drop them in the comments! (Someone else may be curious, too! Wink, wink!)
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