How many of you have made the New Year's resolution to read through your Bible in a year and failed by somewhere mid-February? That's been my sad story for many years. Last year consisted of two good months, and then boom, I was pregnant. And the morning sickness came sweeping through. And my Bible reading suddenly consisted of short verses about God's deliverance.
Other times I've tried reading through the Bible in a year, I've found that I'm regularly playing catch up and feel like I'm in one of those crazy food eating competitions. I'd come to the table in the mornings and try to inhale twelve chapters of 1 Chronicles in one sitting. Sorry, but I don't digest 6 different wars and 4 new kings in one sitting very easily.
So then I've ended up on the other extreme... the "I don't have a plan" plan. And you know what happens with that plan? Usually nothing. On good days, I flip to a random passage and struggle to engage with the passage. Yeah, that doesn't work so well either.
I'm changing things up a bit this year. I've set what I think is a more realistic goal... the Bible in two years. Yes, the legalist in me has discovered that there is no written rule saying you must read through it in a year. You can do it in two... or three! Here's the plan I found online, and the best part about it is that it gives you built in catch up days. Wait, I mean the best part about this plan is the reading God's Word part. The second best part about this plan is that it gives you built in catch up days. I mean, does it get any better?! These people already knew I was going to fail. They actually thought, "Bella is going to go bonkers on Diane a few days a month, and there may be a morning or two when the coffee doesn't get flowing through her veins fast enough. So let's cut this girl a break." I appreciate that kind of realism. Oh, and yes, it is a one year plan, but I'm just breaking it into two. They said I could do that, thank you very much. And doing that still allows me to get in the Old and New Testament each day. Nice!
What's your Bible reading plan? If you don't have one, I encourage you to jump on board. Guess what? You don't have to start on January 1. You could start at the beginning of any month. Today's February 1... hint, hint. It's good to push yourself with a goal, a goal that by God's grace is reachable.
"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." Deuteronomy 8:3
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