As the new year approaches many of us will make new commitments to read through the Bible in 2014. There are many good helps for doing so.
We will have a couple of good reading plans on the back table at Springs of Grace that will be available for you. I am linking to some others in this post.
Let me give you three other encouragements towards reading the Bible this coming year.
1) Don’t read in order to make God more pleased with you. Read so that you will be more pleased with Him! Your standing before God is based solely on the righteousness of Jesus Christ and your faithfulness or unfaithfulness to a reading plan will add nothing to you being fully accepted “in Him”. Read because He has made you to be in love with Him and the Bible contains His Words and His story and His glory.
2) Ask someone in the church to join you in reading the Bible this coming year. Pray for each other. Ask each other what you are reading and what wonderful things you are seeing about Jesus. Have the courage to keep asking and encouraging.
3) If you have trouble reading don’t be afraid of starting. Even if you are a very slow reader by reading just 15-20 minutes a day you can probably read through the Bible in a year. God will be your help and you will be richly blessed.
If you love to read and read a lot – consider reading the Bible through as one great story that you are wanting to devour. There are great benefits to reading through passages slowly at times but I find a real benefit in reading through the Bible once a year as fast as I can. It really helps me to get the big story God is telling! There will be some things that aren’t clear but keep reading and you will get the big picture. A fast reader could spend 30-45 minutes a day and read through the Bible in 3 months – read one hour a day and read through the whole Bible in 6 weeks or take 72 hours one weekend and read the whole thing non-stop out loud!!! (maybe get a few friends to help).
It’s a great book – His book. In fact, John calls Jesus – “The Word”.
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory; glory as of the only begotten of the Father; full of grace and truth.”
Thankful to be your pastor.
Joe