Raise your hand if you have ever made a New Year’s Resolution to read the whole Bible in a year, but got about as far as Leviticus and gave up? Both of my hands are in the air. I honestly am not sure how many times I have committed to Bible reading plans/studies and not made it very far. Especially at the beginning of the year when I think I can change everything at once and eat healthy, organize my house, floss every night, and who knows what else.
Because of these past attempts, I now tend to avoid committing to things like this because I really don’t like to fail. So at the end of 2019 when I started seeing a lot of talk about The Bible Recap, I was curious but not really considering it. With The Bible Recap, you read the Bible chronologically in a year, and there is a daily podcast to go along with the reading. That sounded way too unattainable for me so I didn’t give it much thought. Until it was everywhere and I felt like God was very clearly nudging me towards it.
So, in 2020 I read the Bible in chronological order and listened to Tara Leigh Cobble’s podcast each day. And I honestly can’t imagine how different 2020 would have been for me if I hadn’t been doing that. I can’t say I wasn’t at all anxious about the things going on in the world that year, but I had a much different perspective and deeper trust in God because I was immersing myself in His Word through all of it.
You don’t have to read the whole Bible in a year. You can do it slower than that, or decide to read through the New Testament, or a specific book of the Bible. You can commit to a certain amount of time each day in His Word. There’s no one right way to read the Bible. But I do think that we have to be intentional about it or else it probably won’t happen consistently.
Since the new year is a natural time to start new practices, here are some ideas to look into if you would like to commit to read and study the Bible consistently this year:
1. The Bible For Busy People: Do you find the chaos and noise of the world getting you down? It’s time to turn down the noise of the world so you can turn up the voice of God. Join Erica Parkerson for a weekday Bible podcast. Each day she reads half a chapter in the Bible and gives you one verse to carry with you. She’ll do it all in 7 minutes or less. We know we can find 7 minutes a day to stop and soak in God’s truth. Whether it is on your commute, while you are doing the dishes or while waiting in the pickup line to get your kids, you’re covered with this Bible podcast for your busy life.
2. The Bible Recap: Follows a chronological reading plan, meaning you read in the order that things happened, not straight through the Bible. This has a daily podcast that helps you understand what you read. There are resources and study guides that go along with it if you want to use them, but you can do the plan for free. I highly recommend this if you have never read the entire Bible before, or have struggled with understanding it (I think that’s everyone) or with staying with it long term.
3. She Reads Truth: They put out studies continually and there is a large community that goes through the studies together. You can order study books or read on their app for a small fee. They have a weekly podcast where they talk about what you are studying that week. This is a great place to start because it walks you through what to read each day and has a devotion to go along with it.
4. Let’s Read the Gospels: This year Annie Downs is starting a daily podcast where she will read through all four gospels each month. I believe she will read them in a different version each month. There is a guidebook you can purchase, or you can just listen/read along with her. This way you will have read through the gospels 12 times at the end of the year.
The most important thing is to make sure you are getting into the Bible on a regular basis! When we commit to seek God and learn more about Him, He will always meet us where we are. I never regretted deciding to do The Bible Recap that year. The more I read about Him the more I know Him, and the more I know Him the more I love Him.
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