Many people have made New Year's resolutions to finally read the entire bible this year, but unfortunately like much of the fitness industry, we see strong starts but very few finishers. I wanted to offer some practical advice and tips to help finally see your bible reading goals through this year!!
Whether you are a seasoned bible reader and have read through the bible many times before, or you are just starting out, or have never read the bible all the way through once, these practices will help all of us continue to grow and be successful.
Read at Different Paces
You can read fast or slow, many times pertaining to what you are reading in the bible. If you find yourself confused or don't understand what reading through a genealogy of names has to do with your life for instance, then speed up a bit. But be sure to slow down when you sense that God's word is plainly speaking to your heart and life. Be sure to soak up all of the glory that is God's word.
Another helpful tool to help you make it all the way through the bible is to listen to it being read to you on audio. You can find many helpful audio bibles out there that are quite affordable, in fact many free bible websites and apps have a built in listening option. This can help you in those off times that you might not be able to sit down and read (like driving or the gym) but it also is another facet to learn audibly and not just visually through reading, it can open up new and interesting facets of God's word, you might even find that something strikes you in a passage like never before.
Get A Partner
Just like anything else in life, We tend to be more successful and thorough in our follow through when we have a healthy measure of accountability. This often can come in the form of a good friend who is willing to help us in our time of need to keep us on the path and journey that we trod together, or perhaps some system of organization to help us stay motivated.
Be Committed & Persevere
When you miss a day or two (or perhaps even more) remember that falling behind is not the same as quitting. Our goals in reading the Bible are getting closer to God and becoming transformed in the process to be more like his son Jesus, not just the achievement of our goal in and of itself.
Don't Just Seek Knowledge: Transformation > Information
The Bible was never meant to simply pass along information to man, but instead to transform, renew, and redeem his heart, life, and soul. Be careful that you do not allow yourself to simply read the Bible for informational purposes alone, but that you really are seeking to know God and to be changed by knowing him.
You can find a reader friendly one year bible here, and a chronological one here as well as one of my favorite plans that incorporates the Bible Project videos here.
