How and Why to Read the Bible in 2012

Looking to make 2012 the best it can be?

Here’s my advice: Don’t do it alone. Instead, bring God right alongside you each and every single day.

How? Commit to reading a bit of the Bible every single day of the rest of the year and you will hear from Him every single day. He will reveal something to you every time you open your Bible and read. I promise.

How do I know this? Because He says time spent in His word will never return void.

And God doesn’t lie.

If growing closer to God is on your new year’s resolution list, or if trying to figure out how you feel about God, or even if there is a God is on your resolution list, what better way than to go straight to His word and read it? He’ll meet you there. He’ll answer your questions. He’ll probably give you some new questions, too, so be prepared.

So how do you read the Bible?

I’ve got 3 plans for you to start, depending on your goal:

Do you want to read the entire Bible?

If so, join a Bible in 90 Days group and read the whole thing, cover to cover in 90 days. Yes, that’s a huge challenge, but if you want to read the whole thing, doing it in 90 days is the perfect amount of time to keep you focused on the goal and be amazed by what you read as you read and absorb every single word. (And yes, I promise you will absorb MUCH more than you think you will.)

Don’t question it. Just join a group, commit and get it done. You won’t regret it. But you might regret if you don’t do it. (I regretted not joining a Bible in 90 Days group the first time I heard about it. I thought I could do it on my own. At Day 90, the other group was finished and I was still in Numbers. The next time I joined the group and got it done.)

Want to spend a little more time thinking about each chapter of the Bible?

Join me as I read and journal through different books of the Bible here on MomsToolbox. I’ve just launched into Acts in 28 Days , reading a chapter a day and blogging about my SOAP observations. I’ll post the reading schedule each week. The reading will take you about 5-10 minutes and the journaling another 5-10 minutes.

Once we finish Acts, I will share another daily Bible reading plan that will take a similar commitment.

Just want a quick devotional read in the Bible each day?

Follow a Bible in a year plan, but still follow the SOAP devotional plan to get more out of the reading. This will keep you in the Word each day with a totally do-able schedule.

If you want to grow this year, spending time in the Bible is truly the best way to do it. I know you can make time for whichever plan appeals to you most. Sleep with your Bible next to your bed so it is right there with you when you wake up, calling you open its pages. Then carry it with you as you move about the the house or run your errands until you read it.

Reading other books can be great, but make sure you are going straight to the source, straight to His Word. If you journal it, I bet you’ll be amazed at what you hear.

Always wanted to read more of the Bible? What’s holding you back? This is the year to follow through!

Know of any other Bible read-throughs or plans (not book studies) to join? Feel free to share about them in the comments. I want each of you to have every opportunity to read!

New Year, New You

I’m joining forces with 5 other bloggers over the next 2 weeks to better ourselves and help you, too, with our New Year, New You series.

Once you’ve picked a Bible plan for the year ( :) ) click over and check out what these other ladies have to share about losing weight, setting goals, meal planning, saving money and much, much more:


Comments

10 responses to “How and Why to Read the Bible in 2012”

  1.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Even though I’m not participating in B90Days this term, I have a recommendation for those who are…get The Story CD! It’s music inspired by The Story DVD and it has taken my experience of reading through the Bible to a new level. Having read through it twice last year and hearing the stories through song (a medium that is SO very close to my heart), I feel like I’m taken into the stories of Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Joshua (one of my favorite songs, sung by Michael Tait…and it has a rap in it by Lecrae! Surprised even me! HA!), and Esther (my ABSOLUTE favorite, sung by Mandissa), among so many others. There are two CD’s, one for the OT and one for the NT. You may have heard the song “I’m With You” on K-Love, sung by Nicole Nordeman and Amy Grant. It comes from this CD set.

    Sorry for writing a book! I’m just so excited about this project! :) But you know what? The stories on the CD wouldn’t mean as much to me had I not read through the Bible. Thank you, Amy, for all you have done to help all of us! :)

    1. I felt the same way about listening to The Story. I had just finished the summer session of Bible in 90 days when I heard it for the first time. It was so emotional when listening to it while reading the lyrics! Highly recommend it!!

      1.  Avatar
        Anonymous

        I have yet to listen to it without crying! :D It’s amazing!

  2. For those reading a one-year chronological Bible, you may want to join this group led by Shannon Mullins. They’re using the NASB version and she’s posting video blogs. http://shannonmullins.com/2012/01/

  3. Rjcrowley Avatar
    Rjcrowley

    I am following (and highly recommend!) the M’Cheyne Bible reading plan/devotional set forth in “For the Love of God” by DA Carson. They have made the books available for free at the link below, you can subscribe to get a daily e-mail of the commentary in your inbox too. The reading plan covers 2-4 chapters a day with a solid commentary style devotional (not a fluffy warm fuzzy type devotional, but I find it addresses most of my questions I wondered about as I read and provides a lot of context to help me apply the passages into my life.
    http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/loveofgod/
    I use The Bible App by Youversion.com to listen to the chapters and keep myself on track–it has a great reading plan function with hundreds of reading plans to choose from.

  4. Delaney Avatar
    Delaney

    I’m also using Professor Grant Horner’s reading plan. I am so excited that I am already a day ahead as I doubled up yesterday!

  5. I’m doing the 3650 Challenge started by Tim Challies. The Facebook group is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/210696269012642/ We are using the Grant Horner reading plan, in which you read a chapter a day from 10 different lists of different lengths – and once you get to the end of a list, you start it over again. It’s intense, but allows for all sorts of connections to be made between various parts of Scripture as you read them all together. I’m on day 10 (started a few days early) and am really enjoying it.

  6. On Feb. 1st I am beginning reading the Catholic edition of the Bible in 110 days. I read with you twice last year and since I am a Catholic I decided to read the extra books this year. Looking for a few people to join with me. If anyone is interested I have set up a facebook page… Facebook.com/Bible110days.

    1. This is great, Milly! if you’d like to list this on the Bible in 90 Days linky, you are welcome to do so. I think it’s close enough. :) http://www.momstoolbox.com/blog/2011/12/12/bible-in-90-days-spring-2012-host-sites/

      1. Amy, I couldn’t agree more. Reading the bible is such a key to knowing God. I learn something new from him everyday. I wrote about this very same thing yesterday.

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