At first I resisted. I like my own plan of taking 2-3 years to read through the Bible. It works for me. It allows me to go slower, better absorbing what I’m reading, and journaling along the way.
I don’t want to sacrifice meaning for speed.
So at first I gave myself permission to say “no.” But when I kept seeing great yearly plans, and then this one popped up, I caved. I’d do it.
Why? Because it hit a nerve. It was a couples’ plan.
Jeff had already decided he wanted to give the one-year thing a shot. He had even encouraged me to not feel guilty that I wasn’t.
But when this plan showed up that we could do partly together, God nudged me that he could use this to work on a weak area of our marriage: our lack of time spent studying the Word together.
I’m not proud of it. While we have had some limited times of success with joint Bible study through the years, we’ve never sustained it over the long haul.
So Friday night when I couldn’t sleep, I spent awhile catching up on reading week 1. And I loved hearing God through the longer readings.
Doing this to enrich my marriage may have propelled me, but doing this to improve my relationship with God will sustain me.
Hopefully I can do both. So count me in. I won’t give up my original long-term plan along the way; I’m on track to finish the New Testament in a few months with it.
And if you’re reading through the Bible this year, too, let’s encourage each other to keep at it. Not just for the camaraderie, but so that we’ll be changed through it.Changed for God. Changed for each other.
God’s purposes are always bigger than our own.
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9 comments:
I have just started my third go through of reading the bible in one year. The plan I follow includes some O.T. some N.T. some Psalms and some Proverbs every day. I have a book and I can also hook into it on line. I find I read it on line more often as I am usually at the computer first thing in the morning.
oops I forgot to say that reading as a couple is such a nice idea. You can both be accountable to each other.
I'm reading through again this year, and reading as a couple is such a great idea! We have both planned to read through this year, but I can't believe it had not dawned on me to read through together -- actually together, sitting next to each other. How great! I can't say we'll be able to do that every day, but even if it's three times a week, it will be a blessing to us. So glad I visited you today!
Hip chick:
I've wondered about reading on-line...glad to hear that it works for you. I'll keep that option in mind for me now...
Laura:
It's great that you're reading through also. I don't know how often Jeff and I will read together per week, but even if it's just once per week, it's better than what we're doing now together (none).
Blessings to both of you with your reading!
Go for it Lisa!
I've been reading the Bible every year for a number of years and it isn't as daunting a task as you might think.
This year I've actually decided to step it up and read through a different translation (I'm an NIV person) including study notes. So I've begun reading through the ESV Study Bible and it's going well so far.
Anyways, hope you make it through and that it is helpful for you.
May the Lord richly bless your determination to seek Him in the reading of His Word! A couples' plan? How cool!
There are times for both. I have read it through in a year several times, once in 2 months and now in 6 months. Next I'm going to probably go back to a year. I don't think I'll do it in 2 months again for awhile, but it was a neat experience to see different parts of the bible lining up with each other that one normally wouldn't see reading through it slower.
I'm really enjoying your blog :)
We each do our personal Bible reading, mainly because he had never initiated it. I must be careful what I suggest. I am reading through this year. The last time I did this, I read one version and played a cassette from another version while I read. It went quickly and was illuminating too.
Good point, Hazel. We need to be careful that we don’t make rules about what is “required” Bible reading.
Your method sounds very cool. I’m reading through the OT this year in one version and the NT in another version, but it’s probably going to take me 2-3 years to get through, but that’s okay.
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