The Bible in 2020

Have you ever read through the Bible? Many have started, but fewer have finished. As someone who has been reading through the Bible annually for most of the past fifty years, I would like to help you be successful in reading the entire book from cover to cover over the next twelve months.

What keeps people from finishing their reading? Here are some pitfalls that I have had to overcome:

  1. Unrealistic expectations. Some do not allow the time necessary to read the Bible. It cannot be done quickly. It is better to plan at least a year to read through it. My first time through took three years, reading at the rate of only one chapter a day.
  2. Emergencies. You may have a plan to read but it gets interrupted by the unexpected or the unforeseen. Flat tires, sick kids, and unexpected demands on the job are some of the distractions that come without warning. They may not be ignored. When you get behind on reading, pick up where you left off and keep going. A plan needs to be flexible allowing for the unexpected. Don’t let interruptions become permanent. Return to your reading as soon as they are over.
  3. Disorganization. Not having a time and place to read is a sign of disorganization that can be remedied. If possible, put Bible reading in your daily schedule when it is least likely to be interrupted (maybe early morning or late at night). Designate a place to read. Have the essential materials (your Bible, a pencil, notebook, etc.) in place and ready to go.
  4. Spiritual drought. Bible reading can become tedious and discouraging if you find you are not getting anything useful out of it. We have spiritual needs. Our faith needs to be strengthened. Our fears need to be calmed. Our minds need to be renewed with God’s truth. We need wisdom in making decisions. There are large portions of the Bible that do not seem to lend themselves to gleaning much immediate benefit to ones spiritual life. It’s easy to get discouraged when you read three chapters of genealogies and don’t see what that has to do with your life. Sometimes a devotional book or commentary can shed light on those passages1. All in all this should not going to be a permanent problem because when the road gets long and the scenery dull, there is easier traveling ahead. I have learned to gain some profit from every book of the Bible.

Are you considering reading through the Bible in the New Year? Let me suggest a plan and invite you to join me each day here to share the reading journey.

Beginning on New Year’s day, I will post a daily reading assignment which will take you through the Old and New Testaments simultaneously.

What could be easier?

We, who are serious Christians or who are considering the Christian faith, should make Bible reading a regular part of our lives. But if you have never read through the Bible, you will see that it is a massive undertaking. It can be done with great benefit to your soul. It’s better not to attempt a faster reading but to read daily at a steady pace taking time to reflect on some of the verses.

The plan I am suggesting here for this coming year begins in Genesis in the Old Testament and Matthew in the New Testament.

If you prefer to read at a slower pace you could opt to read only one of the readings each day and complete the entire Bible in 2 years instead of one. Either way the important thing is to get started and keep going. I will be here each day with a fresh posting to encourage you along the way. I hope you will join me on January 1.

1See my book cover to Cover: Through the Bible in 365 Days, Metokos Press, 2015 available on Amazon.com

© John Carroll 2016 Used by permission.

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