Should You Read Your Bible in a Year?

Yes.  And no.

The great thing about reading your Bible in a year is that you are reading large sections of Scripture every day.

The not-so-great thing about reading your Bible in a year is that you are, well, reading large sections of Scripture every day.

Seriously.

While it's great to read that much Bible, moving along at a clipped pace doesn't allow you to pause, meditate, linger.  Not only that, but life gets in the way sometimes.

And, then, the biggie.   If you're a perfectionist, when you miss a day you feel like all is lost and you just give up.

So, what I'm going to suggest is choosing a reading plan and using the schedule to guide your Bible reading, not dictate it.

Let me say that again.

Use the schedule to guide your Bible reading, not dictate it.  

Here's how:

1. Decide on a READING PLAN.  My favorite is the chronological plan, but there are many others you can choose.
2. Print out your plan and tape it into the back of your Bible.
3. No matter what day of the year it is, start on January 1st.  If you're using the chronological plan, that's Genesis 1-3.  Read as much as you would like, as your schedule allows, or until you hit something that you want to linger over.  Then you stop.  
4. If you read all the way through that day's reading, put a little checkmark beside Gen 1-3 in the plan you have taped in the back of your Bible.   If you didn't read all the way through Genesis 3, don't put a checkmark.  Tomorrow, pick your Bible reading back up wherever you stopped.
   Use the schedule to guide your Bible reading, not dictate it.  

For some of you this is freaking you out.

You cannot believe that I am telling you on January 2nd to start a reading plan that is clearly intended to start on January 1st.  And, I'm telling you that you don't even have to read all of that day's assigned reading.  Believe it.

The goal is to read the Bible every day.

Here's why this plan works:

1.  It is systematic.  You never wake up and think, "I don't know where I should read today," spend 15 minutes flipping through your Bible waiting for a verse to jump out at you and inspire you for your day, and then set your Bible down in frustration.  You flip to the back of your Bible, see where you left off, and pick up there.

2.  It allows for life.  Some days you may have hours for reading the Bible, but other days you only have 15 minutes.  This plan allows you to read your Bible for the amount of time your life will allow.

3.  It allows for a pause.  Some of you are involved in organized Bible studies in your community or in your church.  Or, you may be following my Basic, Simple, Straightforward Quiet Time plan with a book of your choosing or with my guide through Philippians.  With this plan, you can put a pause on the plan for days when you are working on your Bible study, but then have the plan for your go-to when you are not doing your Bible study.

4.  It allows for lingering.  As you read your Bible, you may want to linger, pray over passages, memorize a verse, journal.  With this plan, you can do that.

Use the schedule to guide your Bible reading, not dictate it.  

So, should you read your Bible in a year?  Yes.  And no.

Leave me a comment and let me know how Bible reading schedules have worked for you in the past.    What do you like about this plan?  What freaks you out about it?