The Bible In A Year – Or Ten?
I am a slowpoke.
Not because I’m lazy, though I do have my moments, but because noticing beauty takes time.
When I’m whizzing around getting everything done I miss the beauty God sprinkles along my path. I get all tense and barren. And those dread messages of “not enough” hound my every hurried step.
This morning I was supposed to get through four chapters according to my Bible reading chart. So far I’ve managed 2 verses.
Two cups of tea and 2 verses.
I’ve been reading chronologically through the Old Testament since September. Fascinating to see the story in real time- beginning at the Beginning and reading Job right after the debacle of the Tower of Babel. David’s disasters and the Psalms he wrote in response to God’s rescue plan.
Why haven’t I done this before?
But how can I whisk through poetry? How dare I miss the beauty?
And so I’m not sure I’ll reach the end of the story by the end of my should. And I’m not sure I should.
Maybe what I should do is go at my own pace. A laconic stroll through wisdom… drinking in every sip… swallowing truth I need to know… writing words about what I want to be… because of what He’s done for me.
A slow poke.
I dare not let my self-imposed should’s and ought to’s and supposed to’s make me miss the beauty.
From my heart,
Diane
P.S. And you? Have you latched on to a plan for your time in the Word this year? Are you getting up a little earlier to open wisdom and let God sprinkle it into your heart and mind?
I’d love to hear what you’re doing and why. Whether you’re zipping through to get the Big Picture (a wise way to go for sure!) or going slow or maybe a little of both.
P.S.S. And moms-of-little-ones how are you doing it?
Diane, thank you for this post. This has been on my heart lately. I started the “read through the Bible in a year” reading plan in Jan 2012 but am still doing it. I have about 2 and a half more months left. When I realized I wasn’t going to finish it all in 2012 I decided I needed to just keep doing it and finish, even if it was late. No one is watching, no one is going to tell me the assignment is late, I just need to finish it for myself and for my relationship with the Lord. Your post today was so encouraging.
To answer your questions, I’ve been getting up early every morning to read. I’m a tea drinker myself and love to read early with some tea. I have a 2 year old and am pregnant with our second so it’s a challenge. If I can get to bed even 15 minutes earlier every night, it makes the mornings a little easier- that’s how I’m doing it now. Thanks again for this post…I really needed it to encourage my heart that I’m not along in reading “slowly”!
Dear Katie, Let me tell you, you are going to be so glad 10 years from now that you put this early morning time into the Word. You are stacking up wisdom that you’ll draw on when your 2 year old is 12 and facing all the angst and all the choices ahead. And you’re so right- no one is grading you on this! This is for us, to feast on God’s faithfulness
Good Morning, Diane.
A couple years ago I started going thru the New Testament in a year. I was to read the appropriate number of chapters and then blog about what I cleaned from them. What you said about “slow poke” became so true. There was no way I could read and pull out everything God was trying to show me, in the time-slot allotted. One year went to two, etc. I haven’t been able to finish my blog (work situation) but it was such a rich time and I saw so much of God, His plan and His beauty.
Currently, I read verses assigned by Dr. Charles Stanley, his insight, then I go to youtube and find a song to spend a few minutes praising or praying to God before I head out to work.
Happy 2013 to you and yours.
Dear Donna,
I love the idea of blogging about what you read in the morning!
I am doing something new this year and I am loving it! I have downloaded DAB (Daily Auto Bible) which has the bible through a year program. They too read the Old Testment, the New Testment with Psalms and Proverbs for each day. While I am listening…I have my bible open so I can visually follow with my journal next to me. For me….hearing and seeing God’s words at the same time allows His word to marinate into my inner soul for the rest of the day. It is the kind of learner I am! At the end of the reading…there is an application to our lives! Wow…God has been speaking to me loudly!
Diane – My story about traveling through God’s word is riddled with hot and cold spells over the years. This year is different. Roughly 8-10 weeks ago, I had a heart-to-heart with my Savior. I woke up extra early and I pulled out my bright yellow legal pad and my Bic stick pen and began to pour out my heart. I apologized to my Him for not pursuing Him like I should. And then I paused…
I began to mentally dissect what “Pursuing” is. The best way I could wrap my simple mind around it, was Alex. He pursued me – the right way. I’m so thankful that Jesus knows my heart and my motives because I put down my legal pad and I got on my knees. I asked HIM to pursue ME. In the most selfless way I could, I asked Him to wake me prior to my alarm, to open my eyes to see His wonders, to increase my love & adoration for Him through our time together.
I’m up before my alarm. I’m reading through Psalms and Proverbs and unpacking verse-by-verse, (sometimes word-by-word with my Strongs) savoring the beauty of the Savior who loves me enough to pursue ME.
I’m praying for you more than I ever have – that your 2013 would be RICH with blessing as your life absolutely blesses others.
Dear Diane, Your quiet, in-depth insights are very much appreciated. After reading one of Richard Foster’s books last year I decided to slow down and listen more intently. Foster recommended taking about 10 verses, reading once, then going back and highlighting those verses that God was particularly speaking to me. Then going back and reading those verses one more time leading to prayer and listening. I was putting those steps into practice on my laptop, cutting and pasting the Bible verses for each day. After a number of months doing this I began to look for images that were appropriate for the Bible verses each morning. I googled the images and cut and pasted those into my running Bible study. The addition of paintings, icons and other types of art and photography have been very meaningful and given a new depth and understanding to the verses themselves. I have also found a number of excellent Christian blogs through these google searches.
Good morning, Diane!!
Last year, I started the SR Bible reading plan, and I was actively reading on my way to and from school every day. Similarly, I didn’t finish ‘in a year’, but like the other Katie said, there’s no due date, no rush. Also, what you said, “I dare not let my self-imposed should’s and ought to’s and supposed to’s make me miss the beauty.” It is so true, I don’t want to get caught up in my expectation of what ‘looks right’ to get in the way. This is about learning God, loving Him, and recognizing His Beauty in the lines of the scriptures!
I try to wake up early, I feel as though I can set 2-5 alarms and still not stay up when I hear them. I am trying to grow/allow my desire to seek God help me get up early!
Thank you for giving me encouragement for future mornings of reading and experiencing beauty!
Dear Diane,
I too have ‘struggled’ with plans to read and the ‘should’ be at such and such and not being there (a.k.a. way behind). I would quit, justify it as something to try at another time. I have read through the Bible once fully before and remembered hardly anything, though I could check off each box in the schedule. This time is DIFFERENT– I am using the 9 month ‘Lead’ schedule and taking time to listen to a 5 minute framework from the vimeo “Bible in 5″ series. before I start each new book. For whatever reason, this and jotting down something each day is helping me stay with it. I am actually remembering, seeing patterns and loving the Old Testament. I appreciate your thoughts of ireading it over 10 years…. that is freeing too (especially for someone like me, that likes to “fit” into the rules). Thank you for asking this question!
Beth, I agree that it is good and healthy to read through the entire Bible cover to cover in order to get the big picture, or as John Mark calls it, the Meta-Story. Yet, like you, its so hard to remember when I’m whizzing through. I love your idea of writing something down every day- like a list! Most of us do like our lists… and sometimes that’s the only way I’ll remember anything. Thanks for the tip.
There is just no hope for me to read the Bible in a year…Im not sure if its because I get so much out of it or have such a hard time comprehending it. But whichever it is I am learning to love the word of God. I have found I was longing to get to ‘Jesus’s words’ in the new testament, now I know why…they are like a quenching water to my soul. His words are healing my heart, reaching my mind and blessing my soul!
.
As a mom of young kids that also homeschools, I live for the precious moments with my Lord in the word. I choose to read the word as i’m putting the baby down for her nap and once she is asleep I linger in her quiet room to finish my devotional and pray. This is my only quiet time of the day and the boys know not to bug mommy when she is putting the baby down
What a wonderful way to have your alone time with God, Abby!
Dear Diane,
This post gave me so much hope! I have a hard time wizzing through my bible and “getting those four chapters in! I feel like i miss the little things. And I adore the details! I sure do hate to miss the little details that God weaves into his word! i love that every time I pick it up I find new truth unraveling before my eyes! I can read the same verse 100 times and still find things I haven’t found before! Thank you so much for your thoughts and encouragement!!!
-Love Teri
Teri, I am discovering that a lot of us are like this! Those details take time to chew on. Like Moses, we want to “turn aside to notice” what God is saying and speaking.
Unfortunately, I’ve also let the should’s and ought to’s persuade me not to read my Bible all the way through like “they” tell me I should. And when I started my reading plan 10 days after the new year started, just to be a little defiant, I have found that it is hard for me to follow a set in stone plan, and that I should trudge through it at my own pace, with the intention of reading through it in however long it takes me. Better than not reading it through at all, right?