I have been using an excellent reading plan to read through the Bible in 52 weeks, a year plan. I love it for several reasons related to the way it is organized and recommend it for those who want to find a stimulating approach to reading through the Bible.
On the website, you can get the downloadable pdf at no cost. The pdf has a chart with 52 weeks along the side and along the top the seven days of the week. Each block in the chart has a little box you can check off when you have completed that reading, so if I miss a day, I am not necessarily tied to the days of the week listed along the top. I can just check the block I complete and the next time keep going where I left off. I may not finish in a year, but the chart allows me to follow along and keep track of myself in an orderly manner. Instead of a year I can think of it as a 365 day plan. I like that I can relax and not stress about making sure all my days are filled. I spend a lot of time in the Word with Bible study and Sunday school preparations and our church home group (which we call care groups) study and my favorite devotional that I don’t want to give up, all while reading through the Bible in a year. So the set up gives me more freedom rather than more stress. I like that.
Above each day, the readings are broken up by Bible sections, Epistles, The Law, History, Psalms, Poetry, Prophecy, and Gospels. What fun it is to read through the Bible this way. Each day I read a different section of the Bible so when I hit a spot that is tougher to read, I am not bogged down. It makes it much easier to read with enthusiasm even the long lists of genealogy or the difficult trials of Job. The next day I will have something different to look forward to, but I am also eager to get back to finish where I left off in these heavier sections the next week. They are far enough apart not to be so weighty all at once, but close enough to keep the flow of the text. And I have a tendency to want to just review briefly what I read from that book the week before, so I get an extra blessing of holding onto the text a bit more than I might if I was reading straight through.
Since I am using my study Bible in which I am supposed to place chapter titles as I study, I am using this opportunity to think about the themes of the chapter and record them as I go. There is always so much to be gleaned from each reading of the Word of God. I appreciate the challenge of considering the theme in each chapter and not having it given to me. The more I think on the Word of God, the more I allow the Lord to shape me and transform me into the likeness of Christ. That is my prayer and I know I have a whole lot of transforming left to have done.
I am always delighted about what God has for me when I come to Him with open heart and open mind. Another thing I really like about this particular Bible Plan is that I am always excited to see what the reading for the day will be and what God will be teaching me today. I know that attitude is a gift from God as well, but it is a gift He is readily willing to give to all who ask. I pray today you will seek and receive your delight in and from the Lord.
