On December 31st, 2024, I completed seventeen years of going through the Bible once a year. It is a discipline I hold and keep that takes me through the Bible every day. I listen to the Daily Audio Bible. It is a Podcast hosted by Brian Hardin. So, I have listened to and have gone through the Bible seventeen times in seventeen years. It is a powerful habit that gets into your life. Now, I still "read," and nothing replaces reading the Bible. But for some, it is easier to listen to it. We hear it sometimes differently than we read.
I want to encourage anyone who is considering starting a Bible reading plan, especially a one-year Bible reading plan. It is hard to imagine anything that replaces the excitement of New Year’s Day. But New Year’s Day pales in comparison to the feeling of completing the Bible on December 31st. There is nothing like it.
People comment on how much I know about the Bible. That is a wonderful compliment. I am a pastor, so that just comes with it. This is stuff that I should know. It is what makes me a good minister. And it is why I am a terrible electrician or auto mechanic. And for each of those realms, there is education behind all of it. You were taught, and as a professional, you live in what you were taught.
However, I speak for myself and any other profession: What you get in school is partial. It is what you spend your time doing. The carpenter becomes a master carpenter by spending a lot of time in carpentry. If you want to know the Bible, it is not magic; it is simply spending time in the Bible. It is the “every day” that I encourage you to do. You do not have to go to school or go to seminary to become a student of the Bible. To love the scriptures. You must spend time in it.
There are sections that affirm your faith. There are sections you are familiar with. There are parts that shock you. Some things are shocking and upsetting, and things you had no idea were in there. But when you throw it in the pot, there is no other thing you can do in 2021 that will grow you like this.
Resources
- To visit the Daily Audio Bible, go here: You can download the app or sign up to receive podcasts however you listen to podcasts.
- https://oneyearbibleonline.com/reading-plan-downloads/
- https://www.ligonier.org/blog/bible-reading-plans/