A Former Quitter's Guide To Reading The Bible in a Year

Recently, I was reading my first blog post from January 2012. In it, I confessed that in all my 25+ years of being a Christian, I’d never once read my Bible in its entirety. I was a Bible Reading Quitter. In the past, I’d start with good intentions and then get to about Leviticus and quit.

People would suggest reading plans with all these scriptures listed and I’d quit before starting. Too tedious.
I love to read novels, so I tried thinking of the Bible as a novel and was determined to read it from beginning to end. Yeah, that didn't work out well.
I tried starting in the middle at Matthew and I quit before the Book of Acts.

Terrible, I know.

Every time I quit, I felt like failure. So, in my guilt and condemnation, I’d put my Bible down, letting it collect dust on my shelf. And the next year, I'd start the process all over again. During that time, I’d complain, “God, why can’t I hear from You? Why do other people hear Your voice and I hear nothing? What's wrong with me? Wah, wah, wah!”

I grew disillusioned, discouraged, and a little cold.

Until, I heard two Bible study mentors say very plainly and bluntly, “God speaks to us through His Word. Do you want to hear from God?"
Yeah, duh!
"Then open up His Word.”

OK, then.

Eons ago, I attended a Women’s Conference and I heard a speaker talk about how God spoke to her in the most miraculous ways through her Bible. She mentioned how if you made it a habit to read your Bible, you’d be amazed how God speaks directly to you. So, I bought the $70 Bible she recommended. It was chronologically divided by calendar date. On January 1st, you’d read Genesis Chapter 1, Matthew Chapter 1, Psalm 1 and Proverbs 1. On January 2, you’d read Genesis Chapter 2, Matthew 2, Psalm 2 and Proverbs 2, etc. etc.

Well, I started out great until I'd get behind on my reading. I’d miss a few days, try to catch up, and soon I’d get overwhelmed and quit. So my $70 Bible went on the shelf for years until April 2012 when my desire to hear from God consumed me. I was on a quest to hear from Him no matter what. So, I got my stepladder and retrieved that dusty Bible from the top shelf where it was hidden and opened it.

Amazingly, I learned the KEY to successfully reading my Bible without quitting.
I, Yolanda, am no longer a Bible Reading Quitter. I have seen the Light so to speak.
And, I'd like to share this KEY with you.

First, you’ll need the following items to get you started:

Buy The One Year Bible that arranges the entire Bible into 365 readings. Get an easy to understand translation. I personally like the New Living Translation. Some people like to read the Bible online. I don’t like that for daily reading. I use an online Bible tool for research and to read different translations. However, to hear from God personally, I want to hold His Word in my hand. Here is why.  Reading God’s Word should be a conversation. He’s speaking and we’re listening and taking notes. If the God of the Universe wants to tell us something, don’t you think we’d better be prepared to write it down so we don't forget.

I always read my Bible with a highlighter and pen. When scriptures jump out at me, I’ll highlight them. If a scripture reminds me of someone, I’ll write that person’s name in my Bible next to the scripture. If I have a question for God, and He answers it by the words on the page, I'll note the date. Now, God and I are having an awesome conversation. Once you start hiding God's Word in your heart, it will start to manifest in your dreams, prayers, conversation, and writing. I have only heard an audibly voice from Heaven twice, and both times God woke me up from my sleep with a scripture verse. Trust me, God speaks to us through His Word. It is alive. It is God breathed.

So, the KEY to not quitting is do not try and make up reading for missed days. You’ll get frustrated.
Just read the assigned reading for that day.
For example, if it’s January 3 and you haven’t even started (like me this year), don’t stress. Just start on January 3rd. It’s better to read 60-80% of the Bible in a year than quitting after a few weeks or months.

My first year, I probably read 50% of the Bible. The next year 75%. The next year 90%.  I still am not at 100% because I'll miss reading on the weekend. However, because I highlight and take notes, I know exactly what pages I missed the year before and I catch them the following time around. Reading God's Word is not a chore. We are not getting graded.  Remember, we are building a relationship. We are starting each day talking with our Heavenly Father.

So, after 5 years of reading my old $70 Bible, it’s finally falling apart at the seams. How awesome is that! Do you need a $70 Bible? NO. You can get a One Year Bible online for less than $20. I just picked one up for my husband at a used bookstore for $1.

Whenever I see one of these Bibles at a used bookstore, I’ll buy it so that I can give it away. It's the best gift to give someone because a Bible falling apart at the seams promises hope for a life falling apart at the seams.
Charles Spurgeon said, "A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to some who isn't."

So, how about you? Are you hungry for more of God? Do you long to have a personal conversation with Him? Is your life falling apart at the seams and you need God to put it back together again?

Here is what God wants to tell you:
“I, The LORD, look down from Heaven on the entire human race to see if there is anyone who is seeking after Me. I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me, I promise will find Me. Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.  My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body."
(Psalm 14:2; Proverbs 8:17; Jeremiah 33:3; Proverbs 4:20-22)

My prayer for all of us is that 2017 brings us closer and closer to the heart of the Father. May we gain a greater revelation of who God is through a deeper relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Love,
Yolanda, Former Bible Reading Quitter