“Although the typical believer contends that the Bible is accurate in what it teaches, he or she spends less time reading the Bible in a year than watching television, listening to music, reading other books and publications, or conversing about personal hobbies and leisure interests.”
Revolution pp.33
Interesting quote from the book Revolution.
Tonight I challenged my college group to read the whole Bible, from cover to cover:
1189 chapters in the Bible
333 days left in the year
3.57 chapters a day to complete it
I have been really amazed over the last month of just how transformative the word of God is. Should seem obvious, right. But I think we rarely realize just how transformative it is from straight reading. We often feel like if we are not studying the passage, or exegeting it, or preaching it, etc, etc…..then we wonder if it really has any affect upon us.
But what I am finding these days is what happens when one just reads the word of God. I encouraged my students to take up this challenge for one main reason. Not so that they can check off one more spiritual task, or so they can add another accomplishment to their spiritual star chart…..but so they can have a relationship with Jesus Christ. When we read the word of God we are interacting in a very relational way with Jesus Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit in this process.
I also encouraged them to not go about this in a legalistic way…if they miss a day here and there, well then, they miss a day. There will be ups and downs. I also reminded them that this will require a lot of discipline, but they will find within the first month or two that the discipline, though still there, will give way to joy and pleasure, and the anticipation of wanting to read God’s word each day. They will soon find that their day does not begin on the right foot if it hasn’t begun in God’s word. They will soon find that they can’t go to bed at night, and their day will seem incomplete, unless they have spent time in it.
3.57….that is all it takes.
I am finding now that 3.57 is not enough for me. I want to read and read, but then I realize I have to get to work and go about other things in my life as well.
And if you are having trouble getting started, well Bible in a Year will help you out, and will mail out your passages to you each day.
