Your New Years Resolution
12/29/2004 19:01 Filed in: Faith & Reason
Sure you can still cut down on seconds and go to the gym, but you've got to add this one, too...
If you're in any of my classes, you've probably heard my rule: Read the Bible daily; study the Bible one to two times a week. And anytime I suggest this, I admit up front that I don't keep this perfectly every week, but it is my goal.
As many of you know, I collect translations of the Bible. One of the things I like to do while I read the Bible as part of my daily goal is to systematically read through one different translation after another. Unfortunately, unless I seriously pick up the pace, I now have more translations than I can read before I die.
Normally if you asked me whether it was better to read for content or just read something from God's Word every day, I would have to answer that it's important that you read something.
However, I would like to challenge you, especially if you've never done it before, to read through the entire Bible in 2005. Some of you may have done this many times, but I also know individuals who, although they have been believers for years and years, have never systematically read through the one book they supposedly look to for direction and guidance.
Think about it for a second. At some point in eternity, you will get to hang out with everyone there. What's it going to be like to have Zephaniah slip something into the conversation about the book he wrote in the Old Testament and you think to yourself, I didn't even know he wrote a book. Okay, granted that is a bit silly, but there are some very good reasons to read through the Bible.
1. Reading through the Bible in a systematic method gives you a complete overview of God's salvation history.
2. Reading through the BIble will draw you closer to God as you spend consistent time in his Word.
3. Reading through the Bible will better familiarize you with its content so that you can give both greater witness to an unbelieving world and give answers to those who don't understand what the Bible says.
3. Reading through the Bible will prove to be a life-changing experience. Let me explain below.
The author of Hebrews wrote, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12, NASB). I experienced this for myself for the first time when I was a teenager. I spent a week at home in bed with mononucleosis, and that was the first time I truly read the Bible. Now you should know that I had a difficult time as a teenager staying out of trouble, even though I had been in church since I was two-weeks old.
During that week in which I was ill, I was quite bored because back then we only had three channels on television. I wasn't interested in game shows or soap operas, so I looked around my room and my hand landed on the Bible that I carried with me to church every week. I wiped the dust of misuse off of it, and I began reading in Matthew's gospel. By the week's end, I was well into John's account. I set the Bible back into its place and didn't think much of it as I went back to school the following week.
But something was different. As I attempted to go back to doing the same things I had been doing before (things which I knew I shouldn't be doing), I was startled to have Bible verses pop into my head. It was a bit scary! Although I had accepted Christ as my savior a number of years before, I look to this week as the true turning point in my life. Granted, it was not an overnight change for me. There was a long gradual process that the Lord was bringing about in my life. In fact, you could say that the process is ongoing even today. But I can honestly say that it was really kickstarted that week I began reading the Bible in my bed while I was home alone sick.
Later, I would pick up my Bible again and finish John. Then I finished the rest of the New Testament. Then I went back and read the Old Testament. I remember the day when I finished reading the entire Bible for the first time. I drove to the parking lot at church. It was a holy moment for me, and I guess I wanted to be on some kind of holy ground. The church parking lot would do!
Since then I've read through the Bible a number of times, although I don't necessarily try to do it in one year anymore. However, this year, since I am challenging you, I am going to do it, too.
I know what you're saying. "There's no way I can read all the way through the Bible." But you can. I've heard all the excuses, such as...
I can't read through the Bible because I don't have enough time.
How long does it actually take? If you were to sit down right now and read through the entire Bible without eating, sleeping, or going to the bathroom--if you were just to read through the Bible straight with no breaks--how long would it take? Two years? Half a year?
Actually, it would only take sixty hours. SIXTY HOURS! How do I know this? Well, I timed myself. No, not really. Actually, I just ran this very scientific study. I went to a local Christian book store and I surveyed the Bibles on CD. The average audio Bible was on 60 one-hour CDs. That's all. That's it. And considering that you can read silently faster than you can read aloud, you can probably read through the Bible in less time than that.
Now, think about this for a second. How long would it take you to read through the Bible if you read for a whole hour every day? Two months.
How long if you read for half an hour every day? Four months.
How long if you read for 15 minutes every day? Eight months.
So get this... If you thoughtfully read the Bible for just around ten minutes or so a day, you can read through it in a year. How much time do you spend watching TV, listening to the radio, playing video games, or whatever you do to unwind. Is it too much to ask to read through the Bible in a year by spending ten to fifteen minutes a day reading God's Word?
If you don't think you will stick to it, make yourself accountable to someone or read through it with a friend or family member. This year, Kathy and I have made it a goal to read through the new Holman Christian Standard Bible together.
So how do you do it? What's the plan?
Well, it's actually pretty easy. The no-brainer way to read through the Bible is to simply read four chapters a day. That will take you through the entire book in about a year.
However, sometimes folks bog down in certain parts. Let's be honest, sometimes a book like Leviticus isn't initially all that exciting to the average reader (personally I find it fascinating, but maybe I'm weird). Therefore, I would recommend to you a reading plan that incorporates readings from both testaments in your daily reading. Consider picking up a One-Year Bible from the book store that breaks readings down into portions from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. There are a number of editions like this in most of the major translations.
Or simply find one of the many Bible reading plans that are around, many of which you can download from the Internet, such as this one from Discipleship Journal: Brp2.pdf.
Regardless of how you do it, just do it. Make 2005 your very own personal Year of the BIble. Experience the power of God's Word in your life completely. I promise you that your life will never be the same.
If you're in any of my classes, you've probably heard my rule: Read the Bible daily; study the Bible one to two times a week. And anytime I suggest this, I admit up front that I don't keep this perfectly every week, but it is my goal.
As many of you know, I collect translations of the Bible. One of the things I like to do while I read the Bible as part of my daily goal is to systematically read through one different translation after another. Unfortunately, unless I seriously pick up the pace, I now have more translations than I can read before I die.
Normally if you asked me whether it was better to read for content or just read something from God's Word every day, I would have to answer that it's important that you read something.
However, I would like to challenge you, especially if you've never done it before, to read through the entire Bible in 2005. Some of you may have done this many times, but I also know individuals who, although they have been believers for years and years, have never systematically read through the one book they supposedly look to for direction and guidance.
Think about it for a second. At some point in eternity, you will get to hang out with everyone there. What's it going to be like to have Zephaniah slip something into the conversation about the book he wrote in the Old Testament and you think to yourself, I didn't even know he wrote a book. Okay, granted that is a bit silly, but there are some very good reasons to read through the Bible.
1. Reading through the Bible in a systematic method gives you a complete overview of God's salvation history.
2. Reading through the BIble will draw you closer to God as you spend consistent time in his Word.
3. Reading through the Bible will better familiarize you with its content so that you can give both greater witness to an unbelieving world and give answers to those who don't understand what the Bible says.
3. Reading through the Bible will prove to be a life-changing experience. Let me explain below.
The author of Hebrews wrote, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12, NASB). I experienced this for myself for the first time when I was a teenager. I spent a week at home in bed with mononucleosis, and that was the first time I truly read the Bible. Now you should know that I had a difficult time as a teenager staying out of trouble, even though I had been in church since I was two-weeks old.
During that week in which I was ill, I was quite bored because back then we only had three channels on television. I wasn't interested in game shows or soap operas, so I looked around my room and my hand landed on the Bible that I carried with me to church every week. I wiped the dust of misuse off of it, and I began reading in Matthew's gospel. By the week's end, I was well into John's account. I set the Bible back into its place and didn't think much of it as I went back to school the following week.
But something was different. As I attempted to go back to doing the same things I had been doing before (things which I knew I shouldn't be doing), I was startled to have Bible verses pop into my head. It was a bit scary! Although I had accepted Christ as my savior a number of years before, I look to this week as the true turning point in my life. Granted, it was not an overnight change for me. There was a long gradual process that the Lord was bringing about in my life. In fact, you could say that the process is ongoing even today. But I can honestly say that it was really kickstarted that week I began reading the Bible in my bed while I was home alone sick.
Later, I would pick up my Bible again and finish John. Then I finished the rest of the New Testament. Then I went back and read the Old Testament. I remember the day when I finished reading the entire Bible for the first time. I drove to the parking lot at church. It was a holy moment for me, and I guess I wanted to be on some kind of holy ground. The church parking lot would do!
Since then I've read through the Bible a number of times, although I don't necessarily try to do it in one year anymore. However, this year, since I am challenging you, I am going to do it, too.
I know what you're saying. "There's no way I can read all the way through the Bible." But you can. I've heard all the excuses, such as...
I can't read through the Bible because I don't have enough time.
How long does it actually take? If you were to sit down right now and read through the entire Bible without eating, sleeping, or going to the bathroom--if you were just to read through the Bible straight with no breaks--how long would it take? Two years? Half a year?
Actually, it would only take sixty hours. SIXTY HOURS! How do I know this? Well, I timed myself. No, not really. Actually, I just ran this very scientific study. I went to a local Christian book store and I surveyed the Bibles on CD. The average audio Bible was on 60 one-hour CDs. That's all. That's it. And considering that you can read silently faster than you can read aloud, you can probably read through the Bible in less time than that.
Now, think about this for a second. How long would it take you to read through the Bible if you read for a whole hour every day? Two months.
How long if you read for half an hour every day? Four months.
How long if you read for 15 minutes every day? Eight months.
So get this... If you thoughtfully read the Bible for just around ten minutes or so a day, you can read through it in a year. How much time do you spend watching TV, listening to the radio, playing video games, or whatever you do to unwind. Is it too much to ask to read through the Bible in a year by spending ten to fifteen minutes a day reading God's Word?
If you don't think you will stick to it, make yourself accountable to someone or read through it with a friend or family member. This year, Kathy and I have made it a goal to read through the new Holman Christian Standard Bible together.
So how do you do it? What's the plan?
Well, it's actually pretty easy. The no-brainer way to read through the Bible is to simply read four chapters a day. That will take you through the entire book in about a year.
However, sometimes folks bog down in certain parts. Let's be honest, sometimes a book like Leviticus isn't initially all that exciting to the average reader (personally I find it fascinating, but maybe I'm weird). Therefore, I would recommend to you a reading plan that incorporates readings from both testaments in your daily reading. Consider picking up a One-Year Bible from the book store that breaks readings down into portions from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. There are a number of editions like this in most of the major translations.
Or simply find one of the many Bible reading plans that are around, many of which you can download from the Internet, such as this one from Discipleship Journal: Brp2.pdf.
Regardless of how you do it, just do it. Make 2005 your very own personal Year of the BIble. Experience the power of God's Word in your life completely. I promise you that your life will never be the same.