I recently finished reading through the Bible for the year. And, yes, I’m proud of it! I have read the Bible through four or five times in my lifetime, and one of those times was in 90 days! That was really fast!

Every time I read through the Bible I learn new things, and something different captures my attention. I make new connections and deepen my understanding. And God always shows me something I have missed before.

This time, for example, I fell in love with the book of Daniel. Daniel’s relationship with God, in spite of his surroundings and his circumstances, is incredibly inspiring. Daniel’s prayers are beautiful, and his faith is overwhelming.

There are so many benefits to reading through the Bible:

• You get an over-arching picture of the Word of God.
• You connect events, characters, and places that you have learned about before as separate stories.
• You discover passages that touch your soul in a way you never expected.
• You have a daily plan that keeps you showing up to your time with the Lord.

…just to name a few. Every believer should commit to reading through the Bible at least once in her life. You could do it very quickly, say in 90 days, or you could take three years or longer to get through it. It is a commitment you won’t regret keeping!

Though I have thoroughly enjoyed reading through the Bible this year, I won’t be doing it again next year. Here is why:

• I love lists, and I found myself battling my tendency to read the passages just to be able to check them off.
• I enjoy diving deeper into Scripture, and I found that, by the time I finished my passage for the day, my day and all of its tasks were pushing in on me.
• I had to continually check my motives. Why was I doing this? Was it just to be able to say I did it or was I really growing my relationship with God?

Whether I am reading through the Bible, studying a passage on my own, or doing a Bible study and gleaning from someone else’s wisdom, the goal is always to grow a deeper relationship with the Author of this love letter.

If you have not read through the Bible, I encourage you to commit in 2020. There are a plethora of reading plans out there. You can read from Genesis to Revelation. You can read it chronologically, or you can mix it up. Many Bibles come with a reading plan in the back.

If you need accountability, I’d love to provide it. Let me know if you’re making the commitment, and let me cheer you on!