Did you ever make a resolution to read your Bible in a year? Did you leave it behind in Leviticus or ditch it in Deuteronomy? I have good news for you: you can still keep that resolution. Yes, you read that correctly! You can read the Bible—the whole thing—in just 90 days. I know because I’ve done it, and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done to boost my faith.
Before you dismiss me as some super Christian who spends two hours a day in her Bible that is not me. While I have been a Christian for 25 years, I am ashamed to say I have never been consistent in my Bible reading. I have read the Bible through before twice—once in four years and once in two. I love studying the Bible, but reading it is not my forte. I know that the Bible is living and active and new every time I read it, but it still takes great effort for me to read it consistently day in and day out.
So when the idea popped into my head to read the entire Bible in 90 days, I thought I had lost my mind. If I couldn’t do it in a year, how in the world was I going to do it in three months? Yet I couldn’t shake the Holy Spirit’s prompting. If I could stick to such a rigorous plan for 90 days, wouldn’t that make Bible reading a lot easier? Spoiler alert: Yes!
How can you possibly do this with a job, kids, and your crazy, busy life? Try the YouVersion Bible in 90 Days Plan created by Ted Cooper. The plan is to read approximately 12-15 chapters a day in about an hour. Most of us can’t do that all in one sitting, but we can read portions throughout the day. For example, I often read a chapter or two in the morning, listened to two or three chapters on my way to work, read during my lunch break, listened to chapters on my way home from work, and then read before bed. Were there nights when I didn’t finish? Yes, but I made myself catch up the next morning or on the weekend.
WHY SHOULD YOU DO THE 90-DAY CHALLENGE?
1. It will give you a hunger for the Word.
I found when I got to Psalms and Proverbs, I really wanted to stop and meditate on the passage, but I couldn’t do that and reach my 90-days goal. I did pick out a verse or two each day to meditate on, but my objective with reading it so quickly was to grasp more of the overarching themes of the Bible. Not being able to stop and meditate gave me a hunger to come back and read those passages more slowly the next time and think about ways to incorporate them into my life.
2. It will help you in teaching, mentoring, or discipling others.
The whole Word of God was still fresh to me as I prepared to teach on a specific passage of Scripture that fall. It helped me plug that piece of Scripture into the greater context of the whole Bible as I taught, mentored, and discipled others.
3. It is your only offensive weapon against the devil and his schemes.
In Ephesians 6, we have many defensive weapons: the helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, belt of truth, shoes fitted with the gospel of peace, but only one offensive weapon: the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. It’s pretty hard to wield a weapon you don’t have! When trials come and Satan whispers in your ear, it’s important to know the verses that match your situation.
4. It will help you connect the Old and New Testaments better.
I was recently studying the birth narrative of Jesus and His name—Immanuel—God with us. The Holy Spirit brought to mind that God’s presence was with God’s people in the tabernacle. He was with us in the physical person of Jesus as a human being, and He is with us now—indwelling His children. I had never before realized that God has been with His people throughout time in every person of the Trinity. What a glorious thought!
5. It will enhance your worship of God.
Now that the totality of Scripture is more familiar to me, my soul resonates with Scriptural truths and they come to mind more frequently. I can worship Him more fully and completely because I know Him better, and isn’t that the whole point of Scripture?
What are you waiting for? Jump into the best winter read ever—the Bible!
LESSONS LEARNED FROM MY 90-DAY ADVENTURE
1. Sin and its Devastating Effects.
When I read the Bible in 90 days, I saw just how awful humans are when left to our own devices. “There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Rom. 3:10) One example is the exile. For some reason I never fully understood just how devastating it was to the Israelites. This time, I saw it as a precursor to the final exile—for those who don’t know Jesus—in eternity. God had removed His glory from the people and gave them over to their sin after years and years of mercy and grace, but also warning that disobeying God would lead to their abandonment forever. It was so sad to read Jeremiah and Lamentations after reading Exodus and Joshua. The Israelites had worked so hard to get their land only to lose it all by abandoning the one true God for empty idols.
2. God is Awesome!
He is love. He is merciful. He is full of grace and truth. He is so incredibly patient. He is sovereign. He is holy. He is just. He is forgiving. He knows all things. He is powerful. He is strong. He is a refuge in times of trouble. He loves the whole world, and getting to know Him in His Word has caused me to love Him more than I ever have before.
3. I Can Read the Bible Daily.
I used to think there was no way I could fit Bible reading into my life, but God is not a leftover. He wants all of me and He wants me first. Doesn’t He deserve that after all that He has done for me? Challenging myself to do this proved that I could. Now a “normal” daily reading is easier because I have made it a daily habit. I can spend more time meditating on it and really absorbing it. Sometimes, you just need to set what seems like an impossible goal to force yourself to step up to the challenge. Rest assured, the Holy Spirit will help you along the way.
~ By Cherry Hoffner. Cherry s a freelance writer living in Hebron, Indiana with her husband of 24 years, Dave, and their black cat, Pyewacket. She serves as the communications assistant and teaches a women’s Bible study at Bethel Church in Crown Point, Ind. She blogs at mindingmymatters.blogspot.com.
