Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. ~Psalm 119:105
The first Sunday in Advent marks the beginning of the church year, and the start of my sixth year reading the Bible all the way through. My scripture guide will be, once again, the 52 Week Bible Reading Plan. This plan is first introduced to me by our former pastor, Wallace, and I've stuck with it ever since.
What I find particularly alluring is how each of the weekly readings is categorized. There is none of that attempting to stick to on book of the Bible at a time. The variety keeps it fresh and inviting every day. Here's how the readings are divided:
- Sunday - Epistles
- Monday - The Law
- Tuesday - History
- Wednesday - Psalms (always a favorite!)
- Thursday - Poetry
- Friday - Prophecy
- Saturday - Gospels
Weaving between the Old and New Testaments certainly helps me to connect one with the other, as the Old reveals the promise of a coming Messiah, and the New establishes Jesus as God's Son. And it doesn't hurt to have The Jesus Bible close at hand; it offers insightful commentary of how so much of scripture points to the eventual arrival of a Savior for God's people.
Have I been tempted to try other study guides? Not really, but if there is one you use that has been enlightening and helpful, please mention it in the comment section. We are all uniquely created by our loving Father, and what method appeals to one person might not apply for another.
I'm excited about starting my new journey with the Lord. His Word provides the structure and road map to grow closer to Him as we mature in our Christian faith. I hope you will join me in some daily study of the Word that remains faithful and true, now and for eternity.
Amen!
Looks like an interesting way to read the Bible. How much reading is involved each day? Is this a calendar plan - i.e. 1 December read A, B and C; 2 December read X, Y and Z and so on?
ReplyDeleteGod bless, Martha.
Victor, there is never an overwhelming amount to read each day; very measured and doable. You begin on a Sunday and read through each week at a time until you've completed the entire year. I highly recommend it!
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As I saw the title of your post, my heart sighed with peace and rest. God and His Word have a way of quieting our spirits and drawing us closer to His tender heart.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Martha ...
Oh, it certainly does, Linda, no doubt about it! I so enjoy my daily quiet time with God, as I'm sure you do, too.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Sounds like a good reading plan. I always read the Bible from cover to cover and then again in a different translation/language. I am in Ecclesiastes right now, hmmm, not exactly the right time to read that :) So, I go to the gospels in between! i am glad to read that you are excited to start again!
ReplyDeleteYour plan sounds interesting, too, Marja. I do like the idea of reading in different translations; I did that for several years using Bible Gateway. It's fun to see the differences and similarities in the same verses of scripture.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Sounds like a good plan. Enjoy your journey!
ReplyDeleteI certainly will enjoy it, Martha.
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I don't have any particular reading guide for Advent. What I use are different books that have short devotions. For example, Paul David Tripp's book "Come Let Us Adore Him." John Piper has a good one I have read several times during the month of November or December. Daniel Darling did one on Characters of Christmas that was really helpful. (I split it into two days per reading). I'm currently using "The Christmas We Didn't Expect" by David Mathis for this year. I do a lot of reading for my sermons in the Bible so I use these outside sources to help give me perspective. I know others can't do that. The important thing is you are reading the Bible. Way to go!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing what you are reading for devotional tools, Bill. I'm sure other readers here, as well as myself, will be sure to look these up. No matter what sources we use, it is most important to go to THE source - the Bible.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Thanks for sharing your reading plan, Martha. I have just used the One Year Bible, and reading the Bible Chronologically in a year through the Bible Study Tools website. Here is a link to the website and plan: https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-reading-plan/chronological.html
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this link, Beckie! I have been interested in reading the Bible chronologically, and I will definitely look into this.
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BibleGateway has one, too. https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/chronological?version=NIV
ReplyDeleteOh, great! Thanks for this second link, my friend.
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Martha, thank you for sharing this post. God's Word is so very amazing, it's fresh and alive each time we read it. When I first started reading the Bible from cover-to-cover in a year, I used a plan. For several years, I've simply gone at my own pace and have read the Bible from cover-to-cover more than once in a year.
ReplyDeleteA chronological plan is good too, as is historical order...it seems like there may be a plan to read the entire Bible in 90 days (yes, this is very possible at not as hard as it may sound).
Love and blessings!
Wow! In 90 days??? That's impressive, Kim, and I'll definitely have to look that one up. As I mentioned to Beckie above, I do want to be able to read the Bible chronologically. I may actually try to piggy-back that version with the one I'm using.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I wish I'd succeeded in getting through God's word in a year as many times as I've attempted to. Perhaps your method is worth a try.
ReplyDeleteJ. D., for the first time my husband, Danny, is joining me on this journey because he feels it is manageable for him. He's not someone who calls himself a reader, except when it comes to the internet info and news. I love how God has moved in his heart to make him desire the Word! This plan is absolutely great for those who are busy with everyday demands, such as a ranch, because it can easily fit into daily rhythms and continue to inspire you throughout the day. I hope you will try it!
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This sounds like a great reading plan, Martha. Certainly, something for that person on our list who (seemingly) has everything.
ReplyDeleteThere you go, Myra! The gift for the person who has everything, or think that he/she does. The Bible is the one gift that keeps on giving. Hope you will look into it for yourself and for those you love.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I read my Bible through every calendar year from Genesis to Revelation, I have done it 54 times as it’s once for every year that I’ve been saved.
ReplyDeleteSo now into end of NT in December. I also read a number of devotionals as well just for variety.
I haven’t heard of this method. Think however that I like simple read through as that’s what I do with other books, not just the bible.
Thanks for sharing, and God bless, Shaz in Oz.x
{Wonderful Words of Life - Shaz in Oz}
{Calligraphy Cards - Shaz in Oz}
Thanks so much, Shaz, for sharing what works for you. I'm so impressed by the number of times you've read through the scriptures! You inspire us all to do so.
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I love when God opens our eyes and hearts to see something new in a passage that we may have read often. That Psalm 119 verse often reminds me that as a lamp lights the next step in front of us, God often shows us one step at a time which way to go. I always want to see the entire journey lit in front of me, but He is teaching me to trust He will lead us aright and we only need to know one step at a time. We don't need to understand. We just need to hold His hand. Thank you, Martha, for your encouragement here. Love and blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteOne step at a time . . . Yes, Trudy, sometimes that's all God provides at the moment, but we can take hold of His hand and trust that He is ever leading us in the right direction.
DeleteLove and blessings!
That is fantastic that it is the 6th year of you reading through the Bible in a year. I have not disciplined myself to do so and often start but do not seem to keep it up. You give me an idea though to pull out my very old paperback bible that has a daily reading plan. May the good Lord bless you for your diligence to seek His word consistently.
ReplyDeleteA daily reading plan really helps, Valerie, as I found, like you, that tackling one book at a time was a bit intimidating. Hope you'll be able to see it through this year!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Thank you for sharing this Bible reading schedule with us. I like this idea, and have printed it off. I do read through the highlights of the Bible each year in our daily devotional readings, that follow the liturgical calendar, but it is not an actual complete reading of the whole Bible, so I like this idea better as it gives a reasonable and workable plan for reading. Great goal for the New Year...but you say you start now? I probably will wait until January as I have already too much going on to start now...but thank you for this wonderful plan. I needed some structure to help me do this!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you've decided to try this plan, Pam! Yes, starting in January is just as good as starting with Advent. It really doesn't matter the time of year, just so you begin and keep at it. Let me know how it goes!
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I don't have a particular resource to share, but for the last weeks, I've been enjoying a contemplation of Psalm 119 with a good friend of mine. As you might recall, this Psalm is divided into 22 sections, each headed by a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. We have been taking one section at a time. My friend, who is very knowledgeable about Hebrew, adds a layer of depth and understanding by sharing the relationship between the letter and the section that follows. I've been getting so much enrichment from this weekly Zoom study with him.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow, Galen, that's marvelous! Yes, I did know that each section of Psalm 119 is headed by a letter from the Hebrew alphabet. What a great treat to study this Psalm in depth with someone who has knowledge of the language. Maybe that opportunity will arise some where down the road for me.
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wow 6 years - that is amazing. And I bet you have learned some new things each year.
ReplyDeleteI certainly have learned new things, Jean. God's Word is an endless and bountiful resource!
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Isn't it wonderful and amazing how no matter how many times we read His Word through, it never grows old, and each time we read the same exact verse, it takes on a new meaning? So, so precious to my soul, and I can never get enough of it. God bless you as you faithfully read and absorb all He is saying to you.
ReplyDeleteGod's Word is most definitely the gift that keeps on giving, Cheryl. I never can get enough of it!
DeleteLove and blessings!
I am going to save this post. I am reading through the Bible again but from Genesis through Revelations. I like the variety of your plan.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to hear you are rereading the Bible, too, Laurie. Yes, I love this plan precisely because of the variety it offers. Good luck!
DeleteLove and blessings!