by Darla Butterfield
December 6, 2023
Last year at this time, my world was being turned upside down with uncertainty over my husband’s health. Doctors were throwing out scary words such as cancer, brain tumor, multiple sclerosis, and many other complicated conditions I had never heard of. We were in a season of MRIs, blood tests, waiting for results, and many questions without answers. We wouldn’t learn until the following Spring that the condition my husband had was Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), a chronic condition without a known treatment or cure.
I realized last Fall that God had been preparing me throughout that year for this coming uncertainty and change to our lives. I’d been challenged that year to read through the entire Bible. I used The Bible Recap plan to read chronologically through the Bible, in the order of the events as they would have occurred. It grew my understanding of God and deepened my faith in Him in a profound way. It was when the storms came that I recognized my anchor and how God had been building my trust in Him all along during the year through that consistent time in His Word. I could look back at God’s faithfulness throughout scripture and see how He walked with people during seasons of despair and unknown.
After that first year of reading through the Bible, I was hooked! I didn’t want it to end, and I looked forward to reading through Genesis again, back at the beginning. The next year I chose a different reading plan, the one my church was using called The Pause plan. It’s mostly chronological through the Old Testament but includes some New Testament readings each day and has time in Psalms and Proverbs during the summer. It’s amazing how much more I learned this second time through the Bible and how God used different daily readings to speak to me during some difficult days.
For this next year, I decided to go back to The Bible Recap and follow up each day’s reading with the written summary provided by Tara-Leigh Cobble. (A podcast version is also available to listen to.) If you’re wondering how to find time to read through the Bible, look at the structure of your day and see when you’re usually scrolling social media or could read following another activity. This may mean having your Bible out while eating breakfast or lunch or following up a workout routine with time in God’s Word. (I often have Jesus at the gym time, especially since there’s childcare!) Your time with God does not have to be first thing in the morning and it may not be quiet. Sometimes I’m interrupted by my kids, but it’s also a chance for them to see me reading my Bible and the importance I place on staying in God’s Word. **Tip: You don’t have to wait until January 1st to start…you can begin any time and just keep reading, even if you miss a day! I start in the Fall to give myself time to hopefully finish before the end of the following year.
If you’d like to try reading more of the Bible, but don’t want to commit to a year-long plan, choose a book of the Bible to read in its entirety (just don’t choose something like Ezekiel or Revelation for a first-time book). If you have a study Bible you can usually find information about who wrote the book, who was the intended audience, and when it was written. The Bible Project (website/app) has great animated videos for every book of the Bible that is super helpful in understanding the structure and main events. If you want to start in the New Testament, try the book of Luke and then follow it with Acts (the sequel to Luke that’s about the early church). This provides a great foundation for reading any of Paul’s letters. Genesis is also another great book to begin with and Exodus follows right after it which helps in understanding how the Israelites end up in Egypt and are led out of slavery.
When you want to know someone better you spend time with them and talk with them directly. You don’t just listen to what other people say about the person. It’s the same way with God. We can choose to get to know Him directly from His Word and not just from what other people say about Him. As Tara-Leigh Cobble always says, He’s where the joy is!
Read the Bible in a Year Plans:
The Bible Recap: www.thebiblerecap.com/start
->Podcast summaries for each day’s reading or purchase the printed Bible Recap book
The Pause Bible Reading Plan: www.wsfc.org/bible-reading/
Helpful Bible Apps:
The Bible Project: Short videos for every book of the Bible to give you an overall look at the book.
YouVersion: Bible app that has reading plans (including the Bible Recap)
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