New Year Bible Reading
With the New Year often comes a renewed desire to be in the Word. This is a great resolution, but one that often fizzles out over the weeks and months. Reading the Bible is hard.
To help you, I’ve written a short practice that has helped me and I’ve linked all the articles I’ve ever written related to bible reading. I pray they are helpful.
BE REALISTIC, SMALL CHANGES SET TRAJECTORIES.
If two boats are traveling the same straight line, and one boat turns their rudder .5 degrees off course, the day by day change won’t seem that drastic. But as time moves on small trajectories move great distances. A great prayer life is not created in a day, they are cultivated over many years of small growth.
Consider reading some of these articles to help re-frame your understanding of what a healthy quiet time looks like. It’s not always 10 hours a day, or 100 day streaks. Sometimes it’s just a few minutes of meaningfully connecting with God. That can happen over 2 chapters or 2 verses.
Helpful articles:
Long for the pure spiritual milk, which is the Word. It will grow and mature you as a Christian.
Not all growth is visible, stay disciplined in your daily Bible reading. It will pay dividends.
What you need more than another sermon, another how-to book, or a self-help article is to get alone with God.
Perhaps you’ve missed a few days or even months in your bible reading plan for the new year. If that’s you, here are three thoughts to help and encourage you to get back up and continue the pursuit of reading God’s Word.
Do you want to read the Bible more meaningfully? Do you want the scriptures to shape the way you think, feel, and believe? Do you want to bridge the gap between what the head knows and what the heart feels and worships? If so, the key is meditation.
Most Christians know they should read their bible. But if we are honest, we struggle from time to time understanding how to get much out of it. People don’t usually give up their quiet times because they dislike God. They give them up because they feel unproductive or even bored.
In the word with you,
Josh.