It’s a big book. For Christians, it’s the most important book we will ever read. But for many, it presents a most challenging task, especially if we want to read the entire Bible in a year.
As CBN News reported late last month, actress Patricia Heaton reached her goal of reading the Bible in 365 days.
“I finished it today, can’t believe it,” Heaton said in an Instagram post on Dec. 18. “I had two pages that I checked off all the time and as you can see, it’s hanging on by a piece of a tiny thread of paper. I just went through and kept checking off and checking off every day.”
“Some days were just revelatory. I saw things I had never seen before, and some days were kind of a slog. Mostly Old Testament stuff, but it’s got my coffee cup stain on it,” she continued.
Known for her roles in the television series Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle, Heaton used a reading plan from the Gospel Coalition to help her achieve her goal.
At CBN, we make it easy for you to read the Bible in a year as well. Click here to subscribe to “Bible in a Year,” a daily Bible reading guide. Each day, you’ll receive selections from the Old and New Testaments delivered straight to your email address.
You can also download the CBN Devotional Bible app for a plan to read the entire Bible in a year on your favorite electronic device.
Some may wonder why have so few Christians read the entire Bible, all 66 chapters, from Genesis to Revelation.
Dr. Corne Bekker is the dean of Divinity at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
“I often think we are a little bit intimidated by the history sections as well as the law sections within the Old Testament. But once we discover that it is life-giving to read all of God’s word, to get the wisdom of the entire text, not only does it become doable, easy, but it becomes delightful,” Bekker told CBN News.
Bekker has read through the entire Bible 25 times. He said he makes it a yearly discipline.
“And the plans that I kind of like are the plans that include all sections of the text, from history to poetry, to prophecy to the letters, to the teaching material, even to the apocalyptic material, the book of Revelation,” he said.
“What are the benefits of reading the Bible straight through?,” CBN News asked.
“There’s an extraordinary text in Psalms 19 that describes the benefits of meditating on God’s word on a daily basis,” Bekker explained. “And listen to what it says. ‘The law of the law is perfect. Reviving the soul.’ Isn’t that something that we need?”
“Second, it says, ‘The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple man.’ Do I need wisdom? I need wisdom on a daily basis,” he noted. “Then it goes on, it says, ‘The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.’ And then lastly it says, ‘The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes, opens our eyes to see what is ultimately true.’“
So, if you’ve always wanted to read the entire Bible in a year, but haven’t had the time, you may be surprised to know that it only takes an average of 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week to read through the book in a year.
And who knows, once you’ve done it, reading the Bible through may become a yearly habit.
“I highly recommend it,” Heaton told her social media followers.
If you would like to sign up for CBN’s “Bible in a Year” daily reading plan, click here.
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