Last week I finished reading through the entire bible for the second time. I am so proud of myself.
Today I want to share some things after my second trip around the “son.”
1. I used The Bible Recap as my reading plan.
I can’t recommend this reading plan enough. Not only does Tara Leigh Cobble give you what to read every day, but she has it organized in chronological order. So you do bounce around some in the bible, but not in time order. If you were to read the books in the bible in the order they come in, you sometimes jump from different time periods. This can be confusing if you are newer to reading the bible.
The Bible Recap also “recaps” what you read that day. This is a huge selling point for me. There are days when I read the assigned chapters and think, “HUH?!” That is when Tara Leigh comes in and helps you really understand what you read.
2. I learned new things.
I read the exact same book for the second time, and so much of it felt new and exciting. There were countless times that I thought to myself…
“No way I’ve read this story before.”
“I have never thought about this in this way.”
“I feel like this story was for me, at this exact moment.”
“God is always working.”
“God had me in mind when he said that, WOW.”
“God is so good. ”
“Everyone is flawed and falls short of perfection.”
“God is for me. I am the one that gets in my way.”
3. I can connect real world situations to the Bible.
Anyone that is around me for an extended amount of times knows that I can relate any life moment to a moment from The Office. I’m sure it is super annoying for them. However, after reading the bible two times now, I am starting to the same thing but connecting real life to stories from the bible.
The problems that we face today are talked about in the bible, even though it was written 2000+ years ago. It is incredible how the truths and answers then are still the truths and answers now.
4. Reading the Bible = Knowing the real Jesus
Church is great and so important, but if you aren’t in God’s word, you can’t know and understand Jesus fully.
Following Christians on social media is great and their voice is more important than ever, but they can’t share the complete magnitude of Jesus’ love for you.
Listening to worship music is great, but when you understand the lyrics and the scripture they are from, you can’t fully feel the weight of the worship.
Reading about Jesus directly from the source, you will know love. Jesus teaches us how to love others- ones that are different from us. He accepts people just the way they are. He knows hearts. He uses people with open and humble hearts.
5. God’s Ways > My Ways
The bible consists of story after story about humankind choosing their way over God’s way. You read about the hurt, destruction, and trouble this causes. You want to yell at some of these stories, because you get so frustrated that they aren’t trusting God. You realize God’s way isn’t complicated, but it also isn’t easy. We often try to mold God’s “ways” to fit our ways. The opposite should happen, we need to start molding our ways to fit God’s ways.
If this blog does anything, I hope it encourages people to open their bible and read it. If you are stuck right now in your life, just try reading your bible. Put God to the test- read the bible with an open heart and see what God can do.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about reading your bible. I don’t have all the answers, but I can share my own experience and the things I have learned.
Love y’all!
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