I completed my plan to read through the Bible in 90 days on March 28th.
What did I learn?
I learned, once again, that the Bible is one continuous story.
Check out the continuous storyline from the first verse alone of Deuteronomy through 2 Kings of the New Living Translation:
These are the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River.
Deuteronomy 1:1
After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant.
Joshua 1:1
After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Which tribe should go first to attack the Canaanites?”
Judges 1:1
In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land.
Ruth 1:1
There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph in the hill country of Ephraim.
1 Samuel 1:1
After the death of Saul, David returned from his victory over the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag.
2 Samuel 1:1
King David was now very old, and no matter how many blankets covered him, he could not keep warm.
1 Kings 1:1
After King Ahab’s death, the land of Moab rebelled against Israel.
2 Kings 1:1
The Bible is, indeed, one continuous thread of the redemption story.
I learned how much I need the Bible.
The first 30 days I consumed massive amounts of scripture. The pace was exhilarating.
I slowed down my reading pace between days 30 – 45, only to return breakneck speed because I was missing what I was reading. The more I read God’s Word the more of its power I experienced daily.
I learned reading through the Bible strengthens my preaching and teaching.
While preparing my message I would refer back to what I read in my quiet time from the morning. Reading through the Bible enhances your preaching and teaching skills. It gives you a great overview of what you are studying.
I learned the Old Testament is not as formidable as you think.
Many are fearful of reading the Old Testament. We falsely believe it is not applicable to today or that it is not easy to understand. I completed my reading of the Old Testament several days before I finished reading the New Testament. Reading the Old Testament in large blocks only made it simpler to understand.
I learned I want to do it again.
My goal is to read through the Bible four times in 2010. For those interested in reading through the Bible, you can follow this plan. Read five chapters in each section of the Old Testament and two or three chapters from both sections of the New Testament. As the quarter progresses, you will complete some sections sooner than others, and you will need to make adjustments as needed.
These are the six starting points:
- Genesis
- Joshua
- Job
- Isaiah
- Matthew
- Colossians
Plan to spend approximately 60 minutes in the Bible each day. Try it. You can do it, and you will learn much from the effort.
PDF of another 90-day Bible reading plan
