Seeking God Through His Word In 2021
A life of true joy and peace that endures into eternity is a life of knowing and enjoying God. The chief way that we know and enjoy God this side of glory is by seeking him through his Word. According to our Savior, the Scriptures are heavenly bread given for the essential nourishment of man's soul, (Matt. 4:4). Just as the body without food cannot grow and be strong, so the soul that is starved of fellowship with God through his Word is invariably sickly and stifled. This makes every Christian’s commitment to the Bible essential to their spiritual flourishing. The person who is truly blessed is not the one who maintains their worldly comforts and success by neglecting their time with God, but the person who tells the busyness of life to bend the knee to King Jesus! As many faithful Pastors throughout history have observed, the place one gives to the Word of God in their everyday life speaks mightily of the place that the God of the Word occupies in their heart.
Convinced of this, it is my earnest plea as your Pastor that you set your heart to seek the Lord through his Word each and everyday this coming year. As I said during the sermon last Sunday, there is no greater resolution a person can make heading into this New Year than to devote themself to growing in their relationship with God by diligently seeking him through his Word.
Toward this end, I have collected a handful of Bible Reading Plans to share with you as helpful resources for your progress and joy. There are many other plans available online, however these are some of the better ones that I know of. I have intentionally provided a variety of styles knowing that not everyone is at the same place in their Christian maturity, nor do we all learn and grow in the same ways. Below you will find a list of reading plans with each being followed by a short description of its characteristics and a download link. It is my prayer that every member of our church will commit to putting Christ first in their heart and life by diligently seeking God through his Word during this coming year. But before you jump to the plans, I want to share just a couple more thoughts with you.
A Few Helps For the Journey
What If I Don't Know How To Have A Meaningful Time With God?
As a Pastor, I take great joy in helping people learn to have meaningful personal time with their Savior. Some people are embarrassed to admit that they do not really know how to do this or even where to begin, but this should not be the case. I didn't know the first thing about seeking God when God saved me! It took many years for me to develop a regular habit of spending time with God in his Word and in prayer–and I am still learning and growing in this today. God does not expect any one of us to have it all figured out from go, but he does expect us not to let our ego or pride keep us from reaching out for help from trusted brothers and sisters in Christ when we find ourselves in need of support.
If you are in a position where you find your devotional times with God to be empty and unsatisfying, or if you just don't know how to cultivate a meaningful time with God at all, please reach out to one of the Elders of Covenant Grace. I can assure you that all of us have been there ourselves and that we would love to walk alongside you to help you grow in this area of your relationship with Christ. Additionally, here are two articles which I recently wrote to provide some practical helps in having a meaningful time with God.
What If I Fall Short?
Some people shy away from making such commitments because they know there will be times when they fall short. My encouragement to those of you who feel this way is that it is far more likely that you will fall far shorter by choosing not to make a committed plan for your Bible reading than you will by occasionally missing a day here and there. The point of the plan is to provide helpful structure, accountability, and guidance through the whole Bible, (as opposed to just reading our favorite parts). These resources are not meant to be an oppressive task master, but rather a springboard for your growth and success. When you miss a day (like we all do from time to time), shake it off and get back on the horse. Your personal devotional time is meant to be a joyful pursuit of your Father in heaven who already loves you, not an anxious performance before a critical judge who may reject you. Rest deeply in God’s abundant grace as you faithfully strive for greater holiness and faithfulness in your heart and life.
What About Partnering Up?
Lastly, always remember that we are in this together. Consider partnering up with your spouse or a trusted brother or sister in Christ by choosing the same reading plan and setting up a regular time to check in with one another. During this call/meeting you can take time to encourage one another in your love for Christ and to discuss some of the key aspects of the passages you have been reading including how God is calling you to apply them to your lives.
God did not make us to run the race of faith alone; he calls us to run humbly, arm in arm with our fellow saints. Sometimes we will be weak and they will help carry us along; other times they will lean into you for strength to help them through seasons of struggle. But together we will keep pressing forward, encouraging one another to fight against our sin and to put God first in our hearts and lives. As we step into this New Year, let's be committed not only to seeking God personally, but to helping build one another up in Christ by supporting and encouraging others to do the same! No one who spent their all on Christ has ever asked for a refund. He is worthy of it all!
Now let's find the Bible reading plan that works best for you.
Bible Reading Plans
1. Daily Reading Plan
(Whole Bible In One Year)
This reading plan will guide you book by book through the entire Bible in one year with daily readings from the Old and New Testaments. This plan is relatively simple, straightforward, and provides a good entry-level quantity of reading that most Christians will find realistic and accessible.
2. Monthly Reading Plan
(Whole Bible In One Year)
For those of you who struggle with with the rigidity of assigned daily readings, but still desire the help of a guided approach to reading through the whole Bible in one year, this monthly reading plan may be a great fit. Rather than assigning specific readings for each day, this plan has broken the sixty-six books of the Bible into the twelve months of the year, assigning particular books to particular months. By doing this, the reader can determine for themself how much they read on which days, allowing more freedom for the variations of life. If you have a particularly busy day, perhaps you will only read a chapter or two, but then on other days where you have more time you may choose to read more. The goal is to complete the assigned books within the assigned month rather than on specific days.
3. Daily Feast Reading Plan
(OT Once + NT & Psalms Twice In One Year)
This time-tested approach is based on the bible reading plan created by the Scottish Pastor Robert Murray M'Cheyne (1813-1843). Like the daily reading plan outlined above, this plan also provides assigned daily readings from the Old and New Testaments that guide the reader through the entire Bible in one year. However, in addition to one complete reading of the Bible, this plan also leads readers through the New Testament and Psalms a second time. As a result, this plan requires a bit more quantity of reading each day. This is the most robust plan of those included in this list, but will be rewarding for those who are able to keep up with the heavier pace.
4. Personal Pace Reading Plan
(Reading the Whole Bible At Your Own Pace)
Maybe you are someone who feels too much pressure by the timeline's associated with the other daily and monthly plans. For some people, the time-factor can be a stress rather than a help. If that sounds like your personality, this approach may be the one best suited for you.
The Personal Pace Reading Plan provides a chart that covers every chapter of the Bible. However, readings are not assigned to any particular dates. Instead, this plan allows the reader to entirely set their own pace as they journey through the whole Bible while still being able to chart their progress and keep track of which books they have already read and have yet to read. The only caution with this plan is that it requires a higher measure of self-discipline in order to make sure we are not under-nourishing our soul by trying to survive on occasional nibbles rather than regular meals.
Honorable Mention Plans
Two other approaches which are worth mentioning are the Chronological Reading Plan and the Two-Year Reading Plan. The names of each of these plans speak for themselves, however a few additional points are noted below.
Two-Year Reading Plan
If you are someone who prefers a slower pace of reading, the two year plan may be a good fit for you. The amount of reading will be much less than some other plans while still providing a helpful guide through the whole of the Scriptures.
Chronological Reading Plan
On the other hand, the Chronological Plan may also be a great option for someone who is familiar with the Bible and has read through it several times, but perhaps would like to focus in on understanding the overall progression of redemptive history.
Whatever plan you choose, my prayer is that you will delight in God this coming year by diligently seeking him through his Word!
