This is our 9th year providing a Bible reading plan, and it’s one of our very favorite things we offer as a ministry. After all, the Bible isn’t just another book. “All Scripture is God-breathed, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” – 2 Timothy 3:16
Here are a couple main things you need to know about the swHw Bible Reading plan:
If you stick to the plan , you’ll read through the entire Bible!
We believe there is such tremendous value in reading the Bible from start to finish. This plan provides a 260 day plan, so it accounts for five readings each week if you’d like to read through the Bible in one year.
Why the extra two days each week?
Whether you’re involved in another Bible study at your church that requires additional reading, you want a few days to journal and meditate further on what you’ve already read, or you know that with two catch-up days every week, you’ve got a greater chance to not get too far behind if you miss a day here and there — we have found our 5 day a week plans have the highest finish rate.
Time in God’s Word is about time in God’s presence.
That’s it. There’s not a plan or a pace that God prefers.
Full faith is the goal – not full understanding.
If full understanding was possible, faith wouldn’t be required. Following God would simply be about knowledge. But because God’s ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), we can expect there will be pieces of God and subsequently, His Word, that we will not be able to fully understand. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” So give yourself grace for your human limits in the parts you don’t understand, and let your faith carry you to trust in our God who always keeps His promises.
God is big enough to handle your doubts.
You are allowed to have questions when you read. You’re even allowed to have doubts, but you must be honest in your doubt. Honest doubt says, “God, I am open for You to reveal this to me. Even if I don’t get a clear answer or get the answer that I like or I want, I’m bringing my doubts to You because You’re big enough to handle them.”
Every word is true.
It’s all too common for some to claim belief in the parts of the Bible that make sense and dismiss the more difficult passages to understand. Again, full understanding is not the point – full faith is. Before you begin reading, activate your faith and decide every word is true.
Bottom line: You’ll never regret the time you spend reading and meditating on God’s Word.
To the woman who fears she lacks discipline:
There’s no wrong way to spend time with God… except to not spend time with Him at all. It’s not “failure” if you need to read less each day or it takes you longer than two years to get through the plan. You don’t need a candle, a pretty cup of coffee, and perfect silence to read. It counts if you read on your phone, if you read while a baby crawls on your lap, or if you listen to today’s reading on Audible from a version recorded in the UK so you get the Bible and a British accent. Don’t let thinking it has to look a certain way keep you from spending time with God.
To the woman who fears she will approach her daily reading as a task:
If you have a bend toward rules vs. relationship, you might benefit from a slower pace and journaling what you’re learning. Reading the Bible is one of God’s clearest revelations of His character to us. The Bible is the story of what He’s done, what He’s doing, and what He will do in the future. Give yourself some layers of accountability to read for comprehension, understanding, and transformation – and then, you’ll see your Bible reading not as something on your to-do list, but as a welcome interruption from the world to spend time with your Creator.
Let’s do this — we love digging into His Word with you!
