From January - December 2011 I'm going to be doing my devotions differently. Instead of studying a small portion of Scripture in-depth each day as I've been recording on my Rachel's Reflections website I'm going to read through the Bible in a year!
This decision came about as a result of the "Find Someone" game we played in youth group in early November. Greg gave everyone a list of "Find Someone" statements (i.e. "Find someone whose favorite color is pink." "Find someone whose birthday is in November." "Find someone who is shorter than you." etc.) and everyone had to find people to sign under statements that applied to them.
One of the statements was, "Find someone who has read the entire Bible," and of course the teens crowded around Greg and I to sign that statement. The problem was I couldn't bring myself to sign under that statement. I think that I've read through the entire Bible, but best case scenario I read the entire Bible when I was forced to during Old Testament and New Testament survey classes in college and worst case scenario I've never read through the entire Bible. I realized on that night that this was a huge problem. How can I claim God's Word as my final authority and guide when I haven't even voluntarily read all of it?
So from January - December 2011 I have committed to reading through the Bible in a year. I signed up with www.bibleinayear.org, so I will be emailed daily Bible readings (roughly three chapters per day) that will take me through the Bible chronologically over the next 365 days.
My hope is that over the next twelve months that I will learn much from reading God's word completely and focusing on the "forest" and not just the "trees" for a year. I will be updating the "Devotions" page on Rachel's Reflections with book overviews as I finish each book of the Bible if you would like to follow my journey.
I would like to encourage each of you, have you read through the entire Bible? If not, would you join me in reading through the Bible this year? I know it will bless us both! Today in preparation for this year long venture I will be reading Psalm 119 - His word is truly a beautiful guide for our lives and we should reflect upon it daily!
This decision came about as a result of the "Find Someone" game we played in youth group in early November. Greg gave everyone a list of "Find Someone" statements (i.e. "Find someone whose favorite color is pink." "Find someone whose birthday is in November." "Find someone who is shorter than you." etc.) and everyone had to find people to sign under statements that applied to them.
One of the statements was, "Find someone who has read the entire Bible," and of course the teens crowded around Greg and I to sign that statement. The problem was I couldn't bring myself to sign under that statement. I think that I've read through the entire Bible, but best case scenario I read the entire Bible when I was forced to during Old Testament and New Testament survey classes in college and worst case scenario I've never read through the entire Bible. I realized on that night that this was a huge problem. How can I claim God's Word as my final authority and guide when I haven't even voluntarily read all of it?
So from January - December 2011 I have committed to reading through the Bible in a year. I signed up with www.bibleinayear.org, so I will be emailed daily Bible readings (roughly three chapters per day) that will take me through the Bible chronologically over the next 365 days.
My hope is that over the next twelve months that I will learn much from reading God's word completely and focusing on the "forest" and not just the "trees" for a year. I will be updating the "Devotions" page on Rachel's Reflections with book overviews as I finish each book of the Bible if you would like to follow my journey.
I would like to encourage each of you, have you read through the entire Bible? If not, would you join me in reading through the Bible this year? I know it will bless us both! Today in preparation for this year long venture I will be reading Psalm 119 - His word is truly a beautiful guide for our lives and we should reflect upon it daily!