Rugged Pursuit
Withdraw to the Wilderness
Daily Pursuit
“…for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.“
Acts 17:11
We have been told time and time again that reading the Bible every day is important. As Christians, we know we should be reading our Bible, but how do you find the time? Between work, school, your kid’s sporting events, and grocery shopping, your schedule is pretty well booked. With so many other responsibilities and activities in our lives, it’s hard to dedicate a slot just for reading your Bible. Isn’t it time you start being more productive with how you spend your time? Shouldn’t the things you give your time to have more of a lasting, even eternal, value?
Reading the Bible on a regular basis directly effects your relationship with God. How so? Well, the Bible is the Word of God. It’s one of the ways He communicates with us. When we read the Bible, we’re receiving guidance and instruction straight from the Creator of all things, the Author of our existence. Reading His Word gives us direct communication with Him. The Bible was written for us! It contains everything we need to live a Christian life and know God personally. It reveals to us His plans for the world, His intentions for us, and His very heart! If you want to know God, you need to read His book!
I will be the first to admit that I am guilty of putting Bible reading on the back burner. For most of my life, I did not read from my Bible daily. Maybe every week, sure, but not every day. I had a lot of other things to do. It isn’t that I didn’t think it was important, it’s just that I didn’t make it a priority!
Think about this scenario: You run into another shopper at the bookstore wearing black frame glasses and a lightning bolt ball cap. They recommend a series of books to you. The conversation goes something like this:
Shopper: “Let me tell you about this awesome series you should read! It’s about a boy who is attending wizard school! It’s so great! I’m a HUGE fan! I’m so on fire for these books! You probably won’t meet anyone who loves it more than me! I decorate my house with wizard pictures, I bought an authentic magic wand replica online, and every summer I go to the theme park based on the books!”
You: “That sounds interesting. How many books are in the series? Which is your favorite one?
Shopper: “Oh, I’m not really sure. I’m not much of a reader. I’ve only read a few chapters of the first book, and a couple from the third, and I read most of the last one. But I saw the movie! Well, part of it, I had to leave in the middle to pick up my son from practice. But what I saw was pretty cool.”
You: “So, you haven’t even read them? But you are telling me I should? I thought you were the biggest fan?
If this person was really a huge fan of these books, don’t you think they would have at least actually read the whole thing? I mean, how can they be the biggest fan but not really even know for sure what the books contain? I would have a very hard time believing they were really as big of a fan as they claimed to be.
Isn’t this exactly what we do with the Bible though? “I love Jesus! Jesus is my BFF! God is my co-pilot! I go to church every Sunday! That TV series about the Bible was so interesting! I have the coolest Jesus picture on my living room wall! It totally ties the room together.” Yet, we’ve never read the Bible all the way through. We have read enough of it to know the general theme. Our Sunday School teachers told us about it. We know all the key stories: Adam & Eve, Noah’s Ark, Jesus in the Manger. But do you really KNOW your Bible. Do you understand why all these stories are so important to the overall history of the world?
When you dedicate yourself to a regular routine of reading the Bible, you will begin to see that all of these books and stories fit flawlessly together into one big story revealing God’s perfect plan for the world and for YOU! You will quickly see that, amazingly, books written thousands of years ago apply directly to your life today. You might not believe that could be possible until you pick it up and read it yourself.
When I thought about that bookstore situation I mentioned earlier, I started to feel really convicted. “How can I claim to be a follower of God when I haven’t read the whole story? Can I really be as big of a follower as I thought when I’ve only heard the stories told by other people, read some portions here and there, and read some Christian themed books.” Over the years, I have read much of the Bible, probably even most of it, but I could not honestly say I had read the whole Bible. I decided right then that I would begin a plan to read every verse in the Bible in one year. I know what you are thinking. It sounded like a huge task to me too. I didn’t know how I was ever going to find the time to read such a large book in just one year. However, I knew it was important to do if I was going to really follow Christ in the best way I could. I used a plan offered through my church that already had all the verses mapped out. Each day there would be a portion of scripture from the Old Testament, and a portion from the New Testament. Once I began, I realized that most day’s readings only took me about 15-20 minutes. I was shocked to realize just how easy it was to get into a reading routine when you have a solid plan and break it down into manageable portions.
Choosing a Reading Method
I believe it is crucial to be reading the Bible regularly, if not daily. It is the best way to learn more about the God who created you and what His ultimate plan is for you. It is easier to commit to reading the Bible when you have a clear plan though. So, I have offered a few suggestions for some different ways you can get started. The plans below will help beginners starting out, as well as long-time Christians wanting a fresh look at scripture.
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Read Through the Bible in a Year
I prefer this method over all others because it allows me to get the complete story of God’s word in a relatively short amount of time. Because you are reading every single verse in the Bible, it requires the most commitment, but I personally prefer to not miss anything! Here are a few different options for reading the Bible in one calendar year:
-Cover to Cover: start at the beginning of your Bible in Genesis and read straight through, ending with Revelation. Pros– it’s easy to keep your place. Simply put a bookmark where you stopped and pick it up the next day. Cons– It’s easy to fall out of the routine if you don’t have a plan of how much you need to read per day. Also, some portions of the Bible may be a lot to take in during one sitting. For instance; family genealogies. You may feel like you haven’t learned much when the day’s readings only consisted of people’s names on a page.
-Chronological: There are Bibles that are set up to read chronologically. This means you will read the Bible in the order the events happened in history. Bibles are not normally set up this way.
-One Year Bible: These Bibles are dated so you know exactly which verses to read on each day. Pros– very easy format to follow. Simply read the verses under the current date. Cons– the books and chapters are not in the same order as your regular Bible. For this reason, you would want to keep your “One Year Bible” handy so you don’t lose your place in the plan.
-Various “Bible in a Year” Plans: There are hundreds of different reading plans available that allow you to read through the Bible in a year. Most are set up in a checklist style so you can be sure you’re reading the correct number of verses per day to allow you to finish in a year. These are available in printable versions, booklets, or even small folded pamphlets that are easy to carry. These small printed checklist plans are easy to tuck into any Bible so you’ll always have a reference to know that day’s verses.
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New Testament Only
-There are plans set up to allow you to read through only the New Testament in a year. Or, you could simply use any “Read Through the Bible in a Year” plan and only read the N. T. verses that it lists for that day, and skip the Old Testament ones. Pros– You won’t have as much to read each day, which is good for people with minimal time. A good way for beginners to start reading the Bible regularly if they never have before. Cons– You will miss out on most of the Bible. I do literally mean most. The Old Testament is the majority of the Bible. There are many things you will read in the N. T. that are references to the O. T. that you may not understand if you haven’t read both. Also, “Old” doesn’t mean irrelevant. You have to remember that the Old Testament is the Bible that Jesus read when He was studying the scriptures and “The Law” when He was on Earth.
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Bible Overview Plan
–“The Story” by Zondervan Publishing: This book allows you to read through the Bible as one seamless story, much like reading a novel.
–F-260 Plan by Replicate Ministries: a 260 day plan that gives you an overview of the Bible, without reading every single verse. There are five days of reading per week, allowing for “catch-up days” if you get behind.
Click here for more on the F-260 Plan
Pros– These type of plans are great for people who are not use to reading the Bible on a regular basis, or for those who have never read the Bible before. These will give them a great foundation for understanding the basic themes and story of the Bible, without being overwhelmed.
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Audio Bible
-Listen to the Bible on CD, through a cell phone app, or online. Audio versions of the Bible have two main styles. Single Voice versions will have one person reading the Bible. Dramatized versions will have multiple voices representing different characters, sound effects, and even background music, making it a more exciting experience. Pros– great for those who travel or commute to work. Also, good for catching up on days you didn’t have time to sit down and read. Cons– it’s easy to get distracted by other things going on around you. I also find it harder to remember what I’ve heard because I have no reference as to where one verse ended and another began.
As you can see, there are many tools and plans you can use to get into a regular Bible reading routing. However you decide to do it, just make sure you do something! Reading the Bible is crucial. Don’t just take someone’s word for it when it comes to learning about scripture. Just like the people in Acts 17, read it for yourself and see what you might be missing out on! I can guarantee you will feel closer to God! It’s hard to feel distant from God when you are reading His Word each day!
1.5.18
*For more information, or help picking out a plan that is right for you, please contact Rugged Pursuit through this website, or on Facebook by searching for @RuggedPursuit and send us a message. We can also be reached by email at ruggedpursuitdevo@gmail.com. We would love to help you find a resource that assists you in your journey with Christ.
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