The New Year often comes with a burst of motivation to start new rhythms. We might desire to establish a rhythm of regular exercise. Or we might want to form a rhythm of reading before we go to sleep each night. As believers, one rhythm we may desire to implement is regularly spending time in God’s Word. We might find ourselves approaching the New Year thinking, This is the year that I’m going to be in God’s Word daily! And even if we already have a habit of reading Scripture, we might want to establish a different rhythm, something that helps our time in God’s Word feel fresh and engaging.
While there are different ways to build regular Bible study rhythms, one great way to build this regular rhythm is by reading the Bible in a year. But why exactly is this the case? There are many benefits to reading the Bible in a year, but today, we’ll explore three: that it helps to establish consistency, gives you a chance to start fresh, and allows you to see the big story of Scripture.
Reading the Bible in a Year Establishes Consistency
One of the main frustrations we may encounter when reading Scripture is consistency. We want to be in God’s Word, but actually being in God’s Word regularly can be hard. Distractions occur, motivation wanes, and some days we wake up without a desire to be in Scripture. But this is why reading the Bible in a year is so helpful. Each day, you know exactly what you are going to read. You never have to wonder which passage or book you should read that day. You never get to the end of a chapter without a plan for where to go next. Every day, all year long, you have a plan for your Bible study. Having this set plan cultivates consistency as you come to God’s Word each day. Having this plan not only helps to establish a rhythm but also may increase your motivation. A lack of consistency can be discouraging, and so it’s often when we experience inconsistency in our Bible reading that we stop trying. But the more we spend time in God’s Word, the more consistency we build. And the more consistency we build, the more motivation we have to keep going. So if you’re craving consistency this year, consider picking a Bible reading plan or study, and watch as that rhythm of being in God’s Word grows.
Reading the Bible in a Year Gives You the Chance to Start Fresh
As you start the new year, you might have different feelings regarding your Bible study. Perhaps you look back at the previous year and celebrate that you were consistent in God’s Word. But maybe you look back and consider how you didn’t meet your Bible reading goals or weren’t in God’s Word as often as you would have liked. If you look back at the past year with disappointment, it’s easy to approach this new year with discouragement. Maybe you even wonder if studying Scripture is worth the effort. If you’re feeling this way, I encourage you to remember the abundant grace God has for you. God is not disappointed in you, nor is He upset with you for struggling to be in His Word. God’s grace that has been imparted to you through Christ covers your struggles and weaknesses. So rest in that grace, and allow the reminder of God’s grace to encourage you to keep being in God’s Word. As we start the new year resting in God’s grace, we have the opportunity to start fresh. In taking on the goal of reading the Bible in a year, we can let go of our past struggles and see this new year as a new opportunity to try again. And even if we stumble along the way, we can remember that God’s grace is sufficient for all our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Reading the Bible in a Year Helps You See the Big Story of Scripture
While there is benefit to reading any passage or portion of Scripture, there is something unique about reading the Bible from cover to cover. When we start in Genesis and work our way to Revelation, we come to see God’s Word as a story. Every story has a beginning, middle, and end, and the same is true for the Bible. The story of Scripture begins with Genesis, twists and turns throughout the Old Testament, culminates in the person of work and Christ, and finds its completion in Revelation. In reading the Bible in a year, we journey through that story. But we also come to understand the big story of Scripture—or what we call the metanarrative. The Bible’s metanarrative consists of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. God created the world, mankind brought sin and brokenness into the world, Jesus has come to redeem the world from that sin, and one day He will return to restore the whole world from its brokenness. When we read the Bible in a year, we take notice of that grand narrative. We witness mankind’s brokenness. We see God’s acts and promises of redemption. We marvel at Christ’s sacrifice and salvation. And we look forward to the eternity to come, where God’s plan of redemption that unfolds throughout Scripture is finally fulfilled. Seeing the big story of Scripture unfold as we read the Bible in a year helps us marvel at what God has done, is doing, and will one day do.
So whether you have read the Bible in a year or this is your first time, I encourage you to start a Bible in a year plan this year and watch as both your consistency in God’s Word and your love for God’s Word grows.
Additional Resources for Reading the Bible in a Year:
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A Year in the Bible | 4 Volume Bundle |
Eden to Eternity | Chronological Bible Study | Bundle |
Christ in All of Scripture | 4 Volume Set | Year-Long Bible Study |
Dwell on These Things: Learning to Apply Philippians 4:8 - The Daily Grace Co. Blog |
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