Why should we read the Bible from cover to cover?
I have been a Christian all my life. I was blessed with parents who took us to church every week. But I'll be honest. Reading my Bible was not a priority as a young person. It wasn't until I truly gave my entire life to the Lord at the age of 27 that I began to understand how important Bible study was. Even then, I was a mother of two young boys. Free time was a precious commodity, so reading the Bible came in spurts. Grab a verse here. Scan a chapter there.
In the past few years, however, I've taken my Bible more seriously. How many times have you heard that the Bible is the Word of God? Hundreds, if you were raised in the church like me. But you know what? It truly is the WORD of GOD! He speaks to us through the Bible. People often complain that they don't ever hear from God when they pray. Well, I'm telling you. If you will read your Bible, you'll hear from Him all right. His words and answers and commands are right there.
A while back I decided I should read the Bible from cover to cover. I'm an avid reader of fiction and I would never even think about picking a chapter here or there to read in order to get the whole story. Why should we treat the Bible any differently? It is God's story. Wouldn't it make much more sense to read it from the beginning to the end?
So that's what I'm doing. I started in Genesis, plowed through the more difficult books, absorbed the prophets, and finally finished on August 27, 2008. I'm now in Romans and I can't begin to explain the amazing understanding I have of the New Testament because I read the Old Testament first. Things make so much more sense. The Jews and their customs. The unrest of the times. The hope of the coming Messiah. The unbelief of many. The sacrifice of Paul and Peter and the others.
If you don't have a Bible study plan for 2009 in place yet, I strongly encourage you to start in Genesis and make your way through to Revelation. It may take a year, if you read a good chunk each day. Or it may take you a couple years, like me, because I tend to read one chapter a day, then meditate on it to get the fullest understanding. Either way is great, as long as you're spending time in the Word and in prayer with the Lord.
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