In December, I read a thought in an article that someone wrote that said...a person could read through the Bible in one month in the time that they spent on TV...or whatever leisure activity you do. That struck me and challenged me.
I wanted to take that challenge. I wanted to see what would happen if I spent that much time reading my Bible. What would be the result?
I started on December 31 and ended today. I read through the entire Bible in one month. What did I take away from this challenge? I thought I would share with you.
1. It is good to do BIG challenges.
I have read through my Bible in a year many times. I remember the first time I read through the Bible - I was a teenager. It was a big thing for me. Take on a big challenge! Push yourself to do something big - something you have never done. It will stretch you...it will cause you to grow.
2. When you challenge yourself big time, it creates an atmosphere of consistency and character.
If you challenge yourself to read one Psalm a day, it is easy to say...I don't have time today to read. I'll just catch up tomorrow. When you are reading up to 75 chapters a day, you don't dare skip a day. I was reading on all my spare moments. In the early morning before my day started, while I blow dried my hair, while I sat at swimming lessons, while I donated plasma, while the family was watching Wheel of Fortune or the evening news. It made me to be very consistent. It strengthened the character in me.
3. I gained a lot of insight into the Bible by reading so much at one time in such a short time.
It really changed my perspective. It provoked a lot of questions and things I wanted to learn more about!
4. One of the most important take-aways for me was...it replaced much of the wasted time in my day.
I didn't have time to scroll Facebook much. I didn't blog a lot. I didn't do any extra fun reading. I didn't watch a lot of TV and Netflix. I just spent a lot of time reading His Word.
This was huge for me.
Time is one of my most valuable things I have - I don't want to waste what minutes and days the Lord gives me. How much time have I wasted on things that don't matter?
5. I learned that you can have time for anything you want to have time for.
The question is - What do you want to have time for?
My husband preached a sermon today on Moses and the Lord.
He said, The people came to Moses...Moses! What is God like? Tell us what happened on the mountain! Did you get a selfie with God? (OK, that last one was obviously not true but funny!)
You see, Moses was the only one of all the children of Israel who cared to know God face to face.
He was the only one who cared to climb the mountain.
The only one.
WOW.
With reading that last chapter of the Bible just this morning, I begged God at the altar - God, don't let me forget to meet with You. Please -I want to climb that mountain EVERY day to talk with You. This challenge may be over but I want this to become my life and just not a month of my life.
No, I won't be reading 75 chapters every day. :) I'm not going to stop blogging or delete my Facebook account or throw away my TV.
But I definitely want to seek Him more and more. I want to strive to put on my hiking boots every morning to meet God at the top.
As a friend, I want my story to challenge you to do the same. It may not be reading through the Bible in a month. What is it for you? Seek Him with all your heart and soul. He is there on the mountain top. Start that climb today!
God bless and much love to you!
Did you start at beginning and go to end or have a method?
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