The Works of God

Yes, I know, the new year is still more than a month away.  But I’d like to encourage you to give yourself some momentum before the new year begins.

God has helped me throughout this year through a plan to read through the Bible in a year.  There have been some amazing days when God let me see something new from his word that I had never seen before, frequently drawing together two or more of the four readings for the day.

And I would encourage you start now.  I had every desire to start this journey on January 1 this past year – because that’s when we’re ‘supposed’ to get into better habits!  I think I actually started about January 10 or 15, feeling both sheepish and guilty that I had not followed through on my good intentions.  Two weeks into the year and I was ready to give up on this plan!

I didn’t bother to try to catch up; I just started on that day.

It hasn’t been perfect – I have gotten behind several times during the year.  But it has been very good for my study and my soul.

So why not start now?  By January 1 you’ll already start seeing the benefits, you’ll have developed a new habit, and if the plan you’ve been using just hasn’t seemed to fit your needs, you can start a different one.

I’ve used the free One Year Tract Bible Reading Plan this year with the English Standard Version of the Bible.  This website also renders beautifully on mobile devices like the iPhone, so I have it with me almost anywhere I go.  Dianne listens to the daily reading, also freely available at that website.

There are other one year plans available here.

I would highly recommend a good study bible to go with it, like the ESV Study Bible available from Crossway.  It is a worthwhile investment in your own life, and a great present for somebody else.

Do you have a suggestion for a reading plan that’s been helpful?