Reading Goals

 As each new year comes around, there are always people and blogs and magazines that encourage you to read more and strive to accomplish more and do more and be more.  It is almost as if they want you to keep striving to attain an unattainable goal and of course pay $9.95 a month to allow them to help you achieve the unattainable goal.  So, today I want to take all of that and remind you that reading is important.  And if you are going to read anything - read the Bible.  

I do not say this because other reading is not important.  It is.  But it is not AS important as reading the Scriptures.  Since the Bible is the Word of God it is categorically different from other books.  It is Authoritative - we must listen and obey.  It is Inspired by God - its source and origin is God working in and through the human authors.  It is True.  It is Sufficient.  It is Clear.  And I could go on.  But you get the idea - the Bible has qualities that are not guaranteed in other books.  And so, your time is best spent reading the Bible.  

I know that often times Bible reading plans seem daunting because reading the Bible in a year requires around 4 chapters per day.  And that can be a lot.  And so when I encourage you to read the Bible, I am not saying read the whole Bible this year.  I want to encourage you to simply do this:

    Read more of the Bible this year than you did last year.

If you read once a month this year, try to do more than that.  If you read once a week, try to do twice a week.  If you read one chapter a day, try to do two chapters a day.  If you read the Bible through in a year, try to read it twice this year.  Pick a book and read that book over and over this year.  Choose a verse and read it every day twice or three times a day!  Just read the Bible.  Don't let your fear of failure knock you down, just read it.  If you miss a day, read again the next day.  Don't feel like you have to make up time.  Just read.  I think that if you do, you will be glad that you did!