The Bible in a Year Chronologicaly (BIY)

Can I just tell you the ridiculous amounts of excited I {Mandy} am to offer this to our readers?? 

I embarked on a Read the Bible in a Year Chronologically plan January 1, 2015. I shot out of the gate with high hopes and lofty expectations. Looking back, now in December and *this close* to finishing, I see times that I was full-steam-ahead and times I slacked off and got as much as 3 months behind! 

At times I had rapt attention and at others I went days, weeks, and months without even thinking of my reading plan. 

During much of that time, I was working alongside the Devo Team here at DW for the She Heard Devotional Series. So, while I was in the Word, and even deeply researching different books and people in the Bible, I noticed a marked difference from that kind of study and making consistent time to be in the Word every single day for the purposes of reading the rich history that the Father has left for us within the pages of Scripture. 

To be honest, not all parts of the Bible are intriguing and stimulating. Let's be realistic..for most, reading a lengthy list of people's hard-to-pronounce names, building measurements, and counting of people isn't exactly curl-your-toes fascinating or attention-getting...BUT...every bit of scripture down to the most tedious number and hard-to-pronounce name is intended for us to read. Why?

As the song goes...Our God is an awesome God. He reigns from Heaven Above with wisdom, power and love. Our God is an awesome God.  

The counting and numbering of the peoples in Numbers shows a God who is detail-oriented and meticulous (isn't that a comfort when we take Him all the parts of our lives that we want Him to lead us in and fix? Knowing He has an attention to detail makes it easier to understand how He can maintain the entire universe (Col 1:17), call every star by name (Psalm 147:4), and still know how many hairs are on our head (Luke 12:7).

Leviticus, with it's detailed Law, can be hard to read, especially when the Laws of that culture thousands of years ago bump up against our current-day Western sensibilities. I struggled with the Laws concerning slaves and women. But upon reading commentary and the notes in my study Bible, I realize God was making Laws to keep order for His people and in a way they understood in their culture. I think it's a lot like how He deals with us...He starts where we are and allows us to move forward rather than rush us to where we should be. 

The books of prophecy have a distinct language and style all their own, so they can be a tough read. When you read the Bible chronologically, we are allowed to read the prophecy and then immediately read the books/verses that show that particular prophecy fulfilled. It allows us to better understand the language used and see how God gave so many opportunities for His people to do the right thing before the consequences befell them. 

Many of the books in the Old Testament feel harsh and brutal. There was much bloodshed and many men, women, and children were killed. That's a hard pill to swallow, especially when children are involved. I found reading in this way allowed me to see the vast landscape of our history and the rampant sin that filled up most of the 39 books of the Old Testament. It took me reaching the end of the plan to fully see how every word written in the Bible points to Jesus. It's obvious they needed a Savior. It's obvious that we do too. 

Through it all, reading the Bible in its entirety in a thorough and consistent manner required that I reconcile the God I professed to worship and serve and the God who Is. I was forced to unbox my God and bow before the Lord Almighty, the Great I Am, the Ancient of Days. I had to decide if I truly believed the Lord is sovereign all the time or only when His thoughts and actions made sense to me. 

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​For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8)

Join us January 1 as we post each day's reading on our website. We offer a grace day per week should you get behind. Dig in, get serious, and commit to getting to know the God who IS. 

The recommended Bible is The Daily Bible, but it's not necessary to follow along with the reading plan. The Daily Bible simply makes it easier. 

To order a copy from Amazon.com, click HERE. 

We look forward to beginning a fresh year by digging into the Word. Join us in our closed Deliberate Women Facebook Group for added accountability and conversation by clicking HERE.