On December 30, 2022, I decided I wanted to read the whole Bible in a year. And not in a traditional way, but using the Immerse Bibles. They are formatted with no chapters, verses, or headings, but are simply the NLT text set up to read like a novel.
I created a reading plan, so that Monday through Friday it would take 15-30 minutes of reading, with weekends and a whole week-long break between books for catching up. Still I found myself often behind… Thankfully Immerse has created podcasts of people reading these books, and I’ve listened just as often as I’ve read the hard copies.
Plus with these being separate books, there is SO MUCH GRACE for falling behind (we all do it) and it’s 100% okay to just start fresh with the next book when needed!
My goal has always been for being in the Word to be something we WANT to do, not something we HAVE to do.
We now have 2 weeks left of the year, and I have 3 weeks of reading to do. But I have no doubt I’ll finish. And rather than being burned out, I WANT TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN.
Y’all… my biggest takeaway from this year is that it’s now difficult for me to read traditional devotionals. 
I’ve gotten so used to taking in God’s Word in big chunks that reading a single verse and then someone else’s thoughts on that verse falls flat for me.
(NOT to say there isn’t a place for devotionals — I write them! [I even have one being published by Proverbs 31 next year] — but I’ve been so so surprised by this realization.)
Would you like to make a New Year’s resolution to read more of God’s Word this year too? I set up a Facebook group for this plan, where I share links to get the books and where to download the podcasts, plus make a post every week or two for us to discuss what we’ve been reading (Find it here). If you’re not on Facebook and would just like the reading plan, send me an email.
Please let me know if you have questions, join the group, comment if you want to make this commitment in 2024 too!
What will God teach us in 2024? Join me… for however much or little you are able!!!
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