Reading the Bible in One Year

When our daughter Courtney had Baby #4, Jim and I were there at Courtney’s home on baby-watch duty when she and Paul left in the middle of the night for the hospital. We stayed about ten days afterward to help out and ease the usual adjustments of a busy household to a new baby.

I carry one very special memory with me... Each day at breakfast Courtney sat and ate with (and tended to) her five-, four-, and two-year-olds, and Jim and me. Beside her placemat was her beat-up, well-worn One Year Bible. And later, after the kitchen was cleaned up, faces and hands wiped, and the little ones sent on to their next activities, Courtney sat down again at the breakfast table, by herself...and read her Bible.

Why Read the Bible in a Year?

Now I ask you, how does a mom handle each stretching day? How does she manage, in a God-pleasing way, her marriage, her housework, the first baby, the second baby, the third baby, and the fourth baby...all of whom quickly become active toddlers and preschoolers? Answer: She looks to God’s empowering— and peace-producing!—Word. And doing so makes a difference—a huge difference!

I don’t know how other mothers manage to fit in their daily Bible time, but this is how one mom does it as near to every day as she can. It’s a powerful habit every mom can build into her life.

What Does It Take?

What does it take to read through the Bible in a year? It takes about 10 to 12 minutes a day. That’s roughly the same time as a quick internet session. That’s one-half of a good conversation on the phone with your sister, mom, or best friend. That’s one-third of a sitcom on TV. That’s one-sixth of a television talk show.

But with an earnest, hungry heart, you rise up from those dozen minutes in the Word filled.  You have set aside worldliness and instead set your mind and heart on things above “where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God...not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). And God’s spiritual “fruit of the Spirit”—His “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23)—is evident.

Remember, God’s Word makes all the difference in the world in your heart, in your day, and in your parenting. This handful of minutes is such a tiny investment to make in something that produces such massive daily—and eternal—dividends! It’s a little choice that will reap big benefits...both in your heart and in the hearts of your children. It will accelerate you down the path to being a more dedicated mother after God’s own heart.

RESPOND

Dear Lord, what a precious gift time is! Please keep me aware my stewardship of this great award. Help me make good use of every hour, realizing that once spent, it can never be returned to me. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES

A Woman After God’s Own Heart Bible with Elizabeth George – This Bible includes a daily one-year reading plan, 365 daily devotions, and so much more! Pick up this Biblefor yourself or as a gift for a loved one!  

A Mom After God’s Own Heart– offers 10 principles to help moms make God an everyday part of their lives … and their children's lives! Get a copy of this great book for moms today! 

REFLECT

When can I carve out time to read God’s Word each day?

Make a list of the benefits you receive when you spend time daily in Scripture. Reference back to these on days when you struggle to get in God’s Word.

REMEMBER

The degree of our spiritual strength will be in direct proportion to the time we spend in God’s Word.