90 Days in the Word

Let's start the year off with a focus that will steady all our other goals. Join me in reading the Bible chronologically in 90 days!

Have you been reflecting, journaling, and reminiscing on all that 2023 has been and all 2024 could be? There’s a lot of that going around this time of year. Where does God fit into your goals and resolutions?

A couple of weeks ago, I was astounded (and convicted) by some statistics I read about how long it takes to read the Bible from cover to cover. I’ve tried the whole Bible in a Year or Bible in Two Years thing, and I never stay consistent. By March or April, I’m onto some new Bible Study and decide it’s better to stay focused on one book with richer and deeper study than it is to have read the whole thing rushed.

I can’t, for the life of me, recall where I saw the post/stats I’m referencing, but here’s a recap:

• Read 15 minutes a day, and you’ll finish the Bible in 1 year.

• Read 30 minutes a day, and you’ll finish the Bible in 160 days.

• Ready 45 minutes/1 hour a day, and you’ll finish the Bible in 70-90 days.

• Read 1.5 hours a day, and you’ll finish the Bible in 40 days.

I remember hearing Francis Chan share about reading the Bible from cover to cover in 1 week. That would average out to about 10 hours/day, give or take. I was impressed and jealous that he could do such a thing (I suppose it is his job after all).

I’m embarrassed to admit that I have not read the entire Bible. I’ve read Genesis a few times, most of the New Testament repeatedly, the Psalms once or twice, and John at least 20 times, but I’ve missed a few along the way. Amos? Haggai? Lamentations? Oy.

As I read the stats above, I was struck with the reality of how I tend to overestimate how long it takes to read Scripture. I used to easily dedicate 45 minutes to 1 hour a day to be in the Word. Now, God’s lucky to get 10-20 minutes daily.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a deeper study. You know how much I like getting into the nitty-gritty of the text, the word studies, and all that. I could spend a week on one word alone!

But how weird would it be if we received a lengthy letter from a loved one, and only read parts of it over and over again without reading the entire letter?

As I consider what 2024 can be, and who I can be in 2024, there are a lot of goals I want to achieve. I’m setting out to run a half-marathon in the Fall, I need to lose weight to be my healthiest self, and I want to sharpen my memory and strengthen my muscles. Maybe 2024 will be the year I set out to publish my next book.

And none of my 2024 goals will be fruitful if I’m not abiding with God and reading His Words over my life.

The Challenge

As mentioned, I struggle to keep up when the third or fourth month rolls around, and I end up lost in another form of Bible Study (which is okay by the way). I used to think extending it so my goal of reading it in two years would be more manageable, but I don’t know that I ever kept that strong for more than a month. That goal just seemed too far away!

90 days — just long enough and short enough to be doable and challenging. They say it takes 21 days to build a habit, so my first focus in January will be to build my routine and carve out space to read 45 minutes/day. It doesn’t have to be polished, either! I intend to carve out at least 15 minutes in the morning and evening, and if I find that 15 minutes in the middle of the day is best or listening to it on my way to work is most efficient, I won’t shy away from that.

The goal is to lean in and listen to God’s Word all the way through, however that might take shape.

The breakdown is about 10-14 chapters/day. It sounds daunting, doesn’t it? Maybe I’m just one of those people who needs a little bit of “feels impossible” to motivate me. I know one thing is for sure, I need discipline in my life, and following Jesus should be my utmost priority. After all, we are called disciples.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11

What do you say? Join me in this 90-Days in the Word Challenge to see God’s story of creation, humanity, faithfulness, and redemption unfold from Genesis to Revelation (chronologically).

I’m not going to over-program this, but I did want to put together a little guide for myself and to share with you!

Start whenever you’re ready, but just know you may never be “ready,” and God’s Word is not something to wait on! I’ll be starting the challenge on January 1st because 90 days later, it will be completed on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024. There’s something special about reading through Jesus’ life in the gospels and the accounts after his death leading up to the day we celebrate His resurrection and life eternal.

Will you let me know if you plan to do this, too? I’d love the accountability and to be able to cheer you on!

P.S. Feel free to share the guide with anyone you think would enjoy this challenge too. You can start any day of the year, but why not start this week?

Happy New Year, friends! I pray your endeavors with God will change you radically from the inside out, and you’ll look back a year from today in awe of how God moved in your mind, body, and spirit.