Is it appropriate to start this by lol’ing (laughing out loud) as a way to give myself some grace?

We’re halfway through the year and, unfortunately, I am only 38 readings strong into The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible.

We’re 163 days into the year, and boy am I off track.

But it’s time for some grace, and a reminder of what I wrote at the start of the year.

It’s not a race.

Though I started my plan to read the Bible in a year, my initial intention was not to race through the reading so I could check the goal off my list by December 31.

My goal was, and still is, to spend daily, intentional time in the Word with God. 

Every single day of this year has looked wildly different than the previous. And that’s not to say I haven’t had quiet time, I have!

In fact, I put a lengthy pause on my reading plan to read a different study, Knowing Jesus as Servant: A 10-Session Bible Study on the Gospel of Mark. And it was a study I loved deeply, and that gave me a deep look into the life of Jesus Christ and His ministry.

But let’s go back to the top.

It’s not a race.

So if it’s taking me longer than a year to read the Bible, that’s okay. Why? Because, currently 38 readings in, I feel more well-versed in the Word than I ever have. I’ve learned so much through my daily readings and especially through the use of my ESV Study Bible (which by the way, this was the best tip I received when I started this journey).

Maybe you’re in a similar spot where your devotional time has gone off the deep end. Trust me, you’re not alone.

Life, oversleeping, last-minute schedule changes. I can create a list of the things and choices that changed up my daily quiet time. But the intention is to grow in Him, and not to win a race in 365 days. The end goal is Him.

And because the end goal is Christ and communion with Him, I’m going to keep reading and walking toward my goal even if it means reaching it within the next year and a half (or two years)!

Because it’s not a race.

Here’s to reading the Bible in a year-ish. We’ve got this!