Posted by The Round Farmhouse Ministries, November 21, 2024

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4 (ESV)

Several years ago, I joined a church that was reading through the Bible in one year. Thankfully reading Scripture was already part of my morning routine, but it was unstructured, and often unproductive, and as someone who likes to make lists simply to cross things off, the idea of placing a check mark on a list of verses each morning was appealing to me.

Little did I know how those little check marks would change me.

I should add that I joined this church because I became their Worship Leader, and I had to read using the Bible plan because their entire year of services were based on the Scripture reading from the previous week. So not only did I need to keep up, but I also needed to be a week ahead. Not only did I need to get my check marks, but I also needed to choose which passages would be read during the service. Not only did I need to understand the passages, but I also needed to choose congregational songs that reflected the text.

Little did I know how the need to read the Bible would change me.

And I’m so very thankful.

I’m thankful that God put me in a place and circumstance where I was surrounded by people who loved Scripture and wanted to read through the Bible together. I’m thankful that reading through the whole Bible allowed me to see God’s consistency throughout His words. I’m thankful that God gave us the Bible as a way for us to hear His words. . . and sometimes I’m still overwhelmed by the fact that the words I read are God’s words. Let that sit for a second: God’s words.

I’m thankful that reading through the Bible once made me want to do it again. And again. I’m thankful that each time I read it God still shows me new things. Sometimes I can’t believe the awesomeness of what I’m reading, or that I never understood some verses before. One year I used a reading plan with a brand new Bible, with no markings or underlined text, and let me tell you that it was a trip, just like reading it for the first time.

I’m thankful the more time I spend in Scripture, the more verses pop into my mind when I need them. And I’m thankful for how God uses Scripture itself to point out why His words are so important and valuable to His children:

– Scripture is powerful, truthful, and God’s way of equipping us. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV).

– Scripture encourages and strengthens us. “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4 ESV).

– Scripture points us to Christ. “. . . showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus” (Acts 18:28 ESV).

I am not reading through the entire Bible this year. I no longer do it every year because I found myself making it too routine. Instead, I am spending this year studying books of the Bible that I wanted to learn more about during last year’s reading (Romans, Job, John, and Ruth so far!), but I am already looking forward to using a reading plan in 2025. Because of how God has changed me through Scripture, and because of what God says about Scripture, I am assured that He will show me new things in 2025 and continue changing me for His glory.

And I’m so very, very thankful.

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4 (ESV)