Helps for and Benefits of Reading the Entire Bible
Being a Christian comes with the tremendous blessing of having the indwelling Holy Spirit, which is why the Bible comes alive for believers. From Genesis to Exodus, there are 66 books. That’s a lot of reading! To read God’s Word from cover to cover may seem an unreasonable goal, for anyone with a busy life. The truth is, though, that many people manage to read the whole Bible year after year. It’s totally doable, and the following are among the benefits of reading the entire Bible plus some helpful resources.
Helps for Reading the Bible Thru
Many Bibles are available that divide the scriptures up into daily readings. One is the Life Principles Daily Bible from the ministry of Pastor Charles F. Stanley. Each day, there is an Old Testament portion, a small amount of Psalms, one or more verses of Proverbs, and a reading from the New Testament. This particular Bible has notes from Pastor Stanley that can enrich the reading by helping with greater comprehension.
Other tools that can help are simply lists showing the daily readings to turn to, if you want to finish the Bible in a year.
To help get more out of the Bible, one of the best helps is What the Bible is All About by Dr. Henrietta C. Mears. The highly recommended 5-star-rated book includes a complete guide to the scriptures, shows why the Bible is a cohesive book from beginning to end, explains how Jesus is revealed in the Old and New Testaments, and much more.
Another way to know what’s in the entire Bible is by listening to it on audiobooks. There are many audio versions available, including some that are fully dramatized, almost like listening to the Bible as though it were a radio show back before the days of television.
Benefits of Reading the Entire Bible
You don’t have to read the Bible in one year. Even if it takes you two years or more, you will get all of the benefits of reading it all the way through. Some of the benefits follow.
You’ll Know God More Intimately
One of the most wonderful aspects of the Bible is that it reveals what God Almighty is like. Through scriptures, God reveals who he is. As you prayerfully read the scriptures, you should come to understand more about his ways, his power, his love for us, and His Son.
You’ll Find Answers
Non-Christians often refer to the Bible in derogatory ways, especially in modern days. When you read it through for yourself, you can see that God is a heavenly Father who loves everyone, even though there is war and death. There is meaning and purpose behind everything written about in the scriptures, and you’ll come to a greater understanding about why God does things that some people consider wrong (which, of course, they are wrong about).
You’ll Be More Focused on Things Above
As the entire Bible unfolds before you, the most powerful thing that happens is that you can see that God has a plan for us from the beginning. All the way back to the Garden of Eden, God wanted to be in fellowship with us. He created us so that he would have a family made in His own image. People who reject God miss out on their purpose in life. By reading the Bible, you should come to understand your own purpose better than ever.
Have You Read the Entire Bible?
It’s only mid-January—not too late to get on track with reading the Bible daily this year. Deciding to read the Bible through comes with a guarantee. All along the journey and once you’ve read it all, you’ll be very glad you did.
