Hi All! And welcome back to my blog. Today’s post is about my personal experience with reading through the Bible in 90 days. Honestly, it was about 120 days.
What I did
How did I decide to read through the Bible in 90 days? In May or so, I knew I had reached the end of a very very difficult period in my life. I knew I was turning a corner mentally, and I needed to pick a new direction in how I filled my mind and heart. Somehow, I managed to be in the Bible App looking at reading plans. The 90 Bible one came up and peaked my interest. So, I went for it.
Time to read did not exist. So, I chose the audio version to fill long car rides to and from work. The Bible App has several versions to choose from based on the Bible translation you pick. Some of the versions play background music softly with the narration. I thought the music was too mysterious. Some of the voices are difficult to listen to based on my preferences. I settled on the New Living Translation (NLT) and a voice I could tolerate.
Advantages of audio and speed
Listening to the audio bible is different. You get to hear someone else’s take on it – even if they try to be as neutral as possible. Other perspectives are helpful. Because I used the NLT, I also got a different perspective on the Bible from the translation I usually use. I liked the frankness of the translation. Sometimes it was uncomfortably blunt. Because I went through the Bible fast, my only goal was to simply absorb. I did not try to analyze every word; I aimed to understand the overall message and keep an open mind when God wanted to point out something specific.
How it turned out
I learned a lot! While I enjoyed hearing familiar stories, I also found new understanding. The timing was great. In recent years, I attempted to deconstruct my faith and get rid of so many horrible feelings surrounding bible passages inflicted on me by church people. Instead, I found myself reconstructing my faith and seeing the Bible’s topics for what they meant to say – not what others told me to believe about those topics.
Significant outcomes
Significant results came from charging through the Bible so quickly. I listed them below.
- Renewed faith.
- Opportunities to compare stories to proverbs and prophecy.
- I felt God’s presence.
- I tried something new and out of my slow comfort zone yet felt reward
As a mature Christian who has been at this for quite a while, keeping an open mind to the gospel for its relevancy today is a challenge. I know other Christians who say they already know the Bible and question why they need to read it further. They do not make efforts to read the Bible or keep it in their minds because they think they know it all already (and that is where they fail). So, taking a different approach to the Bible proved useful.
I hope this small reflection helped you in some small way. In this blog, I do not need to be the expert who tells you how to do something in five “easy” steps. I simply want to share life and encouragement.
If you would like to try reading or listening through the Bible in 90 days, download the Bible App on your phone. No web page version exists. The developer, YouVersion, only has a website that talks about their app.
Alright. If you try it, let me know how it goes. If you need encouragement while you are going through it, I’d love to hear that, too.
~Lisa