Daily Bible

It’s always an achievement to read the bible in full.  I recommend everyone do it at least once.  That’s regardless of whatever belief system you follow.  I had done it once using the easy to read “The Message” version of the bible.  Now I’ve finished it again using the ‘Daily Bible’ in NIV.

Firstly some stats.  It took me approximately 15 months to complete from 8^th June 2011 to 19^th September 2012.  This equates to 470 days.  It was read in 278 sessions with an average of 5 pages and 19 minutes per session.  Thanks to the ‘Read More” app of iPhone for statistics and extra motivation to keep reading.

The ‘Daily Bible’ has chunks of around 3 – 4 pages with duel columns that take about 10 – 20 minutes to read.  It is organised to have an Old Testament portion, New Testament portion and a Psalm or Proverb portion per day.

What I liked about the format was accomplishing a book more frequently.  For example while reading a long new testament book you will be finishing a shorter old testament book, or vice versa.  Also if one portion was quite droll then the other portion was usually very interesting.  Don’t forget as well that reading a small chunk of the bible every day is a good habit to forge.

I was surprised at how small the daily chunks were.  I’m not a fast reader and most days only took 10 mins to read.  Meaning that sometimes I read multiple days in one hit.  Sometimes you just have to keep reading while you have the energy. 

Each day was dated, intended for you to read every day starting January 1^st and finishing December 31^st.  I didn’t stick to this however.  I knew my shiftwork would make that impossible.  But I’m rather chuffed at 15 months.

Some of the ordering of the Old Testament was interesting.  It seems that they attempted to be somewhat chronological while breaking up the longer books with shorter books.

Post reading ‘The Message’ I asked, “What next?”  My answer then was to read it in this different format.  So now this effort is completed and I have to ask it again.  As reading the bible is not a once off read and then put it on the shelf to gather dust.

Although as I’m doing some study through Moore College I think I’ll give the daily reading a break and catch up on other books I’ve been wanting to reading.  After study is completed I’m keen to try out Max Lucado’s bible adaptation, ‘The Story’.