The year 2019 was going to be when I read through the Bible in its entirety. Having studied the Bible for over two decades, I still hadn’t read every word. To keep growing in my faith, it seemed like the next right step.
My endeavor started from a place of feeling stuck—of wanting to make my way through God’s Word but not quite knowing how to begin. Having tried and failed the reading plan outlined in the back of my Bible, I felt a nudge to do something different. What I needed most was a simple plan. An idea sprouted: start with the New Testament and then work through the Old. It worked. I slowly made my way through. But as 2019 drew to a close, I found myself in Revelation, not Malachi—the entirety of the Old Testament standing between me and my goal. A twinge of disappointment arose.
But I found my fingers leafing through the pages, catching glimpses of all that had been revealed in the questions, comments, and highlights filling the margins. The fruit of steady obedience sprang from the pages. “Read the Bible in a year” wouldn’t get crossed off my list in 2019, but something better had come to be. It’s now 2021. As I am nearing the completion of my goal (two years late), I see my faith has been shaped not by the accomplishment but through the daily obedience it took to get there.
In relinquishing perfection, I’ve come to know firsthand the grace and truth offered in Scripture. I’ve uncovered a God who doesn’t desire for me to simply arrive but who embraces me despite my imperfections—one who loves the whole of me. Reading the closing words of the Old Testament will be an accomplishment indeed. But more important is the revelation of truth that God cares more about what is in my heart than what I’ve achieved. Time in the Word is no longer something I do to cross it off a list, but an activity to engage in to uncover more of who God is and who he wants me to be. Little by little, as I let go of my plans, I found my spirit renewed and discovered that transformation happens within the journey—not upon reaching the final destination.
MaryBeth Eiler encourages people to hold on to hope and seek God’s provision and grace as they encounter the unexpected. She shares encouragement at http://www.marybetheiler.com.
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