Lessons I’m Learning Reading The Bible in Lent – Day 14

Reading through the entire Bible in the 40 days of Lent has been a challenge. It’s been hard on a practical level to work in the time to read that much. My phone starts buzzing a little earlier than normal. I now spend most of my mornings drinking coffee with a pen and Bible in hand and most of my evenings trying to finish on audiobook whatever I missed in the morning. 

There have been personal and family challenges that have popped up, making it hard to spend time reading and hard to focus when I do, but somehow, every day, God has provided a way for it to all still work.

But there’s also been a lot of benefits to reading through this much of the Bible each day. I’m learning new things and making connections I’ve never made before. 

Here a few things I’ve learned in the first 3 weeks of The Bible in Lent

I’m remembering the names of “minor characters” and their roles better.

I’ve always struggled with the similarity and unfamiliarity of the names in the Old Testament. Reading through entire books of the Bible in one go has made it so much easier to remember the names of “minor” people and make the connections of what their roles were. 

As we move out of the historical narratives and into the prophets, I have a better understanding of their contexts.

I, to my embarrassment, didn’t realize that throughout Kings, Chronicles, and the other historical books, it literally mentions the prophets and their writings. Aside from knowing the prophets were mentioned, reading the contexts of the kings they were writing to has also provided a fresh perspective of their contexts that I know I will appreciate as we start reading the prophets. 

My “I don’t have time to read the Bible” excuse was really just an excuse.

I’ve always known that we make time for what we prioritize. Despite that, managing to read about 34 chapters of scripture a day has taken that realization to a whole new level. I’m realizing just how easy it is to read my Bible when it is a priority. (I also think having a clear plan of what to read helps with this a lot!)

I’m seeing the big picture a little clearer.

Reading through this much of the Bible helps me see the stories of individuals, and the whole arc of the Bible, a little clearer. It’s easy to focus on simply the good or the sin of individuals, but reading their whole story all at once reveals that there are no clear-cut people. All of us have sinned and fallen short but all of us have the law of God imprinted on our hearts. I’m seeing the grey areas of stories that I’d missed but I’m also seeing the redemption story in God’s mercy like never before. 

The Bible in Lent has been a challenge for sure. On Day 14, there have already been days I’ve thought about throwing in the towel. But at the end of the day, I know that God is working through His word to speak to me during this time. I know the Word of God never returns void and every minute I invest in it is time well invested. The next 26 days will probably have many ups and downs, but I think there is so much to be gained from reading through the whole of Scripture in a short period of time.

Already, I see the benefits and I can’t wait to reflect back on Easter Morning.