In the past, I have struggled with daily Bible reading. It may seem counterintuitive, but reading larger portions is helping my consistency. Getting the bigger picture makes the Bible that much more exciting. Rather than a compilation of nice and not-so-nice stories, verses, chapters, and books fit together to form God’s unfolding plan of redemption. So if you haven’t tried reading the Bible in 90 days, give it a try. It’s a challenge, but a good one.

Having started on February 1, I am attempting to read the entire Bible in 90 days. It has been challenging, and I am already a little bit behind. But so far, it’s been very good. I am still trying to find the optimal time of day to read, which varies from day to day, but the main goal is to read. I would not recommend this as the only method of Bible reading because it’s not possible to do in-depth study at this pace. However, this is a great way to get the Bible’s big picture. With less than a month under my belt, here are a few lessons I’ve learned so far.

The Bible has unity. It contains the overarching story of God’s promise of redemption inGenesis 3:15 and His faithfulness to keep His word through the twists and turns of human history. Reading the historical narratives in 3-4 days has helped me maintain that storyline. For example, God is faithful in preserving Abraham’s descendants in spite of the patriarchs failings, through their enslavement in Egypt, eventual release, and wilderness wanderings. The downward spiritual slide in Judges is contrasted with the hopeful message of Ruth and the reign of a man after God’s own heart. While the patriarchs, judges, and kings foreshadow the coming Messiah, even the best of men are only men who stumble and fall. But God’s plan is still moving forward step by step and will not be deterred.

Reading quickly has kept me from falling back into some bad hermeneutical habits. There isn’t time to allegorize narrative because the pace forces me to read what is written as it is written. I don’t get lost in the weeds and begin to wonder if there is a deeper, hidden significance to rock badgers (Lev. 11:5) There’s also less temptation to read myself into the story because larger portions keep the context in the forefront.

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