4 Things I've Learned From Reading The Bible Every Day

This year I committed to read the Bible every single day no matter what. While I've always read the Bible most days, I still missed a day here and there. Even in the years that I've read through the entire Bible, I missed some days and caught up on others.

But if I want to ensure that my faith remains strong, I need to create habits that teach myself that priority, even on the days I don't feel it. In December I listened to a podcast by someone describing why they created that discipline many years ago. As he was mentioning the benefits and the importance of discipline, I figured I should start doing that myself. And even though we are only in February, I have already begun to see a few differences it has made. Here are four things I've learned from reading the Bible every day.

1) It no longer feels like something I need to make sure I do

Yes, even as a pastor, there are many days where I have started my day reading and praying because I know it is the right thing to do even I'd rather get to work on other things. I like to feel and be productive, and oftentimes spending time with God does not produce any immediate results.

But now that I have committed to reading the Bible every day instead of simply thought about how I need to make sure I spend time with God, I've actually enjoyed it more. Ironically, since I have committed to reading the Bible every day this year, it has turned into something I need to make sure I do, but for some reason, it no longer feels that way. I've actually come to look forward to it even more.

2) It's ok to "just read" the Bible

There is an unfrotunate pressure we often think or put on ourselves where we think we need to "get" something out of the Bible every time we read it. That isn't true.Sometimes passages are confusing or hard to understand. Sometimes you might not feel particularly close to God on a given day. That is ok.

It is much more important to develop a habit of Bible reading rather than only reading when you feel like it or can learn something. Sometimes you need to read for a future date when you're going through something difficult and you're able to think back on a passage you read previously. The discipline of going before the Lord daily leads to more benefits than simply learning information about the Bible. So don't let the pressure of feeling like you have to take something away from your reading everyday stop you from doing it.

3) It has brought me closer to God

I don't say this because this is what you are supposed to say when you do something like this, but because it is true. How can it not be? When you spend time with God every single day it has to change you. To be perfectly honest, there have been a couple of days this year where for whatever reason I didn't read the Bible that day. So as I am going to bed I'll pull out my phone and read a chapter on the YouVersion Bible app. That might not seem very spiritual, but a few minutes before bed is better than no minutes at all.

4) I couldn't encourage you enough to try it

Maybe you only read the Bible a couple of days a week or maybe you hardly at all. That is ok, this commitment can be really simple. What if you committed to reading just one verse a day for a month? There is no shame in starting small because who knows, you may start to enjoy it more than you thought :).

So here is my challenge. Try this with for the next 30 days and see if you experience some of the same things I have. My guess is you just might create a new habit that could completely change your life.