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One dark night in the church basement during a Bible study, I was pregnant with our oldest daughter at the time. One of the ladies in the study possessed a quiet wisdom; when she spoke, her biblical knowledge brought clarity to our group. She shared how she had read the Bible in 90 days, and although it had been a challenging experience, it had also been profoundly enriching. Intrigued, I decided to take on her challenge and completed it in four months, just before our daughter was born. I remember being able to make connections between various books of the Bible since the material was fresh in my mind.
As Christmas approached this year and the days grew darker, this challenge resurfaced in my thoughts. It had been 13 years since I last attempted to read the Bible in 90 days. Today marks day 90. Here are the lessons I've learned:
It came with a cost. A pastor friend asked what I would need to sacrifice to spend the required time each day (approximately an hour of reading). Not being a night person and wanting my mind to be fresh, I decided to wake up half an hour earlier each day. I gave up sleep.
Satan didn't like it. Life got tough! My first-grader decided to cry every morning before school. My colleague had a baby and was off work for 8 weeks (yes, I knew she was expecting), but sometimes a coworker feels like an extension of yourself... we just get work done as if we were one person. I was tired, remember, I had given up sleep.
I learned the Bible. I made connections between chapters and books in the Bible by jotting down thoughts each day. Even the genealogies started to make sense.
I learned to know God in a fresh way. The passages I read would often resonate throughout the day. Once, during a workshop for school, the keynote speaker spoke about encountering obstacles in life, comparing it to a boulder in the road. The choice, he said, is to either go through it or go around it. Immediately, I thought of the Israelites facing a similar obstacle upon reaching the Promised Land, Numbers 13-14. Their fear caused them to wander in the desert for 40 years—a significant detour.
Revisiting this challenge after 13 years not only deepened my understanding of the Bible but also provided valuable insights into personal sacrifice, spiritual warfare, and a renewed connection with God. Are you up for the challenge?
I used Chronological, The Bible in 90 Days from Bible.com. You can learn more about How to Start Reading the Bible through this link. If reading the Bible in a year is more your style, I recommend this Chronological Bible.