The Story

Reading the Bible in entirety is on my 25 Before Twenty-Five List. I had started the year off on the right track to finishing it within the year, but then around mid February, I fell way behind in my reading. A few weeks later, as I was talking to one of my small group members about my struggle, and how I really wanted to read the entire Bible, not just because it was on my list, but also because in my almost 20 years of being a Christian, I had never read the whole thing. She suggested I read The Story (overview below).

 "God has gone to great lengths to rescue lost and hurting people. That is what The Story is all about—the story of the Bible, God’s great love affair with humanity. Condensed into 31 accessible chapters, The Story sweeps you into the unfolding progression of Bible characters and events from Genesis to Revelation. Using the clear, accurate, and easy-to-understand text of Today’s New International Version, it allows the stories, poems, and teachings of the Bible to read like a novel. And like any good story, The Story is filled with intrigue, drama, conflict, romance, and redemption."

After starting the book and talking to her a bit more about it, I decided I would allow reading The Story to be a substitute for my list. I still fully intend on reading the Bible cover to cover, just at my own pace, instead of following a mapped out reading plan. Reading it really made me view Christ in a new light, and I could go into a lot of revelations I had while reading, but that would be another post in itself. If you want to read the Bible and like me, were struggling to get through it, want to get a better grasp on the order of events, or just want to learn more about God's grace, I highly recommend reading it.

I finally finished it today! And so I get to cross of #12 Read the Bible in Entirety off of my 25 Before Twenty-Five List! It's such a great feeling anytime I get to cross something off.