Having been raised in a Christian home, it has been a continuous goal of mine to read the Bible in its entirety. I must admit - sadly - that this has never been a strength for me. I know the Bible stories and have memorized many passages of Scripture, but I have never been able to stick with a program to cover the entire Bible in a given period of time. Normally, I would push through about 3 months and then LIFE would happen and I would give up.
Many of my friends were participating in B90x, a Bible reading plan that takes its name from the fitness phenomenon P90x. B90x is a 90 day intense plan that results in reading the entire Bible. 3 short months! Now THAT I can handle. Of course, as things would happen it, the inspiration to start the program came in the middle of the busiest time of my life: MUSIC CAMP! I tried to talk myself into delaying the start, but I knew I needed to get going, so I began to look for the plan online and stumbled across a great website in the process that has helped me be successful for 20 of the 90 days so far. Since I'm hooked on this website, I wanted to share it with you.
The website is http://www.youversion.com/. Youversion is similar to many of the other Bible text websites, but also has some interesting differences I enjoy. Firstly, youversion has you create a login identity so you can keep track of what you have read and store notes online (both public and private). Secondly, many reading plans are housed on the site - including the B90x - and the program keeps track of your progress. When you find yourself falling behind - and it happens to all of us if we're honest - there is a neat "catch me up" button that will reconfigure your reading plan so you can still meet your goal. Lastly, since the reading plans on youversion are web-based, you can access your Bible reading from any computer with Internet access. Throw in the free app for smart phones and you have total convenience. There's no excuse to not stay on target with my assigned reading each day.
The website won me over. The Bible reading is an eye-opener and a challenge. I must admit that it is demanding; the B90x plan requires that you read 12 pages of Scripture each day. That generally equals 14-16 chapters. Fortunately, I was given advice early on to not think of this as in-depth study. Rather, I am simply reading the Word with an eye on the big picture. Thankfully, the Spirit of God is speaking truth deep into my heart even at this fast-paced, overview approach.
Is youversion for everyone? Definitely not. But if you have ever found yourself challenged with finding time to read the Bible like I have, this may be just the solution you have been looking for. Whenever I have a spare moment throughout the day, I simply log in by computer or iPhone and do a little reading. Before I know it, I've completed the day's reading and find my mind returning to it throughout the day. Whether you opt to join me on the B90x journey, to use another Bible reading plan on the site, or to simply use the website and apps for your personal reading, I think that youversion.com is a valuable resource to a tech-savy generation.
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