For 2019 I decided to listen to the bible in chronological order, lets find out how I got on...
What I used
I use the bible app on my iphone and followed their chronological reading plan. It is free to download and simple to use. There are lots of different reading plans to follow. The speaker was male and had tone to his voice. There was the occasional background music for effects and I found it added, rather than annoy. It was really easy to use and there was a bible free day each week. So if you missed a day, you could catch up then.
Why?
I haven't read the bible in chronological order (I've been a christian for 15 years+) and I was curious to read the bible in the actual timeline. I felt a strong urge to do it, so i did.
How I got on
I have found that listening to the bible was a lot easier to do and that I was more likely to follow the schedule than when I just read it. I personally found it was a lot easier to listen and focus at night, before I went to sleep than at any other point in the day.
Any negatives?
I did miss the mix up between old and new testament in other bible plans - I was going through the old testament for a very long time - approx 9 months. I also missed the daily psalm and proverb readings that I am used to. Hearing the laws and chronological order or the same story from different authors could be hard going and took me discipline. There were times/weeks I missed but the app does allow you to listen to more than one day at a time.
Summary
I enjoyed listening to the bible in chronological order. It surprised me a few times as I had made incorrect assumptions about the time order. I enjoy being organised and this really helped satisfy that need because it was easy to find and do. I would happily do this again and I really enjoyed listening far more than I expected too.
Plans for 2020
Rather than following a set bible plan I am drawn to finding out how many times I could read the new testament through the year. It would be a challenge as my need for neat, ordered and organised would not necessarily be checked but I have a yearning to really cement the letters and Jesus' life in my heart and head. I will use the app again but will probably mix it up with journalling and listening.
Last year it was quite trendy to choose a word, rather than make a resolution, to keep you on track for the new year. I remember thinking carefully and choosing my word, but this definitely did not stick - I can't even remember the words I chose so I will not be doing that this year! Sometimes plan work and sometimes they don't, we learn from both outcomes.
So how did your 2019 bible reading plan go and what's your plan for 2020?