A Bible Reading Journey

January 28, 2025 / by Pastor Walt Baertsch

She was beaming. Her smile went ear to ear as she squeaked across the gym with her Bible tucked under her arm.

The high school senior walked over to what we call the “Welcome Wagon” where I stood and said, “I did it!”

“Do you remember what you said in Sunday School when we were in seventh grade?” she asked me. To which I shrugged my shoulders and said, “I don’t remember, Tell me”.

“You said that we should read through the Bible at least once in our lives, because if we call ourselves Christians who believe the Bible and stand on God’s Word, we should probably know what’s in it.” She paused for dramatic effect. “Well, I did it! I started that night and read a bunch and then stopped and felt guilty, but I left my bookmark wherever I stopped. And it’s taken me six years, but I did it!”

I’m writing this article to declare amnesty for all of you (us) who have ever been frustrated and/or have felt self-imposed guilt about failing to complete a Read-Through-the-Bible-in-a-Year program. Don’t get me wrong. They are great and the lists are super helpful in helping many people to successfully read through God’s Word, but they aren’t THE thing.

THE thing is spending time with God, reading through his Word, getting to know him deeply and intimately. Meditating on his precepts, his law, his prophecy, his gospels. Learning of his grace, mercy, forgiveness, his call on our lives, and his return and so much more.

Currently I’m quite behind in my Bible reading program and there’s no way I’m going to make it by the end of December, but guess what? Lord willing, I’m going to press on and finish it sometime in February or maybe March. And that’s ok.

My encouragement to you is don’t give up. Leave the bookmark where you left off. Skip Leviticus if you need to for now. But come back to it later.

Read God’s Word.
The whole thing.
Sometime during your life.
You won’t regret it.

Pastor Walt has served in Youth Ministry at East White Oak since 2003. He holds a Masters Degree in Global Leadership from Fuller Seminary. Walt is married to Penny and they have two adult children.