“The word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

At the beginning of each year, I always make several resolutions. One of them is to sign up to a gym and dedicate time to improving my neglected health. Of course, to keep this resolution to the end requires dietary discipline, self-control, and the ability to resist the temptation of eating one more biscuit. However, despite these resolutions, a few months later, I often find myself breaking my promises and indulging in fish and chips again. This is why having a supportive crew is essential to maintaining resolutions.

I have been part of the church’s Bible reading group for three years now. While I have always been eager to read the Bible since I came to faith, reading it alone often proved challenging. There were times when I could read for hours, overwhelmed with grace, but also times when reading just one chapter a day felt daunting. As a result, books like Genesis, Exodus, and Matthew were full of underlined passages, while others remained untouched. Joining the Bible reading group helped me overcome this inconsistency and allowed me to read through the Bible once each year. Reading the Bible alone can be challenging, but doing so in community makes even the difficult passages accessible. My brothers and sisters in the group share this benefit, and last year, we completed reading the entire Bible. Together, we can do it.

Another benefit of this group is that reading the Bible in chronological order has helped me understand the context of the prophetic books and why God spoke certain words at specific times. For example, the book of Haggai contains God’s encouragement to the Israelites to resume the rebuilding of the temple after returning from Babylonian exile. The word “resume” is significant because the reconstruction had been delayed for 16 years due to opposition from foreign nations. When the work they believed to be God’s will came to a halt, God personally spoke to the Israelites through His words to encourage them to rise again. In the same way, God’s word speaks to us today. When our efforts for God’s work are interrupted, looking to the examples of faith in books like Haggai and Zechariah provides comfort and strength, helping us to rely on God and muster the strength to rise again.

If reading the Bible becomes a mere formality, it risks being reduced to accumulating knowledge. Yet, isn’t this the living Word of God? When this Word becomes as familiar to us as breathing, it penetrates deeply into our soul and spirit, enabling us to grow as God’s children, complete and lacking nothing.

Since consistency is power, I’d like to suggest participating in the Bible reading group as one of the mechanisms to help you sustain it. The group meets four times a week (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat) from 10:00 PM to 10:35 PM via Zoom, with no need to turn on your camera. This year, we’ll be reading the Bible chronologically using the New Revised Version. By the end of the year, you’ll find yourself having read through the entire Bible.