tcblack's blog

EDIT: Updated reading PDF for 2013.

I like reading through my Bible every year. And since it is the turn of the year, I'm sure I'm not alone and many of you are selecting your plan or have done so. But I wonder if others have just determined that they'll struggle through the same old list and risk passing out in February when Leviticus hits. (Don't dis my favorite OT book, but I understand the problem.) So if anyone is looking for a Bible reading plan for the new year that's a little different, but still covers the Bible in a year I offer up my Historical Backbone of Scripture plan.

Last year I worked through a kludged replica of Prof. Grant Horner's reading plan.  I found it a bit daunting for my own style of devotions and soon felt like I was laboring to keep up rather than enjoying God's word. That is the wrong state of mind. So I set out to change that.

The Historical Backbone of Scripture

I scaled Prof. Horner's plan back quite a bit and built one I simply call "The Historical Backbone of Scripture."  The plan consists of six divisions; and for my purposes represents the 66 books of the protestant canon.

It's been said you can learn a lot about someone by what they read. Perhaps that's true. Maybe I'm about to bare my soul on the internet. It wouldn't be the first time.

I remarked some time ago in one of my seminary classes that I have a horrible time reading just one book. It is normal for me to be reading up to a dozen books at any given time. Can that be true? You do the math, this is what I'm reading at the moment. Some are for fun, some are devotional, some are rigorous personal study, others are for outright learning something new. A Few of them (Meldau) represent books I started, never finished and have recently picked back up.

God grants the victory!
The cross proclaims his righteousness
The empty tomb shouts His glory

God has the victory
The tears of saints entreat His hand
The prayerful cry of the righteous echoes His praise

God is the victory
Every power is beneath His power
The evil will see it and shudder

God gives the victory
the empty tomb shouts His glory
The blood stained cross provides our peace.

To the repentant one all sins are forgiven
To the dependent one heaven's throne bends it's ears
God grants the victory!