I’ve been there, and perhaps you’ve been there too. We make a decision to slow down, open our Bibles and spend more time in God’s Word.
We buy a fresh notebook. Add colorful tabs to our Bible. And decide on a reading plan. We picture peaceful mornings with coffee nearby and pages slowly filling with notes, prayers, and verses we don’t want to forget.
And for a while, it works.
Then life happens.
Schedules shift. Laundry piles up. Appointments fill the calendar. We miss a day and then another… Before long, we find ourselves feeling behind and wondering if there’s any point in trying to catch up.
It’s not that we don’t love scripture. It’s just that life has a way of crowding out things we treasure the most. Somewhere along the way, we tell ourselves that if we can’t do it perfectly, then maybe we shouldn’t do it at all.
We measure progress with checklists, to-do lists, and daily agendas. But what if spending time in God’s Word is more than checking off a box on our list? What if it’s learning to delight in the discovery of God?
What if spending time in God’s Word is more than checking off a box on our list? What if it’s learning to delight in the discovery of God?
In Jeremiah 15:16, He describes a consuming love for God’s Word,
“When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty.”
There’s something beautiful about his words, isn’t there?
Jeremiah doesn’t describe God’s Word as another task to complete or another responsibility to carry. He describes it as nourishment. Joy. Delight.
He received God’s words and treasured them.
Maybe that’s what we’re longing for too–a deep desire to open our Bibles and linger there for a while.
Not because it’s something we have to get through, but because somewhere along the way we discover the joy of meeting God there.
And perhaps that’s why so many of us keep starting again.
Because beneath the plans and notebooks is something deeper—a desire to know the Lord and spend time in His Word.
What if spending time in God’s Word is more than checking off a box on our list? What if it’s learning to delight in the discovery of God?
Inside the 52 Week Bible Challenge
Maybe the goal isn’t to rush through the Bible as quickly as possible.
Maybe the invitation has always been to slow down long enough to notice what God is saying.
That thought stayed with me for a long time.
And over time, I started noticing something in the emails, messages, and comments that came in from readers.
Some women were asking where to begin. Where do I start? What should I read?
Others shared how discouraging it felt to begin Bible studies with good intentions only to fall behind and never finish.
And then there were the messages that quietly said, I wish I spent more time in God’s Word than I do. I know I should, but I don’t.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that we need something deeper than another to-do list. We need direction. A place to begin. A gentle path that leads us into the Word and helps us return to it day after day.
That’s my heart behind all of this, and the reasons I created The 52 Week Bible Challenge
This project is a little different from the Bible studies we normally do together.
Over the years, we’ve walked through studies like Ruth, Esther, James, and others in our Members Only section. Those studies were created to guide us through one portion of Scripture at a time as a community.
This book is something different.
The 52 Week Bible Challenge is a year-long journey through Scripture with weekly reading plans, devotional reflections, study insights, and thoughtful questions designed to help you engage with God’s Word each day.
This project is a little different from the Bible studies we normally do together. Rather than guiding us through one book of the Bible over a few weeks, it was created as a year-long companion to encourage daily time in God’s Word, which is why we’ve chosen to offer it as a standalone book.
And because I always want you to know exactly what you’re getting, I’m also sharing a free chapter with you today so you can flip through and see whether this style of study is something that would serve you well.
Read a Free Chapter
Not sure if this challenge is for you? Take a peek inside and enjoy one full week of reading before deciding.
Includes the introduction plus one full week of reading,
reflection, and study questions.
With that said, I also want to reassure you of something.
This doesn’t replace our free studies.
In fact, in just a couple of weeks, we’ll be announcing a brand-new Bible study called In My Father’s House, and that one will be available in the Members Only section just like our other studies.
In My Father’s House is especially meaningful to us because it’s the first Bible study Michael and I have written together. We’ve finished writing and are now in the editing stage. I’m excited to share it with you soon.
And for those of you who choose to purchase our books, thank you once again. Your support over the years has helped us continue creating free Bible studies and resources for women, and I’m deeply grateful for that.
Whether you choose to immerse yourself in The 52 Week Bible Challenge, join us for In My Father’s House, or open your Bible tomorrow morning and spend time with the Lord, my prayer remains the same:
Keep returning.
One day at a time.
One page at a time.
One faithful step at a time.
Available now in paperback on Amazon.