I have never been one to make “New Year’s Resolutions.” However, every year, I set out to read the Bible cover to cover.

I have preached sermons, finished many Bible studies, and written devotionals that include Scripture, but I can’t claim to have read the entire Bible from start to finish. I’m not sharing this to shame anyone who has had a similar experience. I don’t believe there’s a celestial record of who has read it in its entirety, or that there’s any reward for doing so, but I want to be able to say I have achieved this goal.

Lord knows it’s not from a lack of trying, but it can be intimidating, I get distracted easily, and sometimes the yawning just won’t stop! Here’s how it goes. I pull out my Bible, journal, and an assortment of bright highlighters. I prepare my mug and start with Genesis, but by the third attempt to finish the same chapter, fighting sleep, I give up and decide, “Maybe next year.”

In early 2025, I decided to openly share my struggles on Instagram, certain that I wasn’t the only one who had struggled with this very thing. I created a post inviting other women in the same predicament to join a Bible Reading Accountability group I would lead, where we committed to reading the whole Bible together in a year. Using a Bible Reading Guide and a WhatsApp chat, 18 of us started this journey. Although some members have not continued with us, 14 remain committed, and we are now just 9 weeks away from finishing our Bible-in-a-Year reading journey. 

On this journey, I have rediscovered familiar stories and discovered new ones that I hadn’t heard before. I’ve experienced moments of comfort, encouragement, and invitations to repentance, along with a priceless sense of the Lord’s presence through community. Community is one of the key elements that the Lord has used to remind me that He is my strength. 

Each day, our group checks in to ensure that we are staying on track with the plan. We pray for one another, share the passages that have ministered to us during our reading, and help each other see the fingerprints of His Word in our own present lives. The sisterhood that has been nurtured among us, and our dependence on His daily bread and on each other as we commit to being women rooted in His Word, has been life-changing and reminds me daily that I am not alone. And friend, neither are you!

One of the most significant breakthroughs I’ve experienced has been the powerful passages that the Lord has graciously used to convict my heart and invite me to draw closer to Him. One such text that has had a profound impact on me is found in the Book of John. Through my reflections on this gospel, I have been reminded of a crucial truth about my journey with Scripture. It isn’t merely about reading the Bible as a routine task; rather, it is about allowing His word to truly reside within us and to shape our thoughts and actions through genuine surrender to His will. This understanding has deepened my desire for a more intimate relationship with God and has encouraged me to live out His teachings in my daily life.

“You don’t have his word residing in you, because you don’t believe the one he sent. You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me. But you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.”
John 5:38-40 CSB

In this passage, Jesus speaks to the spiritual condition of His listeners, including the Jewish religious leaders. Despite their extensive knowledge and expertise in Scripture, the teachings they studied had not truly taken root in their hearts. Their lack of faith revealed a deeper issue—not a lack of knowledge, but a failure to surrender. 

Surrender involves yielding ourselves to the Lord, allowing Him full control over our lives. When we fully surrender, we undergo a transformation that reveals God’s glory. To experience His transformative power and to impact others, the Word of God must not only be head knowledge but also dwell in us, taking root and bringing about the transformation we long for.

I once heard it put like this: surrendering to the Lord isn’t merely inviting Him into our lives’ entryway, but granting Him full access to every room. If my ambition to read His Word doesn’t come with surrendering my life and allowing it to live in me, I might miss out on the gift of a personal encounter with Jesus and experiencing His transformative power. All I may have done is read a series of exciting stories, miracles, and displays of power, which I might not truly experience because I haven’t come to Him wholeheartedly, who holds eternal life.

Friend, no matter what promises you’ve made or resolutions you’ve set for this New Year, I encourage you to trust Him with your surrender and let Him make your heart His home. Approach Him as you are, for it is in Him we find eternal life.

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