During the Ministerial Assistant (MA) orientation earlier this summer, I discovered a real-life superhuman. As MAs and their supervisors got to know each other, it came up that one of our Recreation MAs, Ava Flores, runs ultramarathons, which are races that can last up to 24 hours.
If I stepped up to a starting line knowing that the race wouldn’t end until the next day, I’m pretty sure I’d just turn around and find a hoagie to eat.
This year, our church is participating in its own ultramarathon. Reading through the entire Chronological Bible in one year, which is a daunting task.
Because of my role with the Chronological Bible curriculum and podcast, I’ve had the privilege of hearing many people say this is the furthest they’ve ever read in the Bible. It’s encouraging to hear how God is moving in the hearts of our people because they’re spending time with Him regularly.
Here’s a fun fact about ultramarathon runners that I bet you didn’t know. During races, they can take breaks, eat snacks, and even go to sleep without being disqualified. That’s right, just because the racer stops for a bit doesn’t mean they’ve quit the race. When they’re ready, they just pop back up and keep going.
For us, we’re at the halfway point of reading through the Bible, and you may have already taken a break. Maybe you missed one day’s reading, which snowballed into three months. Maybe you found the reading too confusing and struggled to keep up every day, so you put your Bible aside. Maybe you silently tell yourself every morning, “I wish I could read God’s Word every day, but I’m a failure—once again.”
Don‘t worry; it’s happened to all of us. But today is the day to be like an ultramarathon runner. Just find today’s date in your Chronological Bible and restart. God wants to talk with you, and He’s anxiously waiting for you to restart the race.
If you’ll allow me, can I adjust your goal? Stop thinking you’ve got to read every single page of the Bible this year. Instead, begin working toward the goal of making Bible reading a part of your regular life. If you started the year reading the Bible one or two times a week but you end the year picking it up three or four times a week, you’ve doubled your Scripture reading every week. That’s a win in my book.
Come on—are you ready? Choose to be like Ava today, and let’s finish this race together.
If you’ve fallen behind in your readings or have yet to start the Chronological Bible journey, don’t worry! Pick up a Bible and jump right in. Visit bellevue.org/bible to learn more.