Sunday, October 5, 2014

NIV Once-A-Day Bible: Chronological Edition {a BookLook review}

I've been convicted lately that  I am not spending enough time reading the Bible.  Myself.

I spend time with the kids, we do various Bible "programs," I go through sections along with the sermons or sometimes midweek Bible studies.  But I'm not just reading.

I needed something that would work for me.  I debated a number of Bibles sitting in my house, I debated using my "church" Bible and working with one of a few hundred different reading plans I've seen, I debated some apps and online plans.

And then I was looking over some of the selections at BookLook, and was intrigued by the Once-A-Day chronological version... especially as I hovered over it in the process of choosing to review it, and saw the ebook option.

I don't tend to go for ebooks.  It is so much easier to review a book I can easily flip through.  But I started to think this through, and realized this could be perfect.  I use my reader as an alarm clock, so it is always by my bed at night.  I thought I could read my selection first thing in the morning, before getting up, and that would be ideal.

Okay, so what is this?  The publisher says:
The NIV Once-A-Day Bible: Chronological Edition organizes the New International Version Bible---the world’s most popular modern-English Bible---into 365 daily readings placed in chronological order. This softcover edition includes a daily Scripture reading followed by a short devotional thought written by the staff at the trusted ministry Walk Thru the Bible.
This NIV Bible is arranged chronologically, which I love for personal reading.  That involves some educated decisions about where something belongs, and different chronological Bibles place things in different places.  Seeing as mine is an ebook, it is hard to get a feel for where things are placed in this particular Bible.  You start off reading in early Genesis, then you read through Job, and then back to Genesis. 

This is split into daily readings that are numbered.  They aren't dated, so you don't have to start in January.  They aren't listed by day of the week either.  Just numbers.  So you can start on October 5, or March 16.  There is nothing in the Bible to make you feel limited to a January start.

Since they are numbered, you can also plan for skipping certain days.  Do you want to read Monday through Saturday?  Do it.  Skip Sunday, and pick up the next day on Monday.  Do you want to read aloud to your kids on weekdays?  Also very easy.  Read Day 1 through Day 5 the first week, and pick up Day 6 on Monday.

I love that.

It also means that when you "blow it" (as I always do), there is no guilt.  If you just completely missed reading the Bible for a day -- or a week -- it is okay.  You just pick it up and do the next day's reading, no guilt allowed.  No trying to figure out how to double up readings to get back "on track" or anything yucky like that.  I've had this Bible for 28 days, and I've done 25 readings.  I'll do another tonight.  I'm never that consistent, but it has been easy with this Bible.

The primary "special feature" in this Bible is that each day's reading also includes an approximately one-paragraph devotional at some point in the reading.  These are short, and I've found them to be interesting, thought-provoking, meaningful -- or some combination of the above.

I love this Bible. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I have the same struggle. This Bible sounds like something that could help me too!