His Word Together

Tag: Christian Living

  • Reading on Vacation

    Reading on Vacation

    I’ve got a trip coming up with my kids, so I’ve been thinking about this myself.

    The easy answer is to just skip it for the week. Vacation is vacation. But I’ve done that before and it’s never just one week. You come back and the rhythm is gone and getting back into it takes longer than it should.

    The readings are short enough that this doesn’t have to be a problem. Twenty minutes or less on the days with passages, five minutes on the others. That fits into most vacation days without competing with anything else. Early in the morning before anyone’s up, or at the end of the night. It doesn’t need a desk or a quiet room. Just a few minutes and whatever you’re reading on.

    The Proverbs chapter takes about five minutes on its own. If that’s all you get on a busy day, that’s fine. It’s not nothing.

    The people who stay consistent through vacations aren’t doing anything complicated. They’re just not treating the trip as a reason to stop, and they’re not trying to maintain some elaborate routine either. They find a small window and use it.

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  • One Person

    One Person

    You probably know at least one person who has mentioned wanting to read the Bible more.

    Not in a dramatic way. Just in passing. Something like “I keep meaning to do that” or “I used to read it more.” It comes up and then it doesn’t go anywhere.

    That’s not a motivation problem. Most of those people are reasonably motivated. They just don’t have a simple structure to follow, and building one from scratch never quite makes it to the top of the list.

    You already found something that works. That’s the hard part. The easy part is sending a link.

    You don’t need to frame it or explain it. Just send it and let them look at it. They’ll either use it or they won’t. Either way you spent about ten seconds.

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  • Most Plans Punish You For Missing

    Most Plans Punish You For Missing

    Built-in catch-up days. Streak counters that reset. A schedule that assumes you never skip anything.

    Most Bible reading plans are designed for ideal conditions. Which means they work fine until life gets in the way, and then they don’t work at all.

    The problem isn’t missing a few days. The problem is what the plan does to you after you miss them. It shows you exactly how far behind you are. It implies you need to fix it before you can move forward. And somewhere between the math and the guilt, people just stop.

    This plan doesn’t do that.

    There are no streak counters here. No record of what you missed. If you set it down for a month and pick it back up today, nothing looks different. You just read today’s Proverbs and work through this week’s readings. That’s it.

    What you skipped isn’t gone. The plan runs on a yearly cycle. You’ll come back around to it.

    The goal was never perfect completion. It was staying in it long enough for repetition to do something. You can’t do that if the plan drops you every time real life shows up.

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  • Read Now. Worry About Expertise Later.

    Read Now. Worry About Expertise Later.

    You don’t have to settle everything before you start.

    If you spend any time looking at stuff like this, people are always arguing over which Bible version is best. Or which one is most true. Or which one is closest to the real thing.

    A lot of them also insinuate that any discrepancies or differences are evidence of a conspiracy to hide the truth from people.

    Maybe they are. I don’t really know enough to say. But if you believe in an Almighty God and that the Bible is His book, it’s probably safe to say He wouldn’t let the truth stay hidden forever.

    If you’re actually looking for the truth, I’d bet He will find a way to make sure you get it. So keep reading. Keep looking. Let Him worry about that part.

    You can think about it the same way some people talk about guns.

    If you spend any time comparing guns online, you’ll see people arguing about stopping power and insisting that owning certain guns is a waste of time because they’re inferior to their favorite.

    But here’s the thing. What actually matters is whether it fits your hand and whether you will carry it. If it’s too bulky or too big for your hand, you’ll probably leave it at home. And a gun sitting at home is worth zero if you actually need it. Compared to the “inferior” gun you will carry.

    Same idea here.

    Even if a translation isn’t “ideal” in some abstract sense, it might be ideal for you. And that counts for a lot.

    If you stick with this, you’re going to read the Bible once a year. Every year. You’re not locked into one version for life. Read one this year. Try a different one next year.

    You might like it better. You might not. You may not even notice much difference.

    Decide for yourself. Pick one you will actually read.

    You can access plenty of translations electronically at no cost. Skip around. Try different ones.

    Just keep reading.

    PS- If you want to buy a physical copy of the Bible, you can find various translations on Amazon at the link below. I earn a small commission on anything you buy after clicking that link. It helps support the site and does not affect your price.

    Buy a Bible here

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not change the price you pay. It simply helps support the site.

  • Which Bible Version Should You Read? (And Does Listening Count?)

    Which Bible Version Should You Read? (And Does Listening Count?)

    People ask me sometimes which Bible version they should read.
    I’m not a theologian, and I’m not here to grade anybody’s choices, but I’ll tell you what I think:

    Any version you actually read is better than the perfect version you never open.

    Some folks will tell you there’s only one valid translation. Others get in arguments about which one is most “accurate.” I’m not getting into any of that. That’s not the point of His Word Together. The goal is simple: read the Bible for yourself, consistently, and let it work on you over time.

    If a certain translation helps you do that, use it.

    As far as reading versus listening:

    Yes, listening counts. If you’re driving, working, walking, whatever — listening still puts Scripture in front of you. I think it’s good to read with your own eyes when you can, because you notice things differently, but the main thing is engagement.

    Don’t make it harder than it has to be.

    You don’t need the “perfect” Bible, the perfect format, or a perfect setup.

    Just something you’ll actually use.

    If you don’t already have a Bible you like, here’s a link to Amazon. Anything you get through it supports the site, but there’s no pressure either way:

    Get a Bible Here

    That’s really it.

    No secret formula. No special rules.

    Read what you’ll read.
    Listen when you need to.

    And keep going.

    Amazon Affiliate Disclaimer:
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This doesn’t change your price, but it helps support the site.