By Andrew Chesteen
One of the encouraging developments at the beginning of each new year in the church I serve as well as in many churches across Mississippi is the fresh commitment of Christ-followers to read God’s Word every day. In 2026, our church is using Replicate Ministries’ F260 Bible Reading Plan and many church members have indicated their participation. Excitement is high among our leaders because we know that Bible reading is a great contributor to Christian discipleship.
With that encouragement and excitement comes the reality that resolve for daily Bible reading typically wanes by the time the calendar turns to February. Habits are hard to form, disciplines are hard to maintain, and new commitments are hard to keep. Moreover, new Bible readers may feel a sense of frustration because they may not understand some of what they are reading, they may not see the difference that reading the Bible is making in their lives, or they may not feel much closer to God than they did when they were not reading the Bible. With these realities in mind, let us be reminded of the need to read the Bible with patience.
Maintaining our Bible reading commitments and benefitting from our discipline requires us to be patient toward God’s work in us through His Word. We live in a microwave society where we all expect instant gratification. We drink single-serve coffee, eat fast food, watch on-demand movies, visit quick-service health clinics, and search online with AI summaries. When we begin the discipline of Bible reading, gratification often takes significant time.
The reality is that spiritual growth is a lifelong pursuit, not a seven-day fix. You may not climb the spiritual mountaintop during every daily devotion, but God will do His secret work of spiritual formation in the hidden places of your heart in His perfect time. Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 55:11, “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” To receive the blessings of Bible reading requires us to be patient, trusting that God is accomplishing His good purposes in us, even when we cannot see His hands at work.
We must also be patient with ourselves as we strive to maintain our Bible reading commitments and grow in godliness. For some, missing a day of their Bible reading plan can make them feel defeated, like God is disappointed with them, or like they may as well quit the plan altogether. If you’re human like me, you’ll miss some days along the way, and that is okay. I was helped in this area of personal discipline when I heard Jeff Iorg say on his Lead On podcast, “I am now committed to reading the Bible on a consistent basis with a goal of daily reading. . . I will read the Bible regularly and I will strive to read it every day” (Maintaining Core Spiritual Practices, July 22, 2024).
Personally, I plan to read the Bible every day, but I know that sometimes, whether because of my own failure or because of some external factor, I am going to miss a day of reading the Bible. Do not let the false fear that God is angry with you for not reading your Bible one day make you feel defeated. Just get up tomorrow, in God’s new morning mercy, and seek the Lord who is patient toward His children!
When Jesus explained the Parable of the Soils in Luke 8:15, He recognized the essential nature of patience: “As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” Friends, listen to Jesus. Press on in your resolve to read the Bible trusting that God is bearing fruit in your life and He keeps on extending His mercy and grace to all who need it, including me and you.
Chesteen is pastor of First Church, New Albany, and president of the Mississippi Baptist Convention.
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