Joseph McRae Mellichamp
Emeritus Professor, Management Science, Alabama
Thanksgiving is in three days, so the Christmas holidays are almost upon us. May I make a recommendation of what could be the best gift you can give yourself?
The Entire Bible
In December of 1997 I decided to try to read through the entire Bible the following year. That seemed like a major undertaking, until I made this discovery:
If I read three chapters or so of the Bible each day—about 15 minutes a day—I can read it all in the space of one year.
As the year winds down, Peggy and I are finishing reading God’s word for the 10th year in a row. I have found this discipline so helpful and encouraging that each year at this time I challenge everyone who will listen to me to come along with us. Many of our friends are finishing their ninth or eighth or fifth or first reading.
A Small Investment Of Time
I must quickly add, I do the Bible reading in addition to my daily devotions and prayer, not as a replacement. It is a small investment of time and effort—15 minutes a day, but one which pays huge dividends. Here are just a few:
I expect the discipline of daily reading has helped with the consistency of my devotional life— I don’t want to get behind.
I have a much better understanding of the sweep of Bible history after reading through it cover to cover 10 times.
I have been continually amazed by how the Lord will use a particular reading to address some relevant issue or event in my life.
I was always worried that in speaking before university audiences on Christian topics, someone might challenge me by saying something like, “Have you ever even read the entire Bible?” I would in honesty have to say, “No” and in the process take a hit to my credibility. Now I can simply say, “Sure, I have read it several times. Have you?”
As we begin this exciting discipline for our eleventh year, won’t you join us? If so, it won’t be very long until you will join the 10, 15 or 50-year club. A couple of years ago I revised the chart to try to even up the reading as much as possible—so the new version has an average of 85 verses each day.
You may download the Excel chart by clicking below:
http://www.facultylinc.com/local/mmm.nsf
Make as many copies as you need for all of your family and friends to join us. Perhaps you could challenge all of your Christian faculty and staff friends at your university to come along. What could be more exciting and fulfilling than to read the biography of greatest person of history—the Lord Jesus Christ?
© 2007 Joseph McRae Mellichamp Used by permission of Faculty Commons