VadimVasenin / Depositphotos.com
CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – The Cross church looked a little like a health club. There were extra people there last Sunday. Attending church more faithfully is a popular New Years resolution.
I’ve heard some people have made a resolution to read the entire bible in a year. That’s laudable. It’s also a big undertaking. There are 1,189 chapters in the bible. That breaks down to about 15 minutes of reading each day. You don’t have to read them in order. If you alternated 4 Old Testament chapters one day and 3 New Testament chapters the next, you’d be finished in year. It could be accomplished by giving up a few minutes on each day’s lunchbreak. There are even apps that will read the bible to you. Going through the book of our faith, cover to cover, is a wonderful goal.
Why do many people start, but fail? First, if you miss a few days, catching up after falling behind can seem daunting. And second, some parts, especially the Jewish law teachings in the Old Testament, are boring and don’t seem to apply to today, We lack context from then to now.
If I may, I’d like to suggest a more practical resolution – in two parts. First, read something from the bible each day. There are many apps that can spoon-feed you a few verses each morning and offer a basic commentary or devotional. The second part, make a commitment to pray daily. No, you won’t get everything that you pray for. And the point isn’t to move yourself up on God’s to-do list. The biggest advantage of daily prayer is that you will become mindful of God’s place in your life. You’ll come to realize that you already have more blessings that you can count. A daily reminder that God exists and watches over us always is a fine place to start 2026. As scripture says, ‘be still and know that I am God.’
Try it.
Happy New Year!
Chris Conley
Comments