Dear Christian mother, daily Bible reading may be on your to-do list this year. And that is a wonderful thing to desire! Yet you find yourself busy, busy, busy. And not only with Facebook or Netflix (because we KNOW the solution to that!), but with necessities, like food and clothing for the children. You may have a newborn requiring much of your time. You may have a 12 year old that needs constant checking to ensure he is doing his chores. Quarrels need intervention and toddlers need supervision. All those posts and tweets about Bible reading plans? They’ve all raced ahead and left you at the starting gate. So how are you going to make time to be in the Word?

I cannot recall an example of a woman who ran a household, raised children, and studied and prayed for hours as well. That seems a lovely idea for a tired mom – to sit in quiet, being able to meditate solely on Bible, maybe with some candles and chocolate thrown in…but maybe you don’t have time for that in this season of life. Trying to have quiet time to read or listen to a sermon can end up much like the book Read To Tiger, where a boy tries to read his book, but can’t because there is a tiger practicing karate, driving a train, or some other noisy distraction.  Such a scenario may lead to frustration, which is not growing in godliness, which is the point of studying the Bible in the first place.

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance with patience and joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. -Colossians 9:11 (ESV)

So, what do you do? Just drop Bible reading until next year? Hardly! Instead, find ways to incorporate Scripture into your routine. Rather than grumble about how you are not able to have your ideal devotion time, grasp the few moments you DO have. At your kid’s sports practice? Read a couple verses while you wait. At the doctor’s office? You have enough time to finish all of Psalm 119 there! Have your school-age children read some verses to you. Homeschooling? Memorize Scripture together. The Bible reading plan here at CredoCovenant is excellent in that it provides options. You can follow the plan, or listen to a sermon, or read commentary, or do all three! Just jump in with the schedule. Reflect on what you read throughout the day.

Even if you have tigers roaring and bounding around your house, you can still grow in your knowledge of the Bible. It just may not happen the way you envision. You may even end up reading your Bible – to Tiger.