It’s New Year’s Eve! Time to think about how we’re going to read the Bible in 2026.

As a Navigator missionary, I send out a year-end letter in early December. For years now, I have included a Bible reading plan, one of which was The Navigators 5x5x5 New Testament Reading Plan. You read one chapter/day, Monday through Friday, and cover the 260 chapters in the New Testament in 52 weeks.

Back in 2022, June and I had the idea that it might be fun to do the whole Bible that way. 5 days/week, one chapter/day, for five years.

• In 2022 we were reading from the New Testament plan.
• So in 2023, we released the Pentateuch: Genesis through Deuteronomy.
• 2024 took us through the History Books: Joshua – Esther.
• And this year, 2025, we read the Poetry books: Job – Song of Solomon.

We were right: it was fun! Going through the text only one chapter at a time, I saw things I had skipped over before. So now we come to Year 5, The Prophets: Isaiah – Malachi, and we’ll be done!

One lesson is that it’s amazing what you can do in small steps if you just stay with it. Sure, it’s not as cool as “reading the Bible through in a year,” but we’re getting it done. (By the way, The Navigators have a plan for “in a year” that’s the most conducive to success that I’ve seen. The first page explains how it works.)

Back to our reading the Prophets this year. The question is when to start since it’s a Monday – Friday plan, and New Year’s Day is on a Thursday. Do we start Monday, December 29, or Monday, January 5? I have elected the 5th. If we start then, we’ll finish on Friday, January 1, 2027.

Join me! The blog won’t be entirely based on the readings, but some of it will, and I always give you a chance to read a chapter for yourself before I publish my thoughts. I’ll meet you here Monday, January 5, with a few thoughts on Isaiah 1.

Blessed is the one who listens to me (Wisdom), watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD. (Proverbs 8.34, 35, ESV)

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. (Revelation 1.3, NKJV)