Paul T. McCain posted this from Ernest Koenker about why reading the Bible is a worthy goal for the new year.
The Bible is not simply an historical account or a literary masterpiece; it is the witness to Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and it presents the Deus loquens, the God who uses the Bible to speak to us today. God Himself works through the means of His grace today just as He worked through the prophetic and apostolic preaching. Today again the good news is proclaimed by a preacher standing in obedience to the Word, and it is heard by a congregation that is also dependent on this Word.— Ernest Koenker, Worship in Word and Sacrament,p. 25.
One thing that becomes crashingly clear when reading the Bible through like a novel is that its unifying theme is God’s passionate pursuit of people. His Word is the window into His nature and character.