Reading God's Story, Hardcover: A Chronological Daily Bible

I cannot speak highly enough about this extraordinary Bible.  For one, it arranges the biblical text chronologically (yes, it is *truly* chronological!)—that is, in the order in which most historians and Bible scholars believe the recorded events actually happened in history.  I can’t overstate how beneficial it is to study Scripture in this way, as it considerably helps prevent the reader from taking the Bible out of context—a mistake that always results in misunderstanding and misapplying God’s (the Author’s) intended message to us.  

The way the books of Scripture are traditionally arranged in English Bibles is pretty confusing because the books are chronologically out of order.  They are typically arranged according to literary genre (historical narratives, poetry/wisdom books, prophetic writings, etc.), which has its benefits, but if you try to read the Bible straight through with that arrangement, things get really confusing in a hurry.  

_Reading God's Story_ was designed to remedy that problem, and it succeeds beautifully.  If you read this Bible exactly as it is laid out (this is a must!), you won’t be skipping all over the place or hopping back and forth between the Old and New Testaments, various time periods, events, and covenants, which only results in confusion.  Instead, things that didn’t make sense before will suddenly become clear as you witness the progressive revelation of God’s glorious drama unfold in a systematic, linear sequence, much as the original hearers/readers did.  (In my opinion, this is precisely how the Creator intended for His Word to be read.)   

In _Reading God's Story_, you will see, for example, the Psalms David wrote while he was on the run from King Saul positioned within the book of 1 Samuel where the account of Saul's persecution of David is recorded.  This is immensely helpful in making sense of the strong emotions David conveys in those particular Psalms, because it explains the precise events and circumstances that prompted him to write them.  In other words, with this Bible, you won't be asking yourself with brow furrowed, "Why was David so upset here?" or "What is he complaining about?" That's just one of countless examples of the advantages of reading the Bible chronologically.

Perhaps the most remarkable distinctive about _Reading God’s Story_, though, is that it cleverly and powerfully presents the Bible as God’s Grand Story of Reality—that is, the history (“His Story”!) of divine redemption—and divides the narrative into 3 memorable Acts and 17 Scenes, as if you’re watching a play or a movie.  This approach, perhaps more than any other, will open your eyes to see that Jesus Christ is the central character or "star" of the entire Bible, from Genesis through Revelation.  It will also help you see that God, the Author, has graciously and masterfully written your own life into His Story.

[Note: It is most unfortunate that the critical reviewers completely misunderstand and misjudge the "story-telling" approach to this particular Bible. One must wonder whether they even bothered to read the author's introduction in which he plainly explains the reasoning behind presenting the biblical narrative as a, well, *narrative,* because it *is* a narrative! More accurately, the Bible is a collection of 66 books filled with stories. The key point to keep in mind here, though, is that the stories the Bible contains are all *true* and factual accounts, and the editor, George Guthrie, is a conservative Bible scholar who wholeheartedly acknowledges that fact and who believes in the divine inspiration and inerrancy of sacred Scripture. Sadly, some people are so naive and narrow-minded that they believe that to refer to the Bible as a "story" or "narrative," or to arrange the text as a playwright might, is somehow blasphemous. One commenter even stated that dividing the Bible into memorable "acts" and "scenes" treats the Word of God as if it's nothing more than a fictional fairy tale! Frankly, such a charge is both bogus and preposterous, and any intellectually honest person who takes the time to *read* this tremendous Bible and the editor's prologue will quickly discover how wonderful, instructive, and, yes, *reverent* this unique presentation of holy writ truly is. Don't let anyone dissuade you from enjoying it!]

Finally, there’s a built-in, one-year reading plan with check boxes you mark when you finish each day’s reading, and there are helpful introductions and reading summaries at the end of each week that remind you where you are in His Story.  To get the most out of this Bible, though, I strongly recommend consulting the illustrated _Holman Bible Handbook_ (also available on Amazon) before you begin reading a new book of Scripture so you can get an excellent overview and summary of the book, including its historical, cultural, and theological context.  Furthermore, Greg Koukl's great book _The Story of Reality_, in addition to Stand to Reason's outstanding DVD series _The Bible: Fast Forward_, serve as perfect companion pieces to _Reading God's Story_, even though the authors, to my knowledge, don't even know each other.  (I smell providence!)

I am very pleased to find a Bible that has a trustworthy translation yet easy to read and motivating. The daily readings are just right. I don't like daily devotionals that give a lot of pep talk and just a small snippet of scripture. I like the idea of daily readings that are the actual Bible, that is organized chronologically and reads like a novel. I've never read the whole Bible, and for the first time I feel confident that I can and will do it! My only gripe: the font size is small and hard on old eyes.

PROS: readable, organized, clear print/easy to read font
CONS: the introduction read more like an infomercial, then an introduction text (big turn-off for me), there are no headings within the text.

AWESOME!! I have read the Good Book from cover to cover but never have I read His Word like this before. I started a little group and we are reading this together. We have all been so blessed by this bible. I recommend EVERYONE read this.

So far the easiest reading plan and I was already a fan of this translation. I'm hoping to get my kids addicted. The best part is when we miss a day, or week, we don't feel a brow beating and can just continue.

The reading is not in order of how it was historical, it is how author thinks God's story applies in time.

Sincerest apology - Prior review was written on the wrong book - This book was received as listed - Excited to begin my reading. Again - Sorry for the prior incorrect review....

Great book, easy read, sectioned out for daily reading

This is a knockoff of the other ones

Excellent Book and amazing study on the history of the Bible