Tonight at sundown, Jews around the world will celebrate Simchat Torah – the eighth day of Sukkot. It’s the day when Jesus stood up and cried out, “Come to me and drink from the living water.” John 7:37-39

Simchat Torah marks the end of the Torah reading cycle for Jews, and the start of a new cycle.

Many Christians also use reading plans to prompt and guide our Scripture reading. You can find several plans in the YouVersion app, or the Logos app. Some plans go for one month and study one book of the Bible. Other plans go for one year and cover the entire Bible.

I’ve frequently read the Provers in a Month plan because there are 31 chapters in Proverbs. For a yearly reading plan, I usually read a chronological plan. Some people read through Luke in December as part of their Advent traditions (If you start on December 1 you will end on Christmas Eve).

I usually start my annual reading plan on January 1, but there’s nothing “spiritual” about New Years Day.”

If you’re not in the habit of reading the Bible on a regular basis, you could start today! And if you use a phone app there are added benefits.

You can listen to your daily “reading” during your daily commute, or while you are exercising. Hearing the Bible being read is how believers for centuries learned Scripture. Before the invention of the printing press, copies of Scripture were rare and expensive.

If your local parish had a copy of one or two portions of Scripture you were fortunate. Parishes who could afford a complete Bible frequently bolted it to the pulpit to keep it from “walking off.”

Now, you can carry multiple versions of Scripture in your pocket. Unfortunately, for many Christians, that’s where it often stays – hidden behind your Lock Screen.

As we conclude a week-long celebration of God’s protection and provision, develop a habit of reading his Word. Make “the last day, the great day” of this third Pilgrimage Feast the first day of a new reading cycle of the Bible.

Happy, Simchat Torah!