Reading the Bible

I thought I would take a moment this week to share with you the way that I attempt to read the Bible. I hope that it can help you. 

When I first started reading the Bible, I had no particular plan. I would sit down and, literally, open the Bible to some passage and begin reading. I would read maybe a few verses, maybe a chapter, or maybe even a book, depending on where I happened to land when I opened the Bible. I soon realized that this was not a good way to read the Bible. I was often discouraged and even disillusioned by my reading, because I was so confused. I had no clear understanding of the Bible’s flow of thought. I never really got the picture of God’s story of redeeming grace. I needed some type of guidance and reading plan. Maybe you do too. 

The first thing I turned to was a series of devotionals geared to assist me in getting through the bulk of the Bible in one year. You may have heard of, seen, or even used some of these in your reading of the Bible. I found John Stott’s book, Through the Bible in a Year, especially helpful, and would recommend it to anyone trying to get started on a reading plan. Stott took me on a journey from one end of the Bible to the other, while at the same time offering timeless and helpful commentary on various passages of the Bible. This was good for me as I needed some help understanding what I read. (Reading comprehension never has been one of my strengths.) I graduated, if you will, from Stott to a more defined reading plan that focused exclusively on reading the Bible. I think the plan called for me to read five chapters a day and three on Sunday. It began in Genesis and ended in Revelation. Surprisingly, I lasted about 1 month on that plan. (I say surprisingly because I never thought I would make it a week, much less a month.) Those kinds of systematic plans just do not work for me. I am not that disciplined. So, I floundered for a while. I would randomly pick a book and study it. But, that still didn’t help me with reading the whole counsel of God’s word. I found myself only studying the books that I liked or were familiar with. Books like Song of Solomon, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Amos and others often made their way to the cutting room floor. I needed some type of systematic guidance or plan when reading the Bible. 

Then I decided (and this was fairly recently) to take the Bible and divide it along its natural divisions. The Old Testament can be divided into 5 parts -- Law (Genesis-Deuteronomy), History (Joshua-Esther), Wisdom/Poetry (Psalms-Song of Solomon), Major Prophets (Isaiah-Daniel), and Minor Prophets (Hosea-Malachi) The distinction between major and minor is based solely on length. And the New Testament is divided into three parts -- History (Gospels and Acts), Epistles (Romans-Jude), and Prophecy (Revelation). Once I did that, I decided that I would read a portion from at least three of these sections at least five times a week, and that I would pray for the Holy Spirit’s help. So, my current personal reading time looks something like this: Prayer asking for God’s illumination; Read 2 chapters from Old Testament Law (Genesis-Deuteronomy); Read 2 chapters from Major Prophets (Isaiah-Daniel); Read 2 chapters from New Testament Epistles (Romans-Jude); Make a few notes in a journal; Prayer for proper understanding and application of what I read. This morning I read: Numbers 15-16, Ezekiel 5-6 and Philippians 1-2. That’s six chapters a day and thirty chapters a week. I have found that doesn’t necessarily get me through the Bible in one year, but it gets me in the Word of God regularly and helps me to understand the overall big picture of God’s story of redemption, and thus draws me closer to him. 

Let me offer you some bits of encouragement as you seek to find a system that works for you.

1.Find a systematic plan that works for you. Use a year devotional. Use a year reading plan like that from Crossway which we have in the church office. Use my plan. You will need to find something to help you get through the whole counsel of God. If you don’t have a plan, you won’t read the whole Bible nor stay disciplined. 

2. Don’t put undo pressure on yourself. You will not succeed 100 percent. I don’t. But, don’t get overly discouraged or beat yourself up about it. If you miss a day, it doesn’t make you a carnal Christian. Trust in God’s grace. If you can’t do as much as me or someone else, then it is ok. You have to find what works for you. That is only something you and the Lord can work out. The most important thing is that you are learning and growing in grace and getting closer to Christ Jesus.

3. Make sure you pray before and after you read God’s word. Ask God through the Holy Spirit to illumine your mind, make his word real to you, and help you apply it rightly in your life. The effectiveness of his word to transform your life is undeniably and unmistakably connected to the work and ministry of his Holy Spirit. 

4. Tell another Christian how you are going about reading God’s word and what you are learning form your time in it. Find someone to help you remain disciplined and with whom you can share the exciting things of God. I have two groups of friends along with Patti that I share the joys of God’s word with and they with me. What a blessing this great fellowship is to me! We need that. 

May God bless you as you learn to read his word. May he transform us as we learn to read it together. I pray this helps. Have a great day! 

CHD