This is the time of the year that people formulate their Bible reading plan for the coming year. Not everybody consistently reads their Bibles, though every believer should. Some people read through the whole Bible every year or most years, so getting their plan in place is essential before January 1. However, you read the Bible, having some plan is critical. If you only desire to read the Bible but do not have a plan on how you’re going to read it, you probably won’t follow through on your desire.
If you don’t know where to start in laying out your Bible reading plan, there are many plans you can find online. A quick Google search will reveal numerous plans for you to consider. To prevent jumping around to various sites to look over their plans, you can go to one place where many of the most popular plans are listed. You can find them at this website: https://www.ligonier.org/posts/bible-reading-plans. As you consider these plans, know that you can use them to devise your own custom plan. And don’t think that it’s required that you read through the entire Bible in one year. That’s great if you’re able to do that, but it’s important to go at the pace that’s right for you. It needs to be challenging, but not so much that you set yourself up for failure. If it takes more than a year, that is perfectly fine. The important thing is to read the Bible with understanding consistently.
It’s probably a good idea at this point to go over a few reasons why reading the Bible is so important. First, the Bible is the word of God. Bible reading can help us know and love God. Second, the Bible is the way God communicates with his people. Without the Bible, we are ignorant of his will. Third, the Bible is the way we are wise to and escape the schemes of the devil. Fourth, the Bible helps us understand the times in which we live. We live in crazy times when so many divergent voices claim they know the way to go. For all these reasons and many more, it is urgent that every believer in Jesus Christ saturates their hearts and minds with the word of God.
The problem is that reading the Bible is not easy. It is often difficult. For some, it is very difficult. It goes without saying that we need God’s help in reading the Bible. There is natural reading skills we have and develop, and there is supernatural help we can receive from the Holy Spirit. We can develop our Bible reading skills by consistent use. Don’t give up if you struggle to maintain your Bible reading plan; perseverance will pay off. If you have to adjust your plan from time to time, that’s fine, too. Even if it seems you’re not getting much out of your reading, you’re probably getting more than you think.
There are many ways to read the Bible. The way we’ve been talking about reading the Bible is just one way. We can group all the ways to read the Bible into two groups, I call deep and wide. Reading through the whole Bible in a year or so is reading widely. Because you’re reading all the Bible, you can’t read it as deeply as needed. That’s okay because your purpose is to get a general grasp of the entire storyline of the Bible. The Bible contains many stories, but is itself one story. It is important to understand the story of the Bible. God’s message in any part of the story, in large part, depends on understanding the whole story. But just reading the Bible widely, as necessary as that is, is not enough. We must read the Bible deeply. It takes time and effort to do so, but is well worth the extra work. It will bless us richly to engage in this kind of Bible reading.
I want to propose a method of reading the Bible deeply. There are two broad parts to this method. The first is to read books of the Bible deeply. The Bible is one book that is a library of sixty-six books. The Bible was written as individual books, and the writers of each book had a reason for writing that particular book. God’s message is embedded in each book. When we focus on one book for an extended period of time, we go beneath the surface to discover God’s deeper message. This deeper message is not a secret message that only some people can get; it is available to anyone who will take the time to read it more thoroughly.
The second part of this method is how we read each book. It begins with re-reading the book multiple times. This step is very important. It helps us saturate our hearts and minds with the word of God. If we skip this step, we will not get as much as we otherwise would. As we read the book over and over, we begin to notice things and understand the flow of the message in a fuller way. If one is new to this method, it is best to begin with shorter books or focus on multiple readings of sections or even paragraphs of longer books. As we read through the book multiple times, we read a little slower than we normally read, observing what is being said. At this point, we slow down even more and meditate on each word or phrase, seeking to understand exactly what God is saying. As we’re reading through our text multiple times, it is important to consider the context and the timeless truths the passage is communicating. Then, we are able to apply the message of the passage to our own lives. That’s where the payoff comes. That’s where we really get something meaningful from our reading. Getting something meaningful from our Bible reading is what keeps us coming back.
It is a good idea to conclude each Bible reading time with a prayer based on what we discovered while reading. This prayer can include requests, confession, praise, and thanksgiving. Our Bible reading time will have this flow: read — meditate — pray. In this way the Bible is shaping our hearts and lives. Bible reading becomes truly transformative.
The main point to get is that Bible reading is very important. The Bible is the word of God. God speaks to us in his word. He has given us the Holy Spirit to help us and lead us in understanding and applying Scripture. So, however we read, and whatever plan we devise, it is critical to engage the word of God in our daily lives. It’s that time again. Formulate your plan and dive into your Bible reading in 2024. If you do, on December 31, 2024, you’ll look back at the joyful blessing of fellowship with God is his word with a thankful heart.