People usually begin a Bible reading plan at the beginning of the year. Other people just read randomly on impulse. Over the years, I’ve found that if I don’t have a Bible reading plan of some kind, my Bible reading is not focused, and I don’t accomplish much. I have varied the plans I use, but I’ve seen the wisdom in having some kind of plan each year. You may think that at this point, early February, it’s too late to start a Bible reading plan. It’s never too late. Today can be the beginning of your Bible reading journey this year. It will be a great adventure you don’t want to miss!
You may be just beginning your Bible reading plan, or you may already have one in place. In either case, let me give you a few tips that will enhance your Bible reading experience.
First, set aside a time and place to meet with God. Make it a holy place and a holy time unless unavoidable circumstances arise. This may not seem very important, but it is. We are creatures of habit, even if we consider ourselves more spontaneous. Having a time and place set aside makes a big difference. It sets an atmosphere for the endeavor. Meeting with God is a special experience, and we should treat it as such. Fixing it in your mind and heart that this is the time and this is the place that I meet with God will make the experience more meaningful.
Second, begin and end with prayer. We’re seeking God. The Bible calls us to seek God’s face with all our hearts. We do that best with prayer. It’s important to begin our time in His Word by asking Him to speak to us and to lead us in our reading. We can ask Him for understanding and wisdom, as well as the ability to concentrate and avoid distractions. The ending prayer can be a prayer response to what we’ve read. As God speaks to us from His Word, we can speak back to Him in a personal response to what He said. It can also be an opportunity to pray for others based on the insights God gave us in our reading. Humble-dependent prayer draws us closer to God and makes the Bible reading more meaningful.
Third, it’s important to read meditatively. It’s good to slow down and think about what we’re reading. Bible meditation is different from other kinds of meditation. Other kinds of meditation seek to empty the mind. Bible meditation seeks to fill the mind with the Word of God. In Bible meditation we read the passage slowly thinking about it more deeply than we normally do as we read.
There are many ways of reading meditatively. One way I especially find helpful is four questions you can think about and answer as you read. First, what does this passage say about God, and what does that mean to me? Every passage says something about God, either explicitly or implicitly. One of the truly meaningful experiences of Bible reading is coming to know God better by seeing His character. Second, what does this passage say about people, and how does that apply to me? Just as every passage says something about God, they all say something about people. In the Bible, we see people at their best and at their worst. People are created in the image of God and are, therefore, noble creatures. But people are also fallen, sinful, and broken creatures who are truly ignoble. God reveals those characteristics in His Word with honesty and clarity.
The third meditation question we can ask as we read our Bibles is, what does this passage say about the relationship between God and people? How can God and people be in relationship with one another? How does the relationship work? What does it require of me? What does God command and promise about the relationship with Him? We can learn the answers to these important questions in every passage of the Bible.
The fourth and final question to ask in Bible meditation concerns seeing Jesus in the Old Testament. In OT readings, we find Jesus portrayed in many ways. We often see him in the redemptive action the Lord takes towards His people. We find Him in obvious places, but we also find Him in patterns in the OT that emerge in full bloom in the NT. The patterns foreshadow the reality of Jesus. We see these patterns in people, events, and institutions. For example, we see Him in prophets, priests, and in kings. We also see Him in the sacrifices and in the animals offered in those sacrifices. That is why John the Baptist says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” Seeing Jesus in the OT greatly increases our understanding and worship of Him.
It is my prayer that these tips will draw you deeper into the reading of God’s Word, and in reading you may know him better, love Him deeper and serve Him fuller.