Does the thought of committing to daily Bible reading send dread down your spine? Or maybe it stiffens your back because of those “legalistic-perfect Christians”. Oh, friend, I hope it doesn’t, but I understand if it does. The guilt I used to feel every time I missed a day or got so behind I just stopped reading altogether was enough that for many years I barely opened my Bible other than on Sunday. I wouldn’t commit to reading because I was just so tired of failing.
Part of my struggle was I wasn’t sure where to start. I knew I could start with Genesis and go book by book, but that just felt overwhelming, and I didn’t always understand or have any context for what I was reading. Not understanding can make the word of God feel very remote and dry.
I also had trouble “catching up” or feeling behind if I missed a day. In my mind, I had to follow a specific plan to read a certain amount, on a certain day, at a certain time. And if I missed a day I felt as though I needed to read the previous day before I could read the current day. And if I missed multiple days? Two choices: binge-read or give up. I have chosen both in the past.
Can I give you a bit of encouragement, sister? Reading your Bible doesn’t have to be a burden. In fact, I’ll dare to say it SHOULDN’T be a burden. God didn’t give us His word just to add work to our day. Reading our Bible isn’t what saves us or makes us better Christians. But reading our Bible WILL help us as we function as believers.
How much easier is it to trust someone that you know personally?
How much easier to follow someone when you know where their heart is?
How much more likely are you to have faith in someone when you have seen and understand how they have handled themselves in the past?
The Bible tells us in Matthew 4:4, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’ “ NASB
Reading our Bible helps us to know and see God in a very real and life-altering way–if we can just get past our issues first. I’m going to share a few things that have worked for me and I think maybe they can help you as well.
The first thing I’m going to encourage you to do is kick your preconceived notions of “the right way” to the curb! Other than with an open heart and a teachable spirit, there is no “correct” way to read the Bible. God isn’t timing how long you spend reading or keeping track of what time of the day it was. He doesn’t care what order you read the books in or if you highlight and write in the margins. He doesn’t require that you read from your favorite Bible, or even READ at all. I promise God isn’t grading you on your Bible time. He just wants you to spend time in His Word and with Him.
Maybe you don’t have an hour or two to dedicate to the Word every morning, but I bet you can grab 15 minutes here and there throughout the day. You might be surprised how many verses can be read in just 15 minutes.
Don’t rely on the fact that you have your phone with you all the time, we’re too easily distracted by social media and the internet. I can’t tell you how many times I pick up my phone to turn on music and then wonder half an hour later how I ended up on Facebook without any music playing!
Try keeping an inexpensive Bible in multiple rooms of your house. Did you know you can buy a paperback Bible on Amazon for about $3.00? The words in the cheap paperback are the same as the ones in your favorite leatherbound Bible. Consider keeping a paperback one in your kitchen (read while you’re eating breakfast or sipping coffee). You can keep another one in your car (read while you’re waiting on your kids or husband). The best place to keep one is probably in your *gasp* bathroom! Start leaving your phone behind and browsing the Bible instead.
I just recently learned that Jews view scripture as food and they “eat their portion” daily. I love that image. A bite here, a full meal there, and a snack for good measure adds up to nutrition.
Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on Him God the Father has set His seal…Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.
John 6: 27, 35 ESV
Remember, there is a difference between READING scripture and STUDYING scripture. Both are important, and each produces fruit differently. I will never discourage you from doing a deep dive into God’s word to study it–cross-referencing, reading commentaries, making outlines, and listening to lectures, but if you’re already struggling to be in the Word on a regular basis, maybe it’s time to scale back a bit and do the basics. Much can be learned by JUST READING. Don’t even highlight or write in the margins if you don’t want to, just read straight through like you would any other story. Do the best you can, until you can do better, but don’t do nothing just because you can’t do it all.
For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it produce and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.
Isahah 55:10-12 NASB
Ask God to give you a love and a hunger for His word. Sometimes, when I was making an effort to be in the Word, I didn’t enjoy it. I was tired, it was dry, I wanted to be sleeping…lots of reasons. So I confessed that to God (I’m pretty sure He could already tell) and I asked Him to please help me love it–to place a desire to read His Word in my heart. And before I begin reading, I ask Him again. I also ask the Holy Spirit to open my mind and heart to help me understand what I’m reading. God is faithful and He will help you.
Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight to my heart; For I have been called by your name, O Lord God of hosts.
Jeremiah 15:16 NASB
Take advantage of technology. Somewhere I heard about an app for my phone called ReadScripture. It’s a year-long reading plan that can be started at any point in the year. (I just happen to like to start things at the beginning of something; like a Monday, or the first day of a new month, or maybe even January 1st!) You can read it at your own pace or their recommended pace. There’s nothing revolutionary about that though, that’s how it is with most plans.
What I LOVE about the ReadScripture app is that it’s meant to help you see the Bible as a whole story and to see Jesus as the running theme throughout. At the beginning of each book, there is a short video that gives you an overview of the book, along with information for context and how it fits with the big picture of the Bible. Occasionally, throughout the book, there may be other videos explaining different things. ReadScripture pairs with BibleProject.com where you can sign up to have the reading plan and videos emailed to you instead, in addition to a blog and podcasts. I come back to my ReadScripture app every time I start a new Bible study so I can rewatch the overview video as well as any other videos they have included. While I prefer to read my actual Bible, rather than on my phone, I do keep track of what I’ve read in the app.
LISTEN! Remember how I said you don’t even have to READ the word? Listening to it counts as well, friend! I remember my mother had all the books of the Bible on tape and it was in this huge hard-back case that weighed a ton. Now, you can listen to scriptures from your phone or computer with just a few clicks–and often for FREE. My favorite is an app on my phone called Dwell. It’s not free, but I love the different ways it can be customized. You can change the speaking voice, add music in the background, and there are multiple plans to choose from. You can also listen to “playlists” set up by other users. It has been well worth the $30.00 a year I paid for it.
Bible Gateway also has a free audio version.
I listen while I’m cooking or cleaning. Sometimes I listen when I’m driving somewhere or as I fall asleep at night.
Talk about what you’re reading or learning with a friend. This doesn’t have to be something formal or in person (unless you need an excuse to get together!) and they don’t have to even live in your town. Shan and I live 2500 miles apart and have begun having a weekly phone call to talk about what we’re reading. Sometimes it’s the same thing, other times we are each reading something different, but it’s so fun to see how often God is showing us similar themes. Some weeks we have to shift our call to another day or skip that week completely. We just pick up wherever we are when we do get to chat. Be warned though, if you are like Shan and me, your phone conversation could take up a good portion of your day. (And that’s the very best part for me!)
To Plan or Not to Plan? You don’t have to follow a reading plan if that’s not your style. Some people like the structure, some people do not enjoy being told what to do (or read)! The point is to do what works FOR YOU, in this season. I just came out of a season of just randomly reading different books in the New Testament. It was great, but now I’m ready for a little structure again.
If you’re the type of person who likes to have a reading plan in place and like to see yourself marking off the chapters, some of the apps I mentioned above will provide the ability to mark off and track what you’ve read. You can also go old school and print a paper copy to manually mark off. A quick search on Pinterest will give you MANY options!
There is more than one style of reading plan as well. Most of us are used to the “reading straight through” plan. Start at the beginning of Genesis and just keep reading in order until the end of Revelation.
Another option is the “chronological” plan. It might come as a surprise to learn the books of the Bible are not placed in the order in which they happened. If you want to read the Bible like a timeline, look for a chronological plan. You may find chunks of certain books are moved in within other books to create a full, chronological story.
The “five-day plan” divides the Bible up so that instead of reading seven days a week you are reading five. This might be a great plan for you if you like the idea of having two days to catch up if you get off track during the week.
If reading only in one Testament at a time is not your cup of tea, look for an “Old Testament/New Testament” plan. Each day you will read selected passages from both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
A plan I hadn’t heard of before is called the “M’Cheyne plan”. Each day you will read two passages from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament, and another from either the Psalms or the Gospels. When you finish the plan (a year if you follow it as given), you will have read the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice.
Whether you choose a plan or not, DO NOT GIVE UP, friend! You’re going to miss days or maybe even weeks. You’re going to not understand some things. You’re going to want to skip entire books in whatever plan you’re reading (ugh–Job!!). But whatever happens, just pick up your Bible and start where you were at the next time you can. God will still be there. His Word will be the same. You don’t have to be perfect because He has already filled in the gaps of our humanness.
I love the way Psalms 1:1-3 tells us that for those who delight in and meditate on the law of the Lord (night AND day), “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.”
Our earthly lives are about seasons, my sisters. Some seasons are dry, some are rainy, and some are beautifully sunny. Some bear rest, some pain, and some work, but all seasons result in fruit–in its time.
Remember, whatever season you are in, it is a GIFT from God. Acknowledge it. Sit in it. Soak it up. It is God who will produce in us.
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Phillipians 1:6 NASB
Happy New Year and God Bless,
Doe