Jump start your reading
How many times have you started your Bible reading on January 1st? Most people I talk to that start reading (as a New Year’s resolution) their Bible again on January 1st and read to about Leviticus or Numbers before losing the discipline or the interest. They have read Genesis, Exodus and the first half of Leviticus 10 times but have never gone past that. Do you fall into that category? Here is some tips on how to break out.
1. Make a plan not to fail. Most of us make a plan to succeed and forget that whatever derailed the bible reading train the last ten times WILL show up again this time. You need a plan to overcome that discipline problem before it hits again. If you know you are going to get thirsty next week, start digging the well now. If it was a personal discipline problem, then get an accountability partner that will kick you in the pants if you miss a day. The best plans for success are thwarted by forgetting to deal with the issues that cause failure. You need a plan not to fail.
2. Personalize it. The Bible is meant to be lived out so look for the daily application. This will make the Bible personal. The Bible is all about how God wants to work in your life and is the most personal of all personal books. Its not about other people, its about your relationship with God. Look at it as a living book that will transform your life on a daily basis and work in you if you will let it. Make personal notes, print Scripture portions to keep in your shirt pocket for the day. Personalize it.
3. Forget January, start now. Isn’t it amazing that once we stop reading, we somehow feel we cannot start again until January. Not only that but we have to start “in the beginning” again. Here is a new strategy. Start now, and start where you left off last time. By starting now, where you left off, you can avoid feeling like a loser during Christmas for not reading your Bible through in a year, plus you will get through Leviticus and Numbers (incredibly interesting books) and be in new territory in January when the “others” (Greek for losers right?) are just starting over, again.
4. Get over your fear of how long and difficult the Bible is. Is it a long book? Is it hard to understand at first? Absolutely! Just like the high school chemistry book you never read. The difference is, the bible is THE book of aboslute truth and has daily solutions for your problem ridden life and eternal rewards for its application. Parts of the Bible are absolutely a mystery, and have to be for a very good reason. You can find out why in I Corinthians 2. Its also long like a good vacation. Once you learn to read and apply it, you will be thankful that we got a big portion and not a puny one.
5. Get a Bible without a bunch of commentaries and notes. Remember that the Bible is the best commentary on itself. Many people tell me that they will be reading along and find a word or a comment that is footnoted. That footnote then begins to explain something and invariably has a reference chain then that takes you on an excursion through the comentator’s writing and out of the Scripture. Remember, that the inspired portion (the Scripture) is not in the margin. Its in the middle. I like to do my reading either on my computer Bible or in my church Bible. My Church Bible has no notes and I can turn the ones in my computer Bible off. I can read the commentary some other time, but when I am reading the Bible, I want just Bible so I am not distracted. By the way, don’t let not having such a Bible keep you from starting. Get started and use your will power to stay out of the commentary part until you have read it through.
Don’t plan to start tomorrow. Start today, where you left off, or as close as you can remember to where you left off. Wouldn’t it be nice to have 37 days worth of reading done by the time the rest of them are just getting started?
[…] about Bible reading I want to challenge you to go to the Bible Reading Revolution blog and read the 5 steps that John has set up to help you jump start your Bible reading. I believe that […]
Great post brother! I’ve linked to your blog because this is really valuable stuff. I teach a teen Sunday School class and I think they would really benefit from what you are writing here. I hope more people will get into the Word through your blog. Thanks!
Great tips, Thanks!
Don’t worry about how much you get read in a day, or whether you’re following the same pattern as someone else (chronological, Genesis to Revelation, some from Old and New each day, etc.) But DO read large portions through without skipping around, “pogo-sticking” through the Bible. Consider reading a book twice before going to the next book. Consider overlapping your reading each day (such as, read Chapters 1-4 today, then 2-6 tomorrow, 4-8 next, etc.). That gives you repetition and continuity. If you really want to digest a book or a portion, read it several or many times before you go on. It will make a huge difference in your comprehension, and you’ll see verses in their context like you’ve never seen them before. The Word of God is awesome, because God is awesome!
Thanks David
That is also my hope. It is the most exciting book ever written and its true.
Thanks for the tips. I like the third tip very much. I encourage and pray for all to read Bible today. For tomorrow never comes. Anything we wanted to do for God is ‘NOW’. Praying for you. God bless you.
What we fact tomorrow will usually be affected by how we prepared today. That makes Bible reading that much more important today. Thanks for your comments!
I love your tips of making a plan, personalizing it and getting resources such as commentaries. I just discovered Bible Study Tools and it has all those things you mentioned for free! I created a personalized Bible Study based on a reading plan I choose, I highlight the verses that jump out at me, I save notes, and get to compare 29 translations. What’s also great is that there is a huge library of resources such as commentaries, devotionals, lexicons, etc. and the program has a split-panel screen so you can read two things side by side.
I hope you get a chance to check it out! It’s been a blessing for me and I want to let others know that they can find tools to understand the Bible without having to go to seminary! Bible Study Tools