On January 1, I blogged about a Bible Reading Plan. As the year winds down, my 50th birthday approaches, and my 32nd year of walking with Christ, as I became a Christian just after my 18th birthday, I wonder how many times I’ve read through the Bible, and I honestly have no idea.
After several attempts in college that eventually played out, I know the first time was with the Discipleship Journal plan, which was really helpful because it only had 25 days each month, so it gave me times to catch up each month if I happened to miss a day.
The only thing was I didn’t always miss a day, and I didn’t like getting to day 25 and having a whole week of unassigned readings. I used M’Cheyne for awhile at Wally’s recommendation and the One Year Bible for years, and the chronological plan, then I decided to read slowly at my own pace for about three years, but I got really bogged down and never got through the Bible at all.
Which led me to starting afresh in 2015. And it has literally been the richest, most thoroughly rewarding reading through the Bible year of my life.
So, as we anticipate 2016, I thought sharing some of what I’ve learned might encourage some of you…:)
THREE NEW DISCOVERIES in 2015!!!
A few other things I have found to be vital.
- The New Living Translation (NLT). The link tells about the translation process, which is fascinating and gives much credibility. For years I used the NASB, the most literal. Over the years, I’ve used the NKJV, NIV, ESV. I like different things about them all. If you’ve only been using one translation, you might try a different one.
Our son Will, who has become fluent in Mandarin in the past few years has told me how fresh it is to read God’s Word in Mandarin because of the different words that are used. Since most of us can’t read Hebrew or Greek, it’s helpful to get the freshness of a new translation.
We found copies for about $5 at Amazon. On a side note, the translators were scholars representing a broad spectrum of denominations, theological perspectives, and backgrounds, but it was super cool for me to see a few names I know like Tremper Longman (who helped write one of my favorites, Bold Love, and got his PhD at Yale), Richard Pratt (who taught at Wally’s alma mater, RTS, and got his ThD at Harvard), D. A. Carson (who got his PhD from Cambridge and wrote one of my favorite books on prayer), George Guthrie, (who teaches at Union, just down the road from us in Jackson, TN, and whose brother is Wally’s MD), and Willem VanGemeren, (who also taught Wally at RTS).
NOTE: The NLT is NOT the same as The Living Bible, which people have jokingly said “isn’t living and isn’t the Bible” because it’s a paraphrase, not a translation.
Literary Bible Reading Plan. I cannot say enough about how much I LOVE this plan!!! First, one of the most frustrating things in other plans is when I’m in the middle of a narrative and caught up in the story, and then the plan says I’m supposed to stop.
Not with this plan.
This plan accommodates to the story, so it may have you reading just a few verses in one book, and two or three chapters in another.
It also accommodates to the type according to harder to read places like lineages and descriptions of building the temple or the various kinds of sacrifices by not having those sections be too long and balancing them with other passages that are easier to understand and capture interest.
Another thing I like about this plan is how often themes will show up in the different places where I’m reading.
For example, the past few days, I’ve been reading in 2 Kings 18-20 about King Hezekiah, a descendant of King David, who God says “did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight” because he “removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles.”
It goes on to say how “there was no one like him in all the kings of Judah…He remained faithful to the Lord in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the Lord had given Moses.” But then in chapter 20, it tells about how Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah went to visit him and told him he would not recover, and then how Hezekiah responded by crying out to God for his life, and how God heard his prayers and healed him.
But then later in the same chapter, when Isaiah tells him that the Babylonians are going to come and take away the treasures of the palace and that even his own sons will be taken into exile, Hezekiah’s response is appalling:
He says, “The message you have given me from the Lord is good.” For the king was thinking, “At least there will be peace and security during my life time.” 2 Kings 20:19
Reading about how Hezekiah cared more about himself than his people, even his own sons, makes me want a better king–a king who would be willing to give his life for his people.
And how very beautiful, that as I have those thoughts heavy on my brain, I go to read in Isaiah 9 – 10 the prophesies of another King, another descendant of King David, whose government and peace will never end, “He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”
This kind of thing has happened ALL YEAR LONG!!
All year, I’ll be reading and will say, “Wally, listen to this! This is so cool!”
Finally, I LOVE that I was able to have this plan emailed to me daily, and can simply push play and have it read to me.
There have been a few times when I was traveling and my routine got out of whack and I got behind. I did not want to just skip those days and pick up with the day where I was–though I could have done that. I wanted to know what I missed.
All I have to do is click the link, and it plays it for me, and I can listen while I’m driving or whatever. Obviously I’m not soaking as much in as when I’m reading, but it’s better than nothing.
EXPOSE YOURSELF. On that note, I have to share something my wise wonderful husband said back in the spring when we were talking about Bible reading, and I was lamenting that sometimes I don’t really have time to meditate on God’s Word.
He said, “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Just read it and let it do its work. When you go out in the sun, you don’t have to try to let it warm you and give you light.
It just does because its the sun.
It’s the same way with God’s Word. Just read it. Expose yourself to it and let it do its work.” That is certainly consistent with Isaiah 55:10-11 and Hebrews 4:12.
2. Power of a Purple Highlighter. The third commandment says not to take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Yet, my tendency is to read God’s Word, without recognizing the weight of the reality that I am hearing His voice.
When reading about Jesus, it’s too easy to focus on His humanity and lose sight of the fact that He was also fully God.
Slowing down and reading with a purple highlighter, and highlighting every reference to God has made a significant difference in my thinking about Who I’m reading about, which has moved me to respond in prayer and praise.
And every time we read God, or the Lord, or Jesus, any words referring to Him, we should remember that this is the Sovereign Creator and Ruler of the Universe, the One Who made you and me and knows everything about us.
- Prayer. Before Bible reading, ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you through His Word. He is the One who gave man the words to write exactly what God wanted to speak and who gives understanding to us of what God is telling us about Himself, ourselves, others, our situations, how He wants us to live and act, what He wants us to believe and do, etc. 2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 2:10-13.
One of the prayers I pray most frequently is this: Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law. Psalm 119:18 - Ask. What does this teach me about God? Regardless of the type of Bible literature you’re reading, history, prophecy, psalms, etc., that simple question forces you to slow down and think.
And as soon as you see God’s character flowing through, your thoughts turn to praising God for His wisdom, sovereignty, mercy, care, faithfulness, etc. to His people. - Reading as communion with God. During Bible reading as mentioned above, don’t feel like, well, this is my reading time, so I’m not going to pray now. No!
View your time in God’s Word as a time of communion with Him–that He is speaking to you and you are responding.
When things puzzle you, tell Him: Lord, I do not understand why this person did this, and it seemed to be okay, or why You did this–it doesn’t seem consistent with Your character. I keep a prayer journal, and I write down stuff like that. Sometimes a few days later I’ll stumble across the answer. Other times not.
But talking to God about it opens up our relationship to a deeper intimacy. He knows my questions and doubts before I think them any way, so I may as well talk to Him about them. - Do. And confession. James 1:22 says we should be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. Inevitably, as I’m reading, the Holy Spirit shows me where I’m neglecting to do something He wants me to do or where I’m doing something I shouldn’t–even if it’s in my thought life like thinking more about my own interests more than that of those around me. So, as I’m reading, a lot of that time is also in prayer and confession.
Or if I’m seeing God’s goodness and wisdom, but I’ve been anxious, then I’m praying confession of how I haven’t been trusting Him and believing that He really is in control and is going to work things out for His glory and my good and for the good of those I love and care. - Remind yourself of the Good News. I John 1:9 is one of my favorite verses because it reminds me that God is both faithful and just.
He is faithful to not let me go and to remind me of my sins.
He is also just–the Judge who judges sin and all unrighteousness.
He has judged all my sin, past, present, and future on the cross when He punished Jesus for my sins.
And this verse promises that if I confess my sins to Him, He will not only forgive me, but will cleanse me from all unrighteousness.
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12