The best Bible-reading program moves beyond this piecemeal approach to actually reading the Scriptures for content. It has nothing to do with the proud announcement that “I read through the entire Bible this year!” Instead, it has everything to do with knowing the word of God and putting it into practice. It should not be a one-year reading program, but a “rest of your life until they bury you in a pine box” program. The first way of thinking is marketing; the other is transforming.
HERE IS HOW ANY BIBLE READING PROGRAM SHOULD WORK:
1. Find a quiet, undisturbed place to read—if necessary it can be in the middle of the night when everyone else is in bed. Remember that the Old Testament was also written for our learning (Rom. 15:4) so begin reading there and learn from the beginning. Starting with the New Testament will bring you directly to the life of Christ. We know the New Testament is the covenant mediated by the Son of God to men and women today. It contains the contract God has made with Christians. Were you aware that Christians are bound by a contract?
2. No matter how long it takes, read through one entire book before moving on to another. The 66 books are whole units and meant to be read that way. We need to experience their coherence.
3. Pay special attention to the way the Lord is portrayed. Examine the relational aspects of the book, God to Man, Man to Man, Man to God.
4. Always note the Lord’s commands for us today and how or why we are told to do them. Consider how we might incorporate every command into your daily activities. This is about changing your life and your inner man to become more like Christ. This is about sixty-plus years of discipleship. It is not about getting through the Bible in a certain length of time. Now comes the hard (and controversial) part…
5. Psalms and Proverbs are books of wisdom and cannot be absorbed in one sitting. They may take months of study. Do a word study or use a concordance to cross reference ideas. While some Old Testament books are narrative, allowing for breaks in an account, Psalms and Proverbs are easily segmented for deeper study. As you read, you will notice certain things the Heavenly Father hates (abhors) and things He loves or calls righteous. There will also be certain concepts based in His justice, judgment and equity. As you read and come across new thoughts, ask yourself, “Why did He bring that up?” There are very few abrupt subject changes in the Bible, except for these two books. We tend to isolate verses from each other as we read, but they are usually connected by a common subject.
REPEAT THESE STEPS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
Biblical ignorance today reflects the piecemeal approach we take to reading the Scriptures. Basic to understanding each of the parts is being able to understand the whole—the uniformity of the revelation. The fact that so few congregations study or preach through the entirety of the Scriptures and the fact that most dwell on first principles explains our ignorance. Likewise Bible reading programs that reduce the Bible to tatters compound the problem. Of course lack of digesting what we read also contributes to our ignorance. If you make understanding the Bible message your lifetime plan for reading the Scriptures, you will be transformed. And you can take that with you to eternity.
–Beth Johnson