It’s that time again… RESOLUTIONS! As we turn the calendar we feel renewed energy to make changes in our life. 2007 is history. We can forget about our past failures over the last twelve months. Today is a new day.
Of course the most important resolutions we make are spiritual. We want to strengthen our faith, deepen our love, and intensify our hope. And we know that one of the best ways to grow in those ways is to study and meditate upon God’s Word.
But we’ve resolved to read the Bible before and had little success. How can we be successful in 2008? Let me suggest six things you can do that might help.
1. Set reasonable goals. If you start out trying to run a marathon on the first day you’re going to get discouraged pretty quick. There’s nothing that says you have to read through the whole Bible in a year!
If you don’t have a daily routine already then try just reading a chapter or two a day. If you find that you struggle to be consistent on the weekends, then just read during the week.
2. Don’t get bogged down in a difficult book. Most people cruise through Genesis and Exodus. There’s a lot of interesting history and the story moves quickly. But how many have gotten bogged down when reading Leviticus for the first time!
When you come to a book that is challenging or doesn’t make sense to you, then skip it and come back to it later. There’s nothing wrong with doing that. Some of the Bible is meat and some of it is milk. The meat is great but if you are a babe in Christ you may not be ready for it just yet. Focus on the books you can grasp at this point. Try reading the Gospels first if the Bible is new to you (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John).
3. Keep track of readings. Record what you read each day. It will motivate you and you’ll feel more of a sense of accomplishment when you can look back at the end of each week to see what you’ve read.
4. Involve others. Like anything else (diet, exercise) it helps to have people who will hold you accountable. Find friends who will do the same thing you’re doing. Send each other emails every day. Have a class with that group once or twice a month to discuss what you’ve read. Your reading will be more consistent and meaningful.
5. Do something different. Maybe you’re already in a Bible reading plan but it’s become a little too routine. There’s nothing wrong with routines but don’t be afraid to change up things a little.
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Try a different reading program. There are lots of options to choose from. At studylight.org you’ll find no less than six different daily reading programs.
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Journal. It doesn’t have to be much. Just jot down a few things you learned as you read.
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Read out loud. The Ethiopian eunuch read this way (Acts 8:30). Maybe it would spark new life into your daily reading.
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Listen to the Bible on tape or CD. There’s nothing wrong with this. Before the printing press the way 99% received the Word was by hearing the Word not reading it. There’s a new recording of the NKJV that is pretty good: “The Word of Promise: New Testament Audio Bible.” There’s also a recording of the NIV you can listen to for free online at biblegateway.com.
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Use a guidebook to the Bible. Read a study help book before reading a book of the Bible. One we like is “How to Read the Bible Book by Book” by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart. It gives an overview and advice for reading each book that we have found helpful.
6. Make it fun and focus on the results. Exercise is easier when it is enjoyable and when we can feel the improvement to our health. We stick to diets better when eating food we actually like and we can see the pounds melt away.
Reading God’s Word should be a pleasurable experience: “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10). Don’t open up the Bible with the thought of doing something burdensome. Get exited about it! You’re about to hear the voice of God!
The results of reading the Bible cannot be overestimated: “Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:11). There’s nothing irrelevant about the Bible. It has vital information. It contains the words of life! It is by the Bible that we will be judged (Revelation 20:12)! Keep this in mind and Bible study will never be boring again!
~ by David Maxson