Dec 07 2009
Why, Yes, Jane, I Do
Jane posted a rather good question last week, one to which I believe a lot of people struggle with. Daily Bible Reading.
One of the best ways to become familiar with the Bible is to simply read it. This is reading that is more for content (what does the text say?) than for meaning. It is not the same as bible study – here you are to simply read. Dr. Carson, a professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, recommended to my class last year that we should be reading the bible through, in its entirety, at least once every 2 years. This is in addition to bible study or devotions that you may already be doing.
There are so many different bible reading plans out there to choose from. One, two and three year plans are in abundance. A really good reading plan will have you reading from several different parts of the bible at the same time. Below are some links to some good online resources for finding a plan. (This was produced from a simple Google search for “bible reading plans”.)
BibleGateway – They have several different plans available. I like the premise behind this site because they also give you the scripture right there to read. You just have to remember to visit them every day.
ESV BibleResources – They also have a variety of plans and they also have a variety of options for delivery. You can visit the website every day or subscribe via RSS feed or even put things on your calendar (iCal).
BiblePlan dot ORG – This is a very interesting service. There are options for translation and language as well as a variety of plans and how often you want to read through different sections. It seems like the mixing and matching is endless. One drawback: it only comes via email.
Bible-Reading plans – This is a plan developed by a guy named Michael Coley. He has divided the week by the different parts of the bible and has you reading from a different part each day of the week – so on any given day you are only in one section of the bible at a time.
One of the more popular plans is by M’Cheyne, who was an early 19th century Scottish pastor. His plan takes you through the Old Testament once a year, the New Testament twice a year and Psalms twice a year. You will be reading from 4 different parts of the bible at any given time, so the reading will be varied. Dr. Carson, uses a modified M’Cheyne plan himself. You can find copies of the M’Cheyne plan and Carson’s plans here.
Of course, there is also a plethora of One Year Bibles that you can purchase. I have one of these myself and have only used it for a few months. The drawback for me was that I had a difficult time referencing other scripture, should something that I read spark an interest. I will grant that a reading plan should be just that: reading. But sometimes when I’m done reading, something of interest was generated and I feel like I want to do some research. For simply reading, though, it was good.
You can also read the bible through in chronological order. This site offers a 52-week reading plan that does just that.
Lastly, if you use bible software, chances are that it has a way of generating a bible reading plan for you – so that you can customize the plan entirely to your liking. If you’ve never used bible software before, check out e-Sword. It is free and you can add on numerous different resources to your liking. Some of the resources cost money, but for the most part, this is an excellent free tool to use.
The key to remember is this: daily bible reading is for reading purposes only and is to supplement any daily devotional or study you may do. And, a successful bible reading plan will take you through the entire bible in 1-2 years, 3 years max. The good news is that with the plethora of plans out there, you should never get bored with any one particular method or plan.
Wow, look at all those resources. So I downloaded e-Sword: I must be becoming a Bible geek because I was all over it. Or maybe it’s just because I’m a software geek – I LOVE messing around with new software and getting it to work right. Oh wow, you can download the Bible in a huge variety of translations, other languages, commentaries, maps… oh oh.
So here’s my next question: where do I start? (You are going to get SO sick of that question, Tonja.) Which are the best resources to add to my e-Sword (purchased or free, I’ll add the paying ones bit by bit)? You could put that into a future post, WHEN you’ve finished all those Greek tests…
So this is how you seminary students do it? I thought you were stuck in the library amidst HUGE piles of 4-inch-thick books. Whereas in fact, you just go to your computer.