For the last seven years or so I have been using a wide margin journaling Bible for my daily reading. In the margins I write questions I have, things that I haven’t noticed before, prayers, and other things I have learned as I read.

I would love to encourage you to read along with me this year!

Why Read

As we read God invites us to know Him and His character better. One of my favorite verses is 2 Chronicles 16:9 that says “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”

The text uses the setting of Asa, king of Judah, to show how much he delights in helping those who seek him. In one case Asa seeks help from the king of Syria to fight against Israel, who has been trying to defeat Judah. When Asa relies on the strength of men, he is defeated.

In contrast, when Asa relies on the Lord in the battle against Ethiopia and Libya, who were a formidable army against Judah, he succeeds.

We see the character of God in this setting. Hanani, the seer, states that God is actively searching for people who are relying on him so that he can give his support and strength to those in the midst of trials. What an encouraging character trait of God!

There are also places where we may find comfort during difficult times. (Psalms) There are places that challenge us to grow in trusting God for our needs. (some of the letters in the New Testament) There are places that inspire us to see how great and mighty is God. (Genesis, Exodus)

How to Read

The Bible consists of different literary forms. Each literary form is written as such for a reason. The words draw us in, calling us to consider what it is saying, why it is saying it that way, and what it means for us.

There is narrative (stories), discourse (a logical sequence of thought), and poetry (emotional word pictures). If we read poetry as narrative, we may miss the imagery that is conveying a theme or emotion. Likewise, if we read narrative as discourse, we may misunderstand setting information as a directive. And if we read discourse as narrative, we may miss the overall message that is meant to change how we think about something.

There are many ways to read the Bible. Each contributes to our understanding of what it is saying. I highly recommend reading in different ways at different times. It will become a lifetime habit of learning and growing!

• Read slowly to notice the details.
• Read quickly to absorb the general themes.
• Read out loud to hear the words.
• Read thoughtfully to pause and meditate on God’s truth.
• Read daily. Interact with God’s word. Let God’s word transform your life.
• Read prayerfully to spend time with the Lord.

Hold loosely the challenge of reading daily. Don’t condemn yourself if you can’t stay on a perfect schedule. Just read.

Prayerfully ask God to help you read and understand.

Reading Plans

There are many, many reading plans available out on the Internet – printable plans, apps, books, etc. Personally, I don’t care for the plans that read through the Psalms several times or where the goal is to read a large quantity of text to cover a lot of ground in a year. Those reading plans feel intimidating to me.

Here are the printable reading plans that appeal to me:

• Daily reading through selected books by theme (not the entire Bible) from the American Bible Society – This plan looks good for beginners who might feel overwhelmed by the commitment of reading the entire Bible. I have not used this plan, but it looks like it would be good for establishing a habit of reading every day and still read a fairly substantial portion of the Bible.

• One book at a time through the whole Bible from the Navigators – This plan looks manageable if you want to tackle reading the entire Bible, one book at a time. I have used similar plans and somewhere in Chronicles and/or the prophets I start to feel bogged down. On the other hand, it is systematic and it feels good to see the progress of pages and books that are covered.

• Read the whole Bible thematically by Craig DesJardins an elder at Faith Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, WA. – This is the type of reading plan I used last year and I enjoyed that there is a section of Old Testament and New Testament every day. This breaks up the hard parts of reading through lots of genealogy or prophecy that is difficult to read.

• Read through the whole Bible in historical order by the Blue Letter Bible. – I have not used this plan but it looks interesting. It is similar to a chronological plan in that the New Testament is read in the order that scholars believe the books were written. The Old Testament is read in the order of the Hebrew Bible. The books are arranged slightly differently in our English Bibles.

Look through these reading plans (or you can search the internet further for others) and choose one that looks good to you. Let’s start reading!

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105, ESV)