I was a pretty dramatic seventh-grader. My faith was real to me, and I was ready to take on the world for Jesus.
I read books like Tortured for Christ and God’s Smuggler and pondered, What would it be like to be thrown in prison and have my Bible taken away?
Thankfully, I’ve been free to read the Word of God pretty much every day for decades. Bible reading is a necessity for spiritual health, so I’m not trying to impress you … just inspire you
So how do we approach this important spiritual discipline?
There’s no “correct” way to read the Bible, but allow me to share a few methods:
1. Big picture reading: This is where you get the 30,000 foot view. You crank through whole books by putting in 15 minutes to an hour a day. (If you have young children, maybe it’s 5-10 minutes!)
I have been enjoying doing a chronological “Bible read-through” the first few months of each year with Keith Ferrin and friends.
The beauty of reading the whole Bible in big chunks is that you get an over-arching feel for the story of God, the grand meta-narrative of Scripture. You realize how the details fit into the bigger story. You get the context.
2. Devotional reading / meditation: I like to start my day with a Psalm. Sometimes I’ll take a break for a month and read a Proverb a day.
The Psalms help me connect emotionally with God. They assure me that it’s okay to feel the whole range of human emotions. They also remind me how great God is and to praise him, no matter what.
You can also choose a section of the gospels, like the Sermon on the Mount, a portion of a prophetic book, a portion of an epistle, or whatever you like for devotional reading and meditating.
The point is to connect emotionally with the passage and find out something about what God is like. What makes him happy? Sad? Angry? What is he speaking to your heart?
Note that Christian meditation is very different from that practiced by devotees of Eastern religions.
Christians do not seek to empty themselves, but to fill themselves with God’s word and “chew” on it like a cow chews her cud (that’s what the Hebrew word means!).
3. Studying: This is where you roll up your sleeves and use a couple of tools like a study Bible and a Strong’s concordance.
You are after original word meanings, historical/cultural context and other background information that helps you make sense of what’s being said.
4. Memorizing/internalizing: Putting God’s word to memory makes it possible for the Holy Spirit to bring the perfect passage to your mind right when you need it.
Memorizing key verses is good; internalizing whole passages goes even deeper.
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. — Psalm 119:11
FYI: It’s harder to memorize passages if you are looking at a device instead of a paper Bible.
When you scroll, your brain can’t “see” the passage in the context of the page, so the words won’t stick as well.
As you pursue a habit of Bible reading, please don’t count a “verse for the day” on an app or in a devotional book as your daily reading — at least not most of the time.
We need to familiarize ourselves with all of the Bible to know the God behind the Bible. If you “cut and paste” only the coffee mug verses, you run the risk of misunderstanding God’s word — and God himself.
What is your favorite way to spend time in the Word?
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