How is your Bible reading plan going?
Having the New Year’s resolution to read the Bible in a year is an absolutely laudable goal, but the reason we laugh at the question is because so few of us, including myself, actually stick with it.
If you have fallen hopelessly behind, just pick up where you left off or start a whole new method of reading the Bible. Below are a few suggestions that may help you start meditating on God’s Word afresh.
M’Cheyne Plan
The Bible reading plan developed by Robert Murray M’Cheyne is approachable, doable, and maintainable. You will read around four chapters a day.
What I like about M’Cheyne’s plan is that he intended for its followers to have a private reading and a family reading. You can read about his plan here.
Although it is designed to be read throughout the year, you can pick up with today’s reading or use the online tool to start today with Genesis 1.
Over the course of the year you will read the New Testament and Psalms twice, and the rest of the Bible once.
There are other great helps with this plan. Some really good ones are located at the link above, but they include D.A. Carson’s two volumes, For the Love of God: A Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches and God’s Word and For the Love of God: A Daily Companion for Discovering the Treasures of God’s Word.
Grant Horner System
Professor Grant Horner’s System is both more demanding and more flexible than M’Cheyne’s plan.
I am using this plan because of the built-in flexibility. Ideally, you read ten chapters a day, but each chapter comes from a different book of Scripture. You start with Matthew, Genesis, Romans, 1 Thessalonians, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Joshua, Isaiah, and Acts. If you stick with the plan, you will read through the Gospels four times, Pentateuch twice, Paul’s letters four times, wisdom books six times, Psalms twice, Acts and Proverbs twelve times, and history and prophecy at least once. You can read a great article about Horner’s system here.
I know it may sound overwhelming, but it’s not. If you only get one chapter in today, read the following nine tomorrow. If you are really into a story in Joshua, keep reading it and just move your bookmark to note where you left off.
To me, the bookmarks are the most difficult part of the plan. They can get pulled out by kids who see your Bible on a bookshelf, or they may just fall out. If you want to invest in a cool bookmark that will not fall out, I recommend these. You will need ten of them unless you have a digital copy of your plan.
MacArthur Plan
I followed this plan for a year and grew spiritually from it. Basically, you read through the Old Testament in a year. But you take a different approach for the New Testament.
For the Gospels, Epistles, and Revelation, you read one book every day for a solid month. MacArthur recommends starting with a short book such as 1 John. By the end of 30 days, having read a single book every day, you will be amazed at how much you can recall, and how clearly you see the flow and construction of the book.
For longer books, cut them into shorter segments and read each segment for a one-month period. So for a book such as John, which has 21 chapters, just read seven chapters for 30 days. You will spend a total of 90 days with John.
MacArthur says following this plan should lead you to read the New Testament in three years. By the end of that time, you will have a deeper, more complete understanding of the New Testament.
Undistracted Reading
Most reading plans limit themselves by chapters. That is problematic because most chapter divisions happen in the middle of a narrative or thought. This last plan subverts that entirely.
Several Bible publishers have produces copies of Scripture void of verse numbers, chapter numbers, footnotes, or anything else. Psalms have headings, but that is just about it.
I have never been able to keep up with a “Read the Bible Through a Year” plan. However, I read the Bible in less than a year using the ESV Reader’s Bible.
I simply decided I would read for 15-20 minutes, every day. Because I would get wrapped up in a story or simply wanted to keep reading, I would usually read longer than that.
We all know chapter and verse separations are not always great. While useful for group study or reference, they can inhibit personal study. Removing them helps you stop when the writer changes subjects or when a narrative ends.
This leads you to read more without realizing it. It is a great tool to help you experience a new joy in reading Scripture.
So how are you doing in your Bible reading this year? Have you been able to maintain a plan, or do you need to start all over? Don’t wait until January. Start today. You don’t have to pick one of these plans, but read Scripture and read it well.
