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| Is Bible Reading a Chore? |
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. . .or maybe just a bore? Recently I have heard several Christians lamenting that they have to force themselves to read the Bible. A chore rather than something to look forward to. Most of us have been there at some time, myself included.
Now, I should preface this blog by acknowledging that we are all wonderfully unique, and if what you are doing is working for you, keep doing it. For those, however, who are in a season of struggle with their Bible study, I offer here 2 methods that have not worked for me, followed by 3 that have made all the difference.
What doesn't work for me
1) The random "word from God": Somewhere in recent years it has become a fad in Christian circles to read the Bible a random verse at a time. Just let the page fall open randomly, and the first verse that the eyes find, is God's word for the reader that day. Why do we do this with the Bible? Do we do this with any other book? Or the newspaper? Or a magazine?
I just picked up my copy of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. I don't have time to read it all, so I will read it using the random verse method. I happen to open to page 3, and I read "Two doors from one corner, on the left hand going east, the line was broken by the entry of a court." Hmmm. I'll ponder that and consider what the author is saying to me in that sentence. Then tomorrow I will randomly open to another passage. Page 45: "Utterson became so used to the unvarying character of these reports, that he fell off little by little in the frequency of his visits." Not very satisfying reading. I don't really look forward to my daily dose of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I'm not getting much out of it. I don't really understand what I'm reading. Is it any wonder?
Is it possible God can speak to us this way? Yes. God can speak to us any way He chooses. Is this the best way to study and learn the Bible? No.
2) Reading the Bible Through in a Year: This is another popular Bible reading fad, and it is definitely better than the random verse method, but it does not work best for me. Here's why. I am not always in the best frame of mind for reading. Maybe I'm tired. Maybe I have other things on my mind. But here it is late at night, and I still have to read chapters 11-12 of Hebrews and chapter 41 of Jeremiah. I can force myself to read through the words, but it may be accomplished as a chore. Something that has to be done. Something that gets its check mark. At least I'm reading, and that's good, but for me, there are more productive ways.
3 Methods that Work for Me
1) Read straight through an entire book of the Bible, just like you do any other book. Now I suspect one of the reasons we gravitate to such methods as the random verse (#1 above) is because the Bible is so big that it overwhelms us. It is much less overwhelming if we remember that the Bible is not one book, but 66. It is 66 different writings bound together into one book. Choose any one of the 66 books, and read it all the way through. Not necessarily in one sitting, but however you would read straight through any other book you read. Now there's a context. You get rapt in the story and can't wait to see what happens in the next chapter. You are shocked by stories you had no idea were even in the Bible. You can't wait to discuss what you read with your Bible Study group or maybe to blog about it! Reading is exciting!
2) Gradually read through all 66 books. Reading through the entire Bible is surmountable if you don't put a time table on it. Read through one entire book. Then another. Then another. I actually use one of the "Read Through the Bible in a Year" schedules, as a check list for what I have already read, but without paying attention to the dates. I don't care if it takes me 5 years. I read at a comfortable pace, maybe 3 hours one day and none at all for the next 5 days. If I'm not in the frame of mind for serious study, there are devotionals, Sunday School lessons, all kinds of other short readings I can do. It doesn't matter. I read when I can enjoy it. I like to read from a Study Bible and have commentaries handy for when I run into a passage that I want to study deeper. I like to read a couple of books from the Old Testament and then one from the New. No pressure about time. Just pure excitement in the treasures of the Word!
3) Keep a reading journal. As I read through the Bible, I am amazed at something every time! Stories I didn't know about. Verses that surprise me. Connections I never saw. Passages I want to be able to come back and look at later. An answer to something I've been praying about. A question I don't understand. I keep a journal of my Bible reading. I begin it with the date and what passages I read. Then any notes that I want to remember.
I am currently reading 2 Samuel, where I've been since April, and I'm in no hurry. The stories of David are so rich! Choose a book, pull up a chair, and join me! 5:6 Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
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| What works for me is to change versions each year. With the plethora of new ones, it's easy to pick up something you haven't read yet. The freshness of the phrasing helps me see the meaning of the passages again. |
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| I pray three times daily reading a chapter of the bible each time. That works for me. |
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| I, like Dave, enjoy reading different versions, and when I get a new version, I seem to get more excited about reading all of it. I have tried the "Read through the Bible in a year" - but always felt a bit guilty when I got behind! Lately, I seem to read large sections and then spend days or weeks meditating on them; for example, I spent nearly all of January, February and March just reading and meditating on the 4 Gospels over and over. This month, I have been studying Romans in several different versions. I don't know yet what's for next month! But I do not seem to get into the OT as often, except for Psalms. Maybe I should ask myself why... |
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Jen |
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June 11, 2007 at 7:04pm |
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| Our pastor has actually been talking to us about this. He has been encouraging us to just "be found in the Word", if we're not there at all. Many years ago - for many years - reading the Word was a chore for me, but I still did it because I really wanted to stick with the discipline of it, even if I didn't like it, because I knew I could still benefit from it. (Kinda like doing some form of exercise until you get to the point where you actually enjoy it.) Now, I LOVE reading the Word! (O.T. or N.T., usually NASB but I'll cross reference other versions for clarity.) Love it, love it, love it! Seriously!! It makes me squirmy-happy to hear what God has to say! :-) |
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Oh.. this blog helped..
i was happily going on with method # 2, and really,the trouble with reading the Bible in one year is, its a kind of daily race you want to finish somehow. Sure,it is a great help for developing discipline in your routine,but then i think about the times when i rushed through some Old Testament chapters just for the uhmm, heck of it :)
Well,i still am gonna finish up that 1 year Bible blitzkrieg, but your 1st and 3rd methods are 2things i will try adopting for sure. Thanx Kathy..! LiveStrong in Jesus Christ. |
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| I remember a teacher talking about "Bible Roulette" - opening the Bible and reading a verse, looking for some message to what is happening in your life....like you said, God could speak to us this way, but I've always thought it smacked of 'crystal ball' reading. |
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Sue |
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June 11, 2007 at 11:45pm |
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This is another great post from Kathy! I have used all of these methods. I am a topical kind of gal, so I like to do studies on various topics. I love to be able to piece the entire Word together. It helps me understand/confirm or even disprove what I believe and why.
I also use the Various Versions method :) Just couldn't resist that plug, after reading this blog! |
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| Years ago I had this problem but now, I love to read the Bible. It's my Lord's Word, it encouagement, history, science and music, and poetry. I have got to stop and go read my Bible. Mike |
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| I have had several, several Bibles through out my life and I have tried several methods of reading them. This year I actually found a Bible that I absolutly love to read. I ordered it from Christianbookstore.com and it's called the Soul Purpose Bible. This Bible has made it easier for me to not only read, but to comprehend everthing thats been said. It has a whole page of facts, questions and summary of everything important talked about. I can't quit ordering them for people as a gift rather it be their Birthday or whatever. Thanks for the blog Kathy. I feel all of your blogs have a great effect on people and how they are living or can improve their lives. Great Work. |
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Deb |
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June 12, 2007 at 6:23am |
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| A great post Kathy. Bible reading can be a chore or it can be fun. It is a mindset I guess. There are still certain books of the bible that really bore me, like Numbers..and I can think of no way to make it interesting, but to take it in small increments at a time. I am currently reading Max Lucado's devotional bible, in the two year format that he has laid out. It is much better than reading it in one year, and it is also a different version than I am used to. Doing bible studies with a group is also good...currently my one bible study group is going through the book of John. It is amazing the insight you can get from hearing what other people have to say about a certain book or chapter. My other group is doing a Beth Moore bible study, which is also a good way to make it interesting. Thanks for the great suggestions! |
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Well, I listen to the Bible!
I have the 66 books NLT version in my IPod and it is incredible. I love it! I still read it, but I listen to it more than I read it. There is something about closing my eyes and listening to what the Bible is saying. It is specially awesome if you have a visual mind like I do. For example, I love to hear the story of Jesus and Peter walking on water. I can actually picture Jesus carrying Peter back to the boat. "The same way He carries me when my faith is weak."
Lourdes
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| Wowieayyy. ... For once I have to agree totally with Kathy's blog. Well said Kathy. I have nothing to add to this other than get a Strong's and use it at the same time. |
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| Oh, I'd also add use the free program the Electronic Sword of the Lord. |
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Good post. I appreciate the points about a reading journal. I'm always running up against verses I want to mark, but underlining them doesn't help me much without flipping through my Bible to find it. I'll implement this from now on.
Just a thought on a few things.
1) As far as approaching the Bible as a crystal ball or fortune cookie, this can be a signal of spiritual laziness. No where in the Bible are we told to flip through it and demand an encouraging word. Rather, we are told to pour over the Bible night and day to discern the Will of God. Not approaching the Bible from this way can be a sign of spiritual arrogance, telling God that we will not give Him that time, but demand from Him a word when we want it. I'm glad to see that this method is not endorsed here.
2) Deb, I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble with Numbers. This used to be my case as well, but on my latest read-through, it quickly became one of my favorite books. I encourage you to look for Christ throughout the book (He's everywhere) and to also approach Numbers as a book written about the people of God in the wilderness. When you apply it to your own wilderness (our life until Christ returns), it makes it more personal and will hopefully open it up. I also recommend commentaries on these books, such as Andrew Bonar on Leviticus. It will open your eyes to a Bible you never knew existed.
3) Allistair Begg once preached on the daily discipline of Bible study and prayer and mentioned that those that attempt to make Bible reading spontaneous rarely don't read it at all. This was the case in my own life. I tended to think any sort of discipline would become dry and boring quickly, choosing instead to pick up my Bible whenever I felt like it. The problem was, I never felt like it! Allistair instead suggests that when you approach the Bible, you do it at the same time, same place, and same pattern everyday. This may sound boring, but unless you make it a point to sit down, stare at a wall, and know what you are going to read before you start, you'll flip open the Bible and be lost. This has worked in my own life, as I originally only had thirty minutes in the morning. So, I commited to reading through the Bible, start to finish, for fifteen minutes a day. Then, I stop at fifteen minutes, and spend fifteen minutes in prayer. I made it a point to stop at fifteen minutes each in order that neither would get priority. I began this way in November, have almost finished through the Bible, and it is now a way of life for me. I miss it when I don't do it, not because of guilt, but because I want to know God.
Ultimately, we should not approach the Bible in order to see "what we can get out of it" because most days you may be disappointed. Rather, we should approach the Bible as if we had just discovered our father's diary while going through his attic. The Bible is God's glimpse into His own Nature, given to us to know. And every book in the Bible is for common people. Do not relegate books like Hebrews and Leviticus to seminary students.
Grace & Peace
Barrett |
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Kathy |
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June 12, 2007 at 4:05pm |
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Davethepastor, Brother Patrick, Bestemor, Sue, Crystal, Deb, Lourdes, Recon, Reformed: Thanks for sharing what works best for you. Our preferences are varied like our personalities, and your ideas will appeal to some readers more than mine will! We all have the same goal of being in the Word, but we must find what works best for our lives.
I like the different versions idea, especially when reading familiar passages, because those are the ones we tend to gloss over most, thinking we already know all about them. The topical method is great also for certain tasks like sermon preparation or writing a blog, although it's best combined with linear reading, to be sure we're being exposed to all the Bible. (Sue, I know you're doing this, from your link!)
Reformed, I am very familiar with the "same place, same time, everyday" strategy, and I'm glad you have found that to work well for you. It's not my preferred strategy for the same reason the "1-year through" method isn't. It's too regimented for me. Too much of a chore. Too time confining. I may be more of a studier than a reader, and I need an open-ended block of time, so I can lose myself in my studies. I don't think I would be able to read without a pencil in my hand!
Then there's Lourdes who prefers to listen. I have to read and reread and take notes, but for some of you, what better use for an ipod?! So we celebrate our differences! Same goal: getting into the Word. Different Strategies.
Recon, I'm honored you like this blog! :) Thanks for the reminder of the value of a good concordance and the availability of some great resources on-line.
GrowingInFaith, Deb, and Dark Knight (aka Batman), thank you for sharing your experiences! Jen and Mike, thankfully I can relate! Mike, thanks for the laugh! I hope your reading today was wonderful!
May we all keep reading, in our own preferred ways! :) |
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Hi Kathy, thanks for this great blog! Fascinating!!
Well, everyone else is sharing what works for them, I may as well too. I have used the same version for the last 20+ years, the NIV. This is b/c I believe all other versions came from tainted manuscripts and are from the devil. ...no, I'm just kidding. I very much like the approach used to translate it.
Before I made the commitment to study God's Word daily (mornings), it was pretty dry to me too. But there's just something about getting together with our Almighty Father each morning that makes the bible come alive to me! I read through a book at a time, which I find helps keep everything in context. I also use Wiersbe's commentaries often.
Star! ~mike |
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Kathy |
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June 12, 2007 at 4:36pm |
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| lol Mike! Thank you for saying you were just kidding!!! I was just about to shout "No, No, No, Mike!!!" I usually carry my NIV to church, but I do most of my personal reading from the RSV. There are several good translations. |
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Jordan |
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June 13, 2007 at 2:42pm |
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| The Lord invites us to rest in Him. Most of the time when I sit down with my Bible, I feel much peace. Idk something about joining Him in a Bible study that just quenches my thirst! Thanks Kathy, we are much alike :). |
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Brian |
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June 13, 2007 at 4:50pm |
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| I am a Catholic and so I have a slightly different method of reading scriptures. I like to read the various books of the Bible from beginning to end but I find that the scriptures make more sense when seen in relationship to other passages which explore a similar theme. Catholics celebrate the Mass each day and so there are bible readings each day to meditate on. There are three reading each day. An epistle, an old testament reading, the gospel as well as a psalm. Often the passages relate to each other. For those who want to go even deeper there is the Liturgy of the Hours which priests, monks and nuns read and pray.. These sanctify the hours of the day with ample scripture. There are also commentaries on the scriptures from church fathers or other church writers which helps in the interpretation of scriptures. All that said it is still very important at times particularly with the history books to read them right through. that way the narrative continuity is kept. Obviously the most important thing is just to read the Bible for it is Gods word. |
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Kathy |
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June 13, 2007 at 8:20pm |
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Hi Brian! Welcome to MyChurch! So nice to meet you! Mitzi and Jordan, thank you for your comments! Jordan, I like your spirit!
All your methods are great. Topical/thematic studies, CDs, liturgies . . . You can't go wrong if you are reading (or listening) to the Bible. I challenge us all, though, regardless of preferred methodologies, that we also incorporate reading all the way through the individual books of the Bible. Otherwise, we are missing so much. There are parts of the Bible we never read or hear; and we don't get the picture of how everything is tied together. Give it a try with just one book, and see if it doesn't add a whole new dimension for you! (I know most of you are doing this!) |
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| Again, this is a good point. We must be whole Bible Christians to even have an inkling of what is going on. |
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Jordan |
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June 13, 2007 at 9:56pm |
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| well i'm glad you like it because you'll be seeing more of it! |
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Karl K |
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June 14, 2007 at 8:52am |
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Hi Kathy! Good blog! I usually begin my time with God in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to lead me to what He would have me read for the day. I am a firm believer that we can hear God's still small voice speaking to us.
Back in 1988 I had reached the point where I felt I just wasn't getting enough from my Bible reading times ( I had used devotional books, yearly reading plans, etc.). I attended a fellowship where the pastor (a woman named Ellie) always seemed to have the most fresh and relevant words for our group. I asked her how it came to be, and she told me that she had begun hearing the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit after withdrawing and spending time in fasting and prayer. She said that the voice of the Spirit would lead her to where she should read.
I longed for the same experience, so I ended up going on a personal retreat out in the country, staying in a friend's camper. On the second day of my fast, while I was in bed early in the morning, a scripture heading came to mind, and it just wouldn't go away. I decide to get up out of bed and look it up. I found the verse and wrote it down. By itself, it didn't mean much, so I waited on God in my bed. After a short time another scripture heading (book, chapter and verse) popped into my mind. I wasn't even sure there were that many chapters or verses in that book, but I got up to look it up, and there really was a verse in that location. I wrote that one down, as it seemed to fit in with the other verse. This happened about 8 more times. When all was said and done the verses came together to from a teaching about seeking first God's kingdom v.s. seeking material gain. This was at a time when the Christian prosperity message was very popular.
Since then I have waited upon the Lord in prayer (sometimes for up to an hour) until a scripture reference comes into my mind. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will lead me to a word in my Bible concordance, and at other times He will impress me to look at the center reference column in my study Bible for where to go next.
Many times, the verses I have been led to have become just an appetizer for something I end up researching more deeply through my concordance, Bible dictionary or other Christian books.
My daily studies usually consist of about 10-20 verses that the Lord has led me to. I have been amazed at how they always seem to fit together so well - and how a clear theme emerges from the combination of verses.
Here's what I was led to today:
Those Who Share & Teach God's Word Should Receive Material Support & Encouragement From Those Who Have Benefitted From Their Work.
Matthew 10:10
1 Corinthians 9:13-14
1 Timothy 5:17-18
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
1 Corinthians 9:7-11
1 Corinthians 3:8
2 Timothy 2:6
Romans 15:27
Galatians 6:6
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Kathy |
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June 14, 2007 at 9:45am |
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Thank you, Karl. Certainly as Christians the Holy Spirit must be a part of our Bible reading, and I commend you for doing the one thing so many miss in seeking His guidance: completely clearing our minds (no computer screen, no tv, no multi-tasking, no talking) and giving Him an untimed chance to speak to us!
The Holy Spirit leads us in any number of ways to the Scripture passages we need for the moment, whether for a sermon, a response to someone else, a personal crisis, etc. Still, I challenge everyone just as I challenge myself, that in addition to all our other methods of Bible reading, we also choose one book of the Bible and read straight through it. This gives us, in addition to the spiritual answer we are seeking today, a basis for a well-rounded understanding of the Bible as a whole. Something very important I think the Church is losing. The Bible is infinitely rich with all kinds of writings: spiritual, historical, philosophical, even shocking; much of which we miss because we often seek only the personal lesson segments. (This makes perfect sense in a church setting with such limited time.) Read through an entire book of the Bible (then another and another), and be blessed beyond your imagination! |
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Kathy |
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June 14, 2007 at 6:33pm |
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| Hi Deb. I checked Jacob's Well, Christian Book Distributors, and Amazon, but didn't find a Bible with that title. Hopefully Crystal will come back, or you could send her a message. Maybe it's out of print, or maybe it has a different title. |
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Kathy |
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June 15, 2007 at 5:20pm |
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Here's an example of the great literature you miss when you don't read entire books at a time. (I just read this!):
When David was king of Israel, a man named Sheba started a revolt against David, and Joab, the commander of Israel's army set out with his men to find Sheba. They came to the city of Abel where Sheba was staying, and they began battering the city wall to knock it down and attack the city. A woman stopped them and begged them to save the city. "Then give us Sheba," Joab answered. "He's really the only one we want." The woman replied that they would throw his head over the wall to him, and they cut off Sheba's head and threw it over the wall! (2 Sam. 20)
lol - How many devotions or lessons have you heard from that Scripture? |
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Kathy & All.... Great post! And great answers everyone. Personally, I'm one of those high-level-of-commitment type guys who just gut it out... no matter what it takes, how much it hurts, or how far I get each day... in that 5 minutes a day. LOLLL. Actually, there's more truth to that statement than I care to admit. Seriously, years ago, I started on just 5 minutes a day... and checked off the chapters & books as I went. And they really DID add up, over time. And eventually, in doing so, I've realized I enjoy it much more than I ever thought I would. For years, I read the NT every year. And now I follow the One Year Bible plan... a little OT and a little NT daily. And I make notes in the margin along the way... occasionally humorous notes. And next year I get to smile all over again. **smile**
Anyway... HERE'S THE REAL GEM IN THIS COMMENT... I just ran across an INNOVATIVE method for getting the job done. LOL. [Sorry we can't embed html here into comments, but a quick click to the link will do the trick almost as well.] |
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Kathy |
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June 16, 2007 at 7:45pm |
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| Hilarious video, IndyChristian! I wonder if Jacob's Well stocks that Bible! Sword? Voice? |
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Julia |
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June 18, 2007 at 5:09am |
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| Thank you Kathy for pointing out what should be the obvious. I used to just open the bible and study wherever my hands fell, but soon discovered it was not satisfying, nor fulfilling. Our bodies need nurishment based on a healthy diet plan...it is not a healthy habit to only eat what we blindly grab by chance out of the pantry, and so it should only make sense that the way we nourish our souls should be planned in a healthy manner as well. |
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One thing that has been helpful for me re the One Year Bible plan, is that I participate in a weekly men's breakfast group that is committed to doing it as well. It's a great concept. Part of our breakfast time together then consists of going around the table asking which part of the week's reading spoke something special to each of us. It's like anything else you really want to accomplish -- doing it as a team not only ensures success, but makes it much more fun & fulfulling along the way. |
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Kathy |
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June 18, 2007 at 5:25pm |
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Julia, why is it often the most obvious things we all tend to overlook?! Thanks for your thoughts!
IndyChristian, you bring up another extremely valuable resource for Bible Study: each other! If you are fortunate enough to be a part of a group that is committed to the the reading, that accountability and sharing is invaluable! I have been in groups like that at different times in my life, and would love to find that now! The last couple of times I tried this, the groups would meet, but the members would apologize for being too busy to do the reading . . . God bless your prayer group! |
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| It is dot the reading that is the hard part try living like JOB the whole book itis a short one and the best is at the end. Live waithin on your blessings. the more youare able to live like Jobe the better the blessings. |
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| I find myself nodding in agreement when i read your blogs, and then there are so many comments, i often don't comment myself, but know that I appreciate your writing, Kathy! Thank you so much for the healthy reminders. I've been wondering why I've been struggling lately with reading and quiet time with God, and you helped me see what pattern I'd slipped into and reminded me what had worked better for me before. I get surprised how often I forget lessons I thought I'd learned. That's what makes the Body of Christ so valuable- encouraging one another. Thanks again! MB |
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Kathy |
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June 21, 2007 at 10:01am |
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Thanks, Valerie. Yes, living out the Christian journey can be a challenge, hopefully made a little easier if we are consistently studying the Word. Thank you so much for all your comments!
Thank you, Mary Beth. I always appreciate your responses and hope you will continue to share your thoughts! It helps the rest of us! |
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| Wow! What an awesome well put together Blog. I also have enjoyed reading others comments as to how they best digest the Word. I myself in December was having a difficult time reading the word and I had told a friend of mine at church about it. She discussed it with a co worker at the Christian bookstore, Footprints, that she works at and her co worker suggested that I do what she and her daughter did. They listened to the Bible on CD at night. When they got ready for bed they would lie down and put on their headphones and listen to the word as they fell asleep and slept. I decided to try as I was really struggling to read the Word. WOW how much it worked and helped me get over that bump in my reading the Bible. I started this in December 2006 and I have made it all the way through the New Testament. I have not CD for the Old Testament but God is really helping me thus far without the use of the CD at night. Praise God! I am currently on Gensis 31 (read Genesis 26-30 in the hopsital ER with my son today as we waited to be see by the doctor). I think it is great to have different Ideas as we are all unique and made differently so all of these ideas placed here for others to read is great so that others can try diffrent strategies. Ultimately the goal is to renew our minds daily in the Word of God! God bless you all my brothers and sister with much love! :) |
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Kathy |
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June 22, 2007 at 7:48am |
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| Hi His Sheep! You and I are practically next-door neighbors! It's nice to meet someone so close! Thank you for sharing your experience! |
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kaki |
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June 23, 2007 at 12:04am |
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| I love to be your friend and I love Jeus Christ and love to read more bible and to know more about jesus christ. |
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| That's awsome. I'm just now getting into reading the bible MORE, and reading all the way through a single book at a time makes sense to me. |
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Kathy |
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June 24, 2007 at 2:19pm |
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| Kaki, I am happy to be among your friends! Garrick, welcome to MyChurch! Thank you for your comments! I look forward to getting to know you both! |
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Lora |
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July 05, 2007 at 8:52pm |
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Kathy, thanks for this blog!! Between this one and Mike n Laura's, I decided I've got to read and study the Bible more often, not just reading Christian books about what's in the Bible! I had decided a few months ago to read and study one book of the Bible at a time, just like your preferred method. Well, I did one, and I'm not sure what happened after that!! I do suffer from acute "mommyitis" though....
This time, I started today thanks to your blog...started Amos (one of the few books I haven't read all the way through). I journaled my thoughts, questions, etc. like you suggested. And I was blessed by the process and learned alot!!
Julia, I loved your analogy! Here is Julia's comment: | "Our bodies need nurishment based on a healthy diet plan...it is not a healthy habit to only eat what we blindly grab by chance out of the pantry, and so it should only make sense that the way we nourish our souls should be planned in a healthy manner as well." |  |
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Kathy |
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July 06, 2007 at 6:37am |
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| Yay Lora!!! The hardest part is just getting started reading a new book. Once I get started, I look forward to continuing, but I can procrastinate that first chapter for a while! And the journaling really adds a lot to my study! It's been a while since I read Amos. Maybe we'll get to read a blog about it soon! |
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Hmm when I read the bible, I get rather bored period, but when I read a devotion, I get excited. I always am like WHEN IS GOING TO END!?
I've only read through one chapter throughly and that was Matthew writting a ton of questions, what it means to me reflection on the whole chapter. You know usual stuff. But I still get bored and you're right it does feel like a chore. So, I prefer to read devotions and if they have a verse I write it down if it means a lot to me, I have a little notebook with many verses in it, i read it over each night or when I need to feel a little less uneasy or stressed. Stuff like that.
If a verse is in the devotion, I also read the whole chapter in which it came from. Usually if its from Pslam, Proverbs or any of the Advice ones, usually I feel like I must read on, my thirst for knowledge of my Lord is there. But if its about the Fathers of Prophets how the nation came to be... that is usually when I get bored, since i've been taught that stuff since I was 2 years old. You know the History. If I already know, why read it again... I want to read something new and come back to it later.
Although I think I might take the first advice read one chapter of the bible and move on to the next one, because it seemed to work rather nicely when I did that for Matthew. |
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Kathy |
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July 17, 2007 at 7:46am |
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Hi Sarah Elizabeth! Thank you for sharing your thoughts! You said:
But if its about the Fathers of Prophets how the nation came to be... that is usually when I get bored, since i've been taught that stuff since I was 2 years old. You know the History. If I already know, why read it again... I want to read something new . . .
Thank you for sharing this. I think you speak for many Christians of all ages! But here's the thing: In our churches we have heard certain stories over and over and over, but we most of the Bible we have never heard, unless we have read it on our own, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book. We all think we know the Bible, but it is filled with stories we have never heard and nuances and connections we have never seen or made.
Take the challenge, Sarah Elizabeth: Read straight through one book of your choice. Maybe John or one on the gospels. Maybe Genesis. Maybe one of the very short books like Ruth, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, or 1&2&3 John. Read from a version with understandable language. And come back to let us know if it made any difference for you, and maybe to inspire others to join in on the challenge! Devotionals are good though. Keep up whatever is enjoyable to you in spending time with God! God bless you, Sarah Elizabeth, and thanks for speaking for so many! |
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A couple of variations on this excellent theme...
You got it exactly right - the only problem with "reading the Bible in a year" is that if you take 13 months, you feel like you failed, when the truth is, of course, that you've joined the minority of Christians who have read the Bible from cover to cover at least once. When I "read the Bible in a year", it only took me two and a half years, and even though I've been a frequent participant in the Disciple Bible study (reading about 80 percent of the Bible, like, 9 or 10 times), there were things that I know I'd NEVER seen before.
And this brings up some more truths...
I see different things when I read the same scripture at different speeds. I'm about halfway through a study of John with a men's prayer group, and we've been reading together for about six months. In the 34-week Disciple Bible study, we read John in two weeks. My wife and I will be co-leading an 11-week study of John this fall, and that's yet another speed, so I'll probably see different things yet again.
I see different things when I read the same scripture, depending on where I started and where I stopped. Last week, my men's prayer group moved from John 9 (with Jesus talking to the Pharisees about being blind) to John 10 (about the Good Shepherd, and the hired hands who aren't especially good shepherds). That was different from the usual "parachuting into John 10".
Maybe the most extreme case of "what you read affects what you see" I''ve noticed is Luke 15, where reading any one of the "lost" passages is different than reading all three of them togther, and where reading the "lost son" passage as one of the three "lost something" passages is different from reading it and the "older son" passage back to back.
When you talked about reading one book straight through, it's worth noticing that some books BEG to be read aloud, straight through - any of the gospels, or any of Paul's letters. Many modern Christians don't do this, especially when reading alone, but it's worth noticing that reading silently is a fairly new trend, and when books were rare and so was literacy, it was downright rude not to share by reading aloud when you read the Bible...
The Bible was just a very interesting book to me until I heard the Gotton Patch paraphrase of Paul's letters, read aloud, and heard Paul's passion and frustration at the church in Galatia and the people who had followed Paul to Galatia and said, roughly, "oh, Paul told you about Jesus? That's great, but there are some things he tends to leave out. Did he mention circumcision? Of course you'll want to be circumcised, too - Jesus was..."
Christ lives in you,
Spencer |
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Kathy |
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August 23, 2007 at 6:13pm |
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Thank you, Spencer! You make some excellent points! This one especially resonated with me:
"I see different things when I read the same scripture at different speeds."
This is so true. There is a place and time for deep deliberate study, and there is a place and time for continuing the flow of the reading. We reap bountifully but differently from each. Thank you for adding your thoughts to this blog! |
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Brent |
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October 21, 2007 at 12:49am |
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Kathy, thanks for directing me here from another blog of yours. I so agree with those who say Bible reading is a chore when trying to do it for others. We have all heard we should read and pray every morning or if not then sometime. These are good things to do, essential even. But the motivation to do so should be to get to know your best friend more rather than checking a square. Jesus is the only friend I have that has never let me down, has loved me in the good and bad times and Who I can totally put my trust in. The more I realize this, the more I am motivated to learn more about Him. I have a couple of comments. First, I have confessed to God before that I don't want to read and pray. I ask him for motivation or to show me if there is something in the way of communion with Him. After all, he knows my deepest thoughts, why try to fake it before God? I started reading all the way through a book like Philipians every day for a month. How can Philipians be fresh and new for 30 days in a row? I don't know, but it is. I realize everyone is going to be motiviated differently, but this has worked for me. Grace & Peace! Your brother in Christ, Brent |
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