Bible reading through the years....

Create, by Shanna Noe

My Bible reading has taken on different characteristics and flavors through the years. I'm reading a chronological Bible plan right now.  If you are curious, you can find it here.   Although I follow the sequence, I don't follow the dating.  In fact, I've been in this plan for over 2 years now, but have just made it into the New Testament!  

Through the years I've used a variety of plans--some mixed it up so that I was reading OT, NT, and a psalm or proverb every day.  Most of them had a pace of reading through the entire Bible in a year, a place that I can manage, but find I don't necessarily enjoy.  

I would recommend both and all---it's good to move through the scriptures in a variety of ways.  One time, I spend two months on one chapter of John--John 17.  Of course, that was unusual, but it proved to be a deep well that warranted that much time.

Over the years, I've had different favorite books or sections.  When I was a new Christian, verses were easy to grab onto and that's when I found and held tightly a few key verses:

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." -Hebrews 4:15

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." -Philippians 1:6

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

But after awhile, my sense of "favorites" tended to gravitate toward entire books, such as Romans.  Romans is my favorite book, and I suspect it will always be.  There is no other such sweeping and comprehensive statement of God's plan for man with regard to sin.

Romans 8:28 was a huge revelation for me and still is:

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

How freeing to know that He can use anything for our good and His glory.  Even the very events themselves, though sometimes tragic or sinful, are subject to His higher authority and good.

Another chapter that is dear to me is 1 Corinthians 15.  Although Paul struggles with cohesion and clarity in this passage at times, the truths contained within are such precious treasures.  I love the imagery of seeds dying to grow into something new, the thought that He will redeem us from death and that we cannot fathom what newness will come next.

The Old Testament seemed cumbersome for some years, but then I grew to love Genesis, Exodus, and even, shockingly, Leviticus.  Had someone told me I would enjoy Leviticus years ago I would have doubted it.  But it has taught me that God can take any piece of scripture and make it relevant and fascinating.  Or perhaps it's more than He can choose to take any heart and reveal the inherent beauty of His plan to it. 

Though I've moved away from preferring single verses, there are still I few that anchor my faith profoundly. One is:

For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. -James 2:13

Whenever I'm in doubt about a decision or attitude, it helps me to bump my situation up again that one. The error, if any, should always be on the side of mercy.

Another thing that has changed has been a move from my hard copies of various Bibles to entirely reading online. I love this Bible software, E-Sword, as it allows me easy access to numerous translations, commentaries, and Bible dictionaries. It makes cross referencing effortless. I'm able to float from passage to passage, reference to reference, without the physical page flipping slowing me down.

I used to feel the need to underline, add art to the text and take copious notes. Next, there was a season where I studied the parables in depth, and then several years where I was fascinated with Matthew Henry's commentary on the scriptures and read them thoroughly. Right now, my favorite commentaries (as you will see from the content of this blog are the Bible Knowledge Commentary, the Biblical Illustrator, and the Believer's Commentary.

After over twenty years in the Word though, it's worth noting that my Bible experience keeps shifting and growing. Some aspects of my faith that were easy in my 20's have become hard in my 40's and visa-versa. Earlier, I used to crave others to read with me and keep me accountable, or throw ideas off of. Lately, I no longer feel that need, but enjoy turning things over more in my own spirit. It's always good to talk about the scriptures with others, I just don't feel a need for others to be reading in the same place as me anymore.

For those who never reach this level of intimacy or companionship with His Word, I grieve for them. And not because I believe it's sinful to not read the Bible regularly or anything so legalistic, but because they are missing out on such beauty and truth! His Word is the primary way that He chooses to reveal Himself to us and our world---why would anyone wish to miss out on that?

God is not about depriving or punishing as much as He's about enabling and freeing:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. -John 3:17