I want to read the bible more. What do I do now?

I wrote the title this way because this does not delineate between new and mature Christians. Every Christian finds themselves occasionally back in a space of life where complacency seeps in and a restart is necessary. The reasons can be endless. You are busy, you are tired, you are bored, you are struggling with bitterness, you are increasingly zealous. Whatever the reason—it is time for a reboot. 

Here are some helps to dive into God’s word: 

Read a readable bible. 

If you walk into a Christian book store, there are a lot of options. So many versions. So many acronyms. It can be confusing. I would start by getting the same version that your church is using (unless your church uses a King James Version—KJV). Typically, modern day churches use the NASB or NIV or ESV or NKJV. But there are plenty of other ones out there. At ACC, I preach from the ESV. But you may be thinking, “Why do you preach from THAT version?” Good question. My answer is a little bit more nuanced, so here we go. I will explain using the chart above. 

The chart (at the top of the article) has on one side the very literal translations, (i.e. the NASB) and on the other side, a paraphrase, (i.e. The Message). What is the difference? Here is an example to help the reader understand. 

Psalm 1:6

Word for Word: “For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly will perish.” (NKJV)

Thought for Thought: “For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.” (NLT)

Paraphrase: “God charts the road you take. The road they take is Skid Row.” (The Message)

Notice the difference? The farther away you get from Word for Word, the more liberties are taken with the interpretation of the text. In general, Word for Word is the most accurate but sometimes difficult to read. In contrast, Paraphrases are often culturally relevant and easy to read, but it often shows its theological bias in its interpretation. Therefore, I use the ESV, because I believe it is both accurate and easy to read. 

Join a bible study, small group or find an accountability partner/mentor. 

The point is that often when we are studying the bible with someone or some group, there is accountability and additional guidance, which helps to sustain a habit. Also, it is just fun to do this with other people! You get to hear their thoughts, their struggles and then realize you are not alone. 

Mirror your devotional time with the preaching series.

I admit this is easier to implement when you attend a church that preaches verse by verse, book by book. Personal bible study parallelling topical series (like a series on The Love of God) is difficult, even for those who are more mature in their spiritual disciplines. But again, if you are able, this will add to your interest/focus on Sunday mornings, because you have already read it or this functions as the primer for your upcoming week. 

Do it consistently. 

Not only does this mean every day (or every other day), but this also means the SAME TIME each day. For me, it is in the early morning. I find that I have the most cognitive clarity between 6 am to 11 am. After that, my mind gets more and more fuzzy. I also understand that some of you are night owls. In one sense, it doesn’t matter. Time in God’s word is vital, no matter what time of day. I will humbly add this though: EVERY CHRISTIAN needs to start their day the right way. Maybe this is a morning prayer walk, listening to a podcast on the way to work or even just 5 minutes going over your prayer list.

Don’t do the Hunt and Peck method. 

If you don’t know what this is, imagine holding your bible in your lap. Then close your eyes. Now open to some part of your bible and start reading there. Every day—repeat. I am not going to say this approach is wrong or foolish, but I am confident there is a better, more strategic way. Remember God spoke through His prophets/apostles. Those instruments of God wrote down His revelation to a particular people for a particular reason. To understand what God is saying, we must understand the context. For example, the reason why the apostle Paul wrote Galatians is different than the reason he wrote 1 Corinthians. I mean—even 1 Corinthians is a lot different than 2 Corinthians. It would be better to pick a book of the bible, study it for a month or two and then move on to another book. 

Commentaries/Study Bibles can be helpful, but also a crutch. 

I use commentaries all the time. These scholars know a lot more than me. But I always do my own study, my own observations FIRST and then seek the insights of a scholar. Why? Because the Holy Spirit talks to me. The bible says that one of the Spirit’s jobs is to illuminate my mind so that I can see and understand spiritual truth. I rob myself of this blessing when I rely completely on humans, rather than the Divine. 

Conclusion

Go and enjoy time with the God of the Universe! It is amazing that these are His words, His truth, His comfort, given to us, His imagebearers. He is waiting for you!