Spiritual Disciplines
Daily Bible Reading
The Psalmist writes;
"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul, The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight to life."
They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb." (Psalm. 19: 7- 8,10)
All of us become confused. All of us become soiled. All of us grow hungry and thirsty for more of Christ's presence in our lives. Psalm 119 says; "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (v. 105) and in another verse it states, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." (v. 11) The Word of God also acts as a cleansing agent (Eph. 5:26).
Through the daily intake of the Word of God we are enlightened, we are cleansed, and our hunger and thirst are quenched. Daily Bible reading is not just a nice habit, for the disciple it is a necessity!
Daily Bible reading has been compared to taking an airplane flight over a city. You see the whole lay out of the area. You can easily pick out the main features and prominent landmarks but you cannot pick out individuals on the ground or, unless you are quite familiar with the town, specific streets and favourite haunts. So with Bible reading, you can spot issues and themes that are quite obvious, you see the overall results and purposes that God has for His people and all mankind but the finer nuances are not immediately alive to you.
How do I start?
A good question!
If you are a new disciple or you have not read your Bible consistently, it is best to start small. By this I mean start with the small in size books.
The books of John or Mark in the New Testament are traditionally recommended. You may want to go with some of the smaller letters (e.g. Titus, Philemon, 1 John) after that. The Old Testament historical books (Kings, Chronicles, Exodus, Genesis) are recommended for starters too.
Start out reading one chapter a day. If it is a single chapter book read the whole book of course.
Finish one book before starting another.
Vary your reading between books of the two testaments. The most difficult books to interpret are Leviticus and Revelation. You may wish to skip these books until you are well grounded in Biblical understanding. Some of the other books have difficult passages. You can skim read these parts for now.
Remember the purposes of daily Bible reading are general guidance, spiritual cleansing, and refreshment. Instead of reading the four gospels in a row, read one of them and then read another book of the Bible before reading the next gospel.
Mark significant passages in your Bible. What and how you mark really is your choice. What is significant and helpful to you personally is what you are looking for. It will prove to be helpful to others, but daily reading and marking are your dialogue with God!
If you are reluctant to mark your Bible, buy a less expensive paperback copy. Use coloured pencils or markers that will not leak through the paper. Always remember, what is written (said) in the Bible is the Word of God, not the ink and paper it is printed on.