Many people choose to learn about the Bible by starting with Genesis and reading forward until they finish Revelation. The problem with this is most people don’t make it to the end; they often get stuck in some of the Old Testament books and lose interest with who begat whom.
Another problem I’ve heard, especially among non-Christians, is refusal to finish reading the Bible out of frustration with God—typically by the book of Job, where the hardships people faced don’t seem to make much sense. The Bible is so much more than a history or story book. To retain what you read and help it to impact your life, here are some suggestions:
- Read the Bible in a year— There are various places you can find a guide for reading through your Bible in a year. You might find them online, actually in your Bible, a hand-out at church… These programs are generally designed to get you reading both the New and the Old Testament as well as a Psalm. As I’ve stated in my concern above, most people don’t stick with this program either and fizzle out.
- Find a Bible Study group— There are always groups meeting to read and discuss chapters of the Bible. Check out pretty much any church or go online and do a web search for “Christian church (your city)” and see if there is a website that will post meeting times for Bible studies. Not only is this a great way to read the Bible and engage yourself orally, by workbook, and by reading, but it’s also a great opportunity to fellowship with other believers.
- Find a topic that interests you— One of my favorite ways to study the Bible is by finding a topic of interest and using a topical concordance to search for scripture pertaining to it. Not only does the information stick with me, but I end up reading and learning so much more in the process. The thing I’d really like to caution you on is, when going to a specific scripture that comes up by a topic search, it can too often be taken out of context. A person might read a verse that commands something and neglect to read prior where the author explains why, to whom it was commanded for, and for what length of time. It’s one thing to study a subject, but very important to look at the big picture around it.
- Pick up a devotional— Devotionals sometimes contain some good Bible studies as well. I find devotionals better for inspiration and reflection than I do for deep study. If a devotional is what motivates you to open your Bible and read, then go for it.
Whatever method you choose to get you studying the Word, remember to take time to pray seeking the Lord’s direction in your reading.