Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Personal Bible Reading for 2013




For as long as I can remember there were Christians around me who began a bible reading schedule at the beginning of each year. I am one such Christian. It is a good and godly habit and one that can produce good fruit in a person's life. However, one must delight and meditate in the scripture. Psalm 1 eloquently brings us to this truth with its portrait of the godly person and the fruitful tree. 

Ps 1:1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 
Ps 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 
Ps 1:3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. 
Ps 1:4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 
Ps 1:5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 
Ps 1:6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish. 

The word "meditates" is striking, meaning "to read in an undertone." Implying that as this one is reading the text he is speaking it quietly to himself. This reader is intentional, trying to pick up everything he or she can from the Bible. 

Another striking word is "delight." That is, the godly man gets joy from obeying the word of God.This reminds me of the way I delight in my wife's chicken enchiladas. When I hear those two golden words I fill up with joy and it intensifies as I eat them. However, I admit, I have not always delighted in knowing/living scripture nor in her chicken enchiladas. This love is learned. This love is progressive and living, it can grow strong or be choked out by other appetites. 

If the love is not choked out, it continues “day and night” (v 2) and the results are quite noticeable. Verse 3 gives us the picture of a flourishing tree. One that is securely planted near a constant flowing necessity for life, water. This tree is alive and flourishing, you might say a typical fruit tree. A tree that produces a specific fruit, thus making it valuable to its owner. A tree that doesn't produce all fruit all the time. But it does have the fruit it is designed to produce, according to its season. Further, this grand tree does not wane, its leaves remain green and lush and able. 

Dear reader, are you like this tree? If not, do you actually love God's Word? Does it cause joy to fill your soul? Do you want to read it intentionally to live out its words? Perhaps, you need to learn to love the Bible. One develops a love for the Bible no different than any other book, just read it. You'll find yourself reading it over and again, going back to passages and verses you marked. 

Of chief importance is that you delight and meditate in the word of God. Unfortunately, it is easy to take too much too quickly and forget to really meditate on it and let it change you. I've talked to many people whom I've encouraged to read it through in one year who indicated that they had read it but did not understand it. Thus, I highly suggest doing two things. First, get a good copy of the Bible. Get one that you admire, the text should be printed to suit you and in a version that is easy for you to read. There are many good ones available, the NASB, NET, NIV, ESV are some excellent choices for English readers. Second, get a plan. You do not have to read through the Bible in one year or two years. Clearly, Psalm 1 indicates two actions, that are vital. We must delight in the scripture and we must meditate in the scripture. For beginners these two are especially important. 

Now regarding your plan, there are numerous reading plans available. If you want a good one for reading it through in one year, I like the Discipleship Journal’s plan, it is free, click here. Also, take a look at Brandon Jones' recent post at his blog, he offers a 3 step plan that is very good, click here to read it. And lastly, for what it is worth, one of the greatest years of bible reading that I had was in 2004. My daily reading was focused primarily on the book of Ephesians and I found something new for my delight and meditation very often. Start small. Aim to read daily. Let it change your soul. 



  • For "meditates" (Ps 1:2) the following lexicon is cited above,  Ludwig Koehler, Walter Baumgartner, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Accordance 10.1.2, 2012). 
  • On "delight" (Ps 1:2) the nuance of  "obeying the word" is paraphrased from The NET Bible, Psalm 1:2, fn # 10 (Accordance 10.1.2, 2012).