Read Through the Bible

The purpose of reading the entire Bible is to understand passages within the context of the whole Word of God. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16-17,

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (NIV). 

If you haven’t read the entire Bible, you will be handicapped in understanding the whole counsel of God. Comparing it to reading a novel. . . if you chose to skip the first 100 pages, then read a few chapters, but skipped every other chapter thereafter. . . you would be limited in your understanding of the plot and of key events - even limited in your understanding of characters. The same is true with the Bible. If you’ve read the whole Bible, you will better understand a passage (or a book of the Bible) if you can read it in the context of the book as a whole. I would challenge you to read through the whole Bible and to make it a priority!

Tips to enhance your reading through the Bible:

• Keep a notebook of the general themes of each chapter you read. Then write a 1 to 2 sentence summary for each book.
• Record important people and themes that you would like to go back and study in more detail. Include a reference to the book, chapter, and verse(s) so that you have a starting point for your study.
• Write your questions down as you read on a loose piece of paper. Then watch for answers as you read further and record the answer next to the question. You will be amazed at how many questions God answers as you continue in your reading!
• Don't get hung up on understanding every detail you read. Trust that God will reveal to you what you need to know at this point in your faith.
• Commit to recommit! It's human nature to miss a day or two of reading your Bible. Unfortunately though a day often turns into a week, a week into a month, and a month into a year. Don't beat yourself down if you miss a day. Instead commit to resume your study the next day.

Join others who are reading through the Bible in a year!