Quality to my Quantity
Have you ever realized partway through the year that there’s something missing from your Bible reading plan?
This year, I decided to see if I could read through the Bible twice. I have been reading the Bible through once every year for about eighteen years now, but I have never read it through twice in a year. This year, with a bit lighter schedule and a few less responsibilities, it seemed like a good time to up my Bible reading goal.
At first, it was wonderful! I began with a goal of 8 chapters a day, but planned on reading more on days I had extra time, so that if there were days when I needed to read a little less, I could without feeling I was falling behind.
As I got started in the book of Genesis, I realized that it might be more helpful to focus on reading in narrative chunks, rather than a certain number of chapters. Perhaps it’s just because I’m a writer, but I found that reading the whole account of Abraham, or Joseph, or the Exodus in one sitting gave me a whole new perspective, and kept me more attentive.
I’m now in the New Testament, and as I zoomed my way through the Gospels, I suddenly realized something was missing: I was reading lots, but I wasn’t taking time to think about what I was reading.
Uh-oh.
I considered reading less chapters at a time, but since it’s the middle of summer, and my schedule has evened out a bit, I decided to add to what I was doing, instead of taking away.
Here are three things I tried that helped me to get back into the habit of thinking instead of just reading.
Scripture Writing
This is something I have always been intrigued by, and although I have never succeeded in keeping up with this for a whole month at a time, I keep a few topical Scripture writing plans on a Pinterest board for when I need to force myself to slow down.
The benefit of writing out passages of the Bible is that it forces us to pay attention to the minutest details. You’d be surprised how much significance there is in simple things like punctuation!
It also helps me remember the passage, and gives me a head start on memorizing. I usually write out verses by hand before memorizing them, to help me remember the details better.
Memorizing
This might seem obvious, but I often “get more” out of a passage when I memorize it.
It’s important to keep my mind engaged in the meaning of the words I’m memorizing, though and not just to go on autopilot when repeating the words.
I often copy down a verse or a passage on an index card or a small piece of paper and take it with me wherever I go. Recently, I found a verse in the pocket of an old coat and found a rumpled index card with a verse on it from my first year of full-time teaching. I had left it there, because every time I reached into the pocket, my hand would find that card, and that verse would spring to mind and encourage me.
Dig in!
Another thing that helps me keep from just skimming over my chapters for the day and then running off to start my day is to do some studying.
Find a word you’re not familiar with? Look it up in a dictionary or Strong’s concordance! Not sure what a passage is talking about? Find a couple good commentaries and see what they think, or, better yet, flip back a few chapters and see what the context is. It’s amazing how much you can learn just from asking questions about what you’re reading!
These things have been helpful in getting me back into the habit of thinking about Scripture as I read it, but the root of the matter is, and always will be, the Holy Spirit.
When I struggle to focus on my Bible reading, or turn it into a hurried rush to check off a box so I can get on with the day, I neglect the whole point of reading in the first place.
You see, the Bible isn’t just a book. Reading it isn’t just an academic exercise. As Hebrews says,
“the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
That word, quick literally means alive. The Bible is alive to us through the Holy Spirit, which works through it to guide us into all truth. (John 16:13)
For the Christian, time spent reading God’s Word should be time spent with God, in which we read, yes, but with a heart expectantly listening for what the Holy Spirit wants to teach us through what we read. Prayer and Bible reading go hand in hand, and often, my time reading the Bible is also a time of talking to God about what I am reading.
When it comes to Bible reading, quantity is good, but quality is crucial. After all, our “time with God” is all about spending time with Him in the first place!