Jesus says in John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Knowing God is eternal life, and the primary means whereby we grow in our knowledge of God is through his self-revelation—the Bible. God’s Word is large, and can be quite a challenge to read. Encouragement from others and using a reading plan can really help you read through the Bible.
In 2014, we are going to start reading together using a reading plan first developed by Robert Murray M’Cheyne. The reading plan involves reading from different portions of the Bible each day. Following this plan, you can read through the entire Bible in one year and Psalms and the New Testament twice (this involves reading both readings in the chart below). Some may prefer to go at a slower pace and use the same plan to read through Psalms and the New Testament every year, and the Old Testament every two years. This involves reading “Reading 1” in 2014, and reading “Reading 2” in 2015.
The following chart contains the readings for first few days in January. The entire plan is available here.
| Date | Reading 1 | Reading 2 |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Genesis 1, Matthew 1 | Ezra 1, Acts 1 |
| January 2 | Genesis 2, Matthew 2 | Ezra 2, Acts 2 |
| January 3 | Genesis 3, Matthew 3 | Ezra 3, Acts 3 |
The Dangers of Reading Plans
There are dangers involved with reading plans. They can become a formality (in which Bible-reading degenerates into a lifeless duty); self-righteousness (we pat ourselves on the back for doing the daily reading and ticking the box); careless reading (we read fast to get it done and don’t tremble at the Word of God); and having the plan becomes a yoke too heavy to bear. If the plan becomes a burden, try doing it in two years rather than one. If you’ve missed many days, read the current days reading rather than trying to catch up. Another time, perhaps a Sunday afternoon, can be used catch up on missed readings. The goal is not to cast a burden on us, but to use the plan as a help to meditate on God and his word. These dangers are real and we must all strive to avoid them.
The Advantages of Reading Plans
Although there are many dangers, the advantages of reading plans outweigh the dangers. Advantages include: reading of the entire Bible in an orderly manner over the course of a year; no wasting of time deciding what portion of Scripture to read each day; improved spiritual conversations between parents and children and between friends when everyone is individually reading the same portions of Scripture; a greater opportunity for pastors to reference passages of the Bible in their praying and preaching and individual conversation with church members who have just read those same passages; the strengthened bond of Christian love and unity among Christians who are reading the Scriptures together; and growth in knowledge of the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).
God has revealed himself so that we might know him, so let us read his word together.