When I was a teen, I’d get a sudden burst of inspiration to read through the whole Bible. I’d grab my Bible, open it to Genesis and dive in with enthusiasm. Genesis and Exodus I found particularly interesting, probably because a lot of its contents are covered in the movie The Ten Commandments, so I had a visual aide. (I watch The Ten Commandments every year during Lent.) Then Leviticus would hit and I’d struggle to get through, but I’d muster on. Numbers was a battle between me and my eyes. I was like Marlin in Finding Nemo when he was trying to encourage Dory to “stay awake!” My eyes would blur and glaze over and I’d read the same sentence probably like 10 times, never once grabbing ahold of what I was reading. I’d read the whole book and have no recollection of what I’d just read.
By Deuteronomy, I was stone-cold out: Drool, snores, and everything.
Deuteronomy was my block every. single. time. Once defeated by Deuteronomy, I would leave my Bible sitting by my bedside collecting dust. I wanted so badly to get through it, but I just could not find the joy in reading it. From time to time, I’d dabble in the Gospels, but I felt that was cheating. I really thought that unless I read the Bible from Genesis to Revelations, I was doing a disservice to the Bible. Because reading it out of order is waaaaayyyyy worse than not reading it. LOL! Oh man, our justifications sometimes are astounding.
As the years rolled on, kids came into my life and finding the time to power through the Bible did not happen. Trying to read parts of the Bible while nursing a baby is the perfect recipe for sleep. Trying to read the Bible as a sleep-deprived parent even without nursing thrown in is just as tough. So, my Bible sat, but always in the back of my mind I felt the tug.
In 2011, I was living at Edwards AFB, which is smack-dab in the middle of the Mojave Desert in California. It’s 45-minutes from civilization, so much of the world’s distractions don’t exist…like people…and places to go. I’m kidding. I had friends…a few coyotes and jack rabbits. LOL! I’m KIDDING! I really did have a great community there.
So, one day before church, I’d finished teaching kindergarten CCD for the day and was picking up my classroom. A woman walked in that I was familiar with, but we had never actually spoken to one another before. She came over, smiled, and said, “Here is the Bible Study Guide.” Confused, I looked at her in wonder.
“I’m not sure you have the right person,” I said back to her.
“Oh, didn’t you sign up to do this study guide?”
“Nope. It looks awesome, but I don’t know anything about it.”
“Well, I have this extra one now, so take it,” she said.
“Are you sure? Do I need to pay you?” She wouldn’t let me pay her and off she went. Stunned, I looked down at the Bible Study Guide. It was a guide on how to read the Bible. I knew in that moment that this was no accident and God had brought this moment together.
I went home that night and put on the DVD and it’s weird to say, but I started crying. Here was this guy–Jeff Cavins–telling me that the Bible isn’t designed to be read straight through. I mean, you can, but it’s not a novel and we can’t read it as such. His video guides you through which books follow the chronological books if you want to read those, but explains the genres and contents of the others. It was all so new to me and I felt like I’d been given a key to a treasure box. All this time, I just needed a teacher to show me how.
So, just this year, I finished reading all of the Bible. I started back in 2011 and it’s 2018, so it’s taken me some time. One thing I had to get rid of was my pride. Earlier in my life, I wanted to read the Bible straight through so that I could be viewed as a “good” Christian. I needed to change that, because it’s not good motivation. In 2011, I wanted to read God’s Word and find Him in it. That made a big difference. I didn’t feel like I had to devour it quickly in order to have bragging rights. I could enjoy it and take it a pace that worked with my life. This isn’t to say that we should just read a few words a day to take it at a nice comfortable pace. If we do that, it will end up being read more by the dust bunnies than by us.
So, how do you make it through the Bible? I’m not gonna lie, it can be an intimidating book. What I do know is that it’s a book worth reading. Trust me, I’m not an expert, so the advice I give is from one who has limped along in my journey. I’m sure there are lots of other great tips and advice out there, however, this is what worked for me.
1. Get a Bible Study Guide.
I highly recommend Jeff Cavins’ series because the information he gives about the books of the Bible is necessary. But, there are plenty of good Bible Study Guides out there. Study guides help to understand confusing things and they give historical context, which in the 21st century is a needed thing.
Some people on my Facebook page were suggesting different helps such as:
Bible in a Year from the Augustine Institute
Bible in a Year plan by Meg Hunter Kilmer
2. Learn Lectio Divina.
Lectio Divina is Latin for “divine reading.” What you do is take a small section of the Bible and read it. Then you pick out a part that stands out and prayerfully mediate on it. Then read the section again and just sit for a bit in silence allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you. It’s very helpful.
3. Start with one of the Gospels.
My favorite Gospel is either Luke or John, I can’t decide which one, though. I like Luke’s precise writing and details, but I love the mysterious writing of John. I think John captures more of Christ’s personality, too. I recommend starting with at least one of the Gospels, because, well, we are Christians. I think it just helps to jump-start with Christ.
A couple of other tips that help me are:
a. I listen to Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire Sunday Sermons before church. He has such a great way of explaining the Bible. His command of different languages and his ability to communicate what is going on in a particular passage is unmatched by any other person I have found.
b. I practice the heroic minute. This is where you set your alarm (mine is set for 5:30a.m.) and when it goes off, no hitting the snooze. You get up, thank God for the day and offer it to him. What this allows me to do is be in my house in silence before the day starts off with a bang. I get to read my Magnificat and pray. It sets the tone for the whole day for me. I read God’s word through the Magnificat and get to spend some time talking to Him. The heroic minute was extremely hard at first, but I reminded myself why I’m doing it. I don’t on the weekends, though. Rest is important, too.
c. Be flexible and patient with yourself. If you can only read a chapter, well…great! If you fall asleep, that’s okay. If you have no understanding about what you’re reading, it’s okay. If the kids interrupt, no worries. If you miss a day, just jump back in the next. Life happens and God understands. Don’t set the expectation of reading all of Genesis in one sitting. Read one chapter, pause, think about it, and then go do something else. We often set expectations for ourselves that are impossible to meet and when we don’t meet them, we abandon ship all together. Do what is reasonable and makes sense for your life.
Above all, seek to find God in the pages of the Bible. Some of it is hard to read and some of it needs deciphering. No one sits down in one sitting and fully gets everything in the Bible. If they tell you they did, they are being dishonest. Let God share His story with you and be open to what He has to show you. A woman on my Facebook page left a quote that said, “The Bible is the only book where the author is in love with the reader.” That’s a good thing to keep in mind.
So, crack open those Bibles, read it with your family if that works, but whatever you do, do it to find God.
2 responses to “So, You’ve Struggled To Read Through the Bible? You’re Not Alone.”
I’ve been using an app through my church where You read a couple verses of the Old Testament, New Testament then proverbs and psalms. I’ve enjoyed it so much and have made more progress than I ever have. So glad I also learned that you don’t read it front to back!
Several other people mentioned using something similar that gives them a bit from each Testament, like what you mentioned. That seems like a great way. And why are we not telling everyone to NOT read it front to back. Word needs to spread!