Why I won’t read through the Bible this year

Over the last few days I have heard of a handful of “read through the Bible in a year” plans floating around. I am grateful for the people who put these plans together and know that they will serve many.

I’m just not going to use any of them.

Why not, you ask? For two main reasons:

1. The Bible commends Scripture meditation more than Scripture reading.

2. I will be doing significant Bible study as part of the seminary classes I am taking and the Adult Bible Fellowship I am a part of.

Soaking in Scripture

Over a Christmas visit, my father-in-law introduced me to Cranberry Zinger hot tea. This excellent concoction was made better by a little trick: steeping the water in two tea bags instead of one. Doubly exposed to the tea leaves, the water took on the characteristics of the tea like a chameleon on a rock.

Scripture meditation serves the same purpose. Instead of merely reading over a text once or twice and barely being affected by it, meditation allows one to soak in the words and be shaped by them. If we are to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly (Col 3:16), we must actively think through the text, mulling it over in our minds. Charles Spurgeon says it well:

“Some people like to read so many chapters every day. I would not dissuade them from the practice, but I would rather lay my soul asoak in half a dozen verses all day than I would, as it were, rinse my hand in several chapters.”

What does it mean to “lay one’s soul asoak,” i.e., meditate? Christian meditation — unlike its Eastern mysticism counterpart — is not the act of emptying one’s mind, but of filling it with truth. In meditation, we seek to replace false thoughts about God and evil desires with truthful thinking that aligns with God’s purposes.

As we do this, the meditations of our heart and the words of our mouth will be increasingly pleasing to God (Psalm 19:14) as he transforms us through mind renewal (Rom 12:2).

A Note of Caution

Scripture meditation is most effective when you have a solid grasp of the overall storyline of Scripture. There is a danger in meditating over smaller chunks of the Bible of thinking wrongly because you miss the big picture.

Thus, I do seek to get through large portions of Scripture, and over a period of a few years I will probably read through all of it. I just want to grasp and be shaped by what I am reading, instead of quickly passing over the words as if I were reading a high school biology textbook.

Clearly, reading and meditation are not opposed to each other. If you don’t have a good grasp of the storyline, you may want to make a goal of reading through all of Scripture over this year. Too often though, Bible reading plans turn into a checklist to be completed, instead of life-giving words to be absorbed. Feelings of guilt can needlessly plague people trying to keep up with a schedule God does not mandate.

Studying Scripture

The second reason I won’t read through the Bible this year, is because I will devote significant time to studying it and discussing it with others. If I am to rightly divide God’s Word (2 Tim 2:15) and rightly apply it, I must first rightly understand it.

Right understanding will not come by merely reading the Bible for 20 minutes and then tucking it away on a shelf until the next morning. Right understanding will come when you take time to consider the main points an author is making. Right understanding will come when you ask what you learn about God, His plan in history and His Son, Jesus Christ from the text.

Right understanding will come when you discuss your findings with others who are doing the same type of study you are. This is key: God has designed His people to live in community with each other. When we only read Scripture and don’t talk about it with others, we deprive them and ourselves of the rich and edifying conversation that could take place.

Shaped by Scripture

Bible reading plans are great: one year I may use one. But not this year.

God gives us His Word so that we may be conformed to the Word, Jesus Christ. To further that purpose this year, I’ll focus on meditating and studying a few books of the Bible instead of merely reading through all of them. For God is more concerned with us displaying His character than He is with us reading every page of Scripture in a year.