TheoThoughts

I confess, I have a love-hate relationship with checking boxes. On one hand, it gives a sense of accomplishment as I find with the logistics of event planning I have to do for my job. And who doesn’t love checking off that fun item from their bucket list?

But on the other hand, it’s a symbol of routine, something that needs to be done even though we’d rather not do it. Sadly, I held this perspective when it comes to Bible reading plans. So I wanted to share my own journey and change of heart, not as a prescription, but hopefully encouragement to those who share similar views.

I’ve been a student of Scripture for many, many years. From day one, back as a freshman in college in 1982 when I came to Christ, no one had to tell me to read the Bible. Before I even knew 2 Timothy 3:16, I instinctively knew that the Bible is how we learn about God, his character, his work, and his commands. Unfortunately, after a few years of zealous following, I embarked on a 13 year rebellious period from 1986-1999 (more about that here). When the Lord drew this prodigal home, the very first thing I did was go directly to the Bible. I even went to seminary in 2008 and earned a ThM!

So I write this as one who has a firm, strong commitment to learning Scripture, to knowing what thus has said the Lord. In the past 15 years, or so, I’ve had the conviction that knowing the narrative of Scripture is just as much, if not more, important, than random Bible versus. The compilation of 66 books tell a cohesive story of God’s creation, his plan for it, and rescue of it through his Son. We learn what salvation means! So I’ve been a strong advocate for understanding Scripture in context of each book, its genre and where it fits into the redemptive-historical narrative.

Yet, when it came to Bible reading plans, I felt that it was nothing more than just checking boxes. I wasn’t having it. What is more important, is to understand what God did and what he has said. Scripture communicates his character and will to us. Rather than checking a box to say “I’ve read this” and meeting timeline goals, it I considered it more to be absorbed in the word of God and let it read you. That won’t necessarily be accomplished with meeting the logistics of a reading plan.

I learned I was wrong.

A few years ago, I found myself floundering in reading, especially after the disorientation of pandemic shuttering. It became haphazard and too random. I’d pick a book or two of interest. At times, I would not even finish it, to go to the next book. I still maintained the conviction that daily reading was important, that studying the word is a vital activity for the Christian. But the chaos of discombobulated reading, missed days and unstructured study, began to take a toll. I tried the M’Cheyne reading plan in 2022 but quickly abandoned it.

Then in 2023, I decided to try a chronological plan. I had already started reading Genesis around mid-December of 2022, so it made sense to put some structure to the continued read. Plus, reading the Bible chronologically fit my deeply held conviction that it must be understood as a whole story.

Since I already had the YouVersion app, I selected the Tyndale plan. To my amazement, I  actually finished it by the year end and did the same plan all over again in 2024. I loved how it matched up the historical events across books, including the prophets’ insertions into the OT narrative. Same with the gospel narratives. Now keep  in mind I have been to seminary, so studying the chronological events was not new to me. But there was something about seeing everything fit along the narrative’s progression, with fresh eyes, that just compelled me to keep going.

I admit that there was some motivation to keep up, make sure I stay on track or at least not get too far behind. I appreciated how the app makes it easier to gauge progress than simply following a paper version. Were there days that it “felt” like checking a box to do so? Absolutely! Were there days, I was just trying to make sure I didn’t fall too far behind? Yes.

But here is what I discovered. I was in the word pretty much every day. I was encouraged to think about how what I was reading fit into the overall trajectory of Scripture. I was being confronted by what it said, even when on those days it felt more routine than anything else. And this is what we want isn’t it?

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb. 4:12)

Now understood in context, that passage in Hebrews is more than just about the Bible, but its inextricable link to the supremacy of Christ and what God has done through him (refer to the book’s opening in the first few verses). When we open the word of God, we see Jesus and God’s plan through him, even when we don’t feel motivated or our hearts are not as enthusiastic to engage in a reading exercise.

So now that we are in 2025, I have selected different chronological plan that doesn’t break up the passages so much to match every nuance of the historical timeline. Maybe that won’t work for you, but some plan will. My encouragement is to dive in and stick to it, even when you don’t feel like. You’ll be amazed at what God can do in your heart.