It has been said, by whoever you want to quote at the moment, that “there is only one way to eat an elephant: one bite at a time.” The point is that any task, no matter its level of difficulty, can be tackled bit by bit. Though I’m not sure if they’ve factored in the difficulty of chomping down and digesting an elephant tusk, I digress.
The same principle is at least partially true when it comes to reading the Bible in a year. The best way to do it is to start reading and then keep reading until you’ve read all the words. But you probably would like a little more strategy to this plan. Eating elephants and reading through the whole Bible in a year can be a daunting task. A bit of planning and the usage of a few tools might assist you.
What’s the best way to go about this? Here are a few tips, but first, we need to ask an important question. Why are you doing this?
Why Do You Want to Read through the Bible this Year?
That’s a great question for eating elephants, too. Why exactly have you put upon yourself this task of eating an entire elephant? Even part of an elephant seems rather cruel—and we’re likely to lose our PETA sponsorship just for the suggestion. Eating Dumbo just because it feels like a thing you ought to do hardly seems like a sufficient reason.
That’s the case with the Bible, too. We can guarantee that reading Scripture is far more sanctioned by God than gnawing on the third cousin of Mr. Snuffleupagus. Yet, we still need to ask why we are going about this task. If it’s because you think it will somehow merit you more favor with God, then a good place to start might be the book of Romans, so you can hear the gospel and know that we don’t read the Bible to gain God’s approval.
It's important to know what you hope to get out of this. Why have you picked a year? That’s kind of an arbitrary date on a calendar, isn’t it? This reminds us that this is a great goal to set. You should totally try to accomplish this. But if you happen to read it in 374 days instead of 365, well, you’ve still read through the whole Bible, and that’s awesome. Don’t freak out about the date on the calendar.
You also need to think about what you hope to get out of doing this. If it’s just to simply read it to say that you’ve done it, you can likely go at a faster clip. But if you hope to read it more devotionally, you’ll want to go slower. Do you want to read the New Testament only once or a couple of times? Do you want to read it chronologically? Are you hoping to focus on stories you’ve never read before? What goals do you have for this?
Answering those questions can help you formulate a plan for which Bible reading plan is best for you. But at the end of the day, the best one is really the one that you will finish.
What Makes a Good Bible Reading Plan?
Again, this is a bit like asking which utensil is best for eating an elephant. It really depends on which part of Babar you’re trying to stomach. Likewise, the Bible reading plan that is best for you is the one that fits your personality, familiarity with the Bible, and the amount of time you have each day.
Big picture though, there are a few things that make a good Bible reading plan. First, it needs to be comprehensive. Your goal is to read the whole Bible. That means you don’t want short summaries of sections. You don’t want to just dip your toe into the Psalms—you need a plan to guide you through each one.
At the same time, it needs to be achievable. If you have zero familiarity with the Bible, have difficulty reading, and have somewhat limited time, a plan that has you reading 14 chapters of Leviticus on a Saturday morning may not be the best for you. Acknowledge your limitations. If this is your first journey through it, consider a plan to read the Bible in two years. But if you think that won’t be enough to motivate you, pick a plan that does.
You also need a plan that is going to help you stay connected to God’s Word rather than treating it like a checklist. There are some places in the Bible that are really difficult to trudge through. I know we aren’t supposed to talk that way—but let’s just be honest. And the sections of so and so begat some other so and so, aren’t really meant to be read devotionally. To try to read it like that is to not engage the Bible as it actually was written.
Earlier in the year, Melissa Kruger pointed to a great Bible reading plan that fit her needs perfectly. It was five days per week instead of seven, and it had her reading the Bible somewhat chronologically but smattering in New Testament readings throughout. It’s a great plan. You should check it out—and if you read through her reasons for why she chose this plan, maybe you’ll spark some of your own questions.[1]
How to Make a Bible Reading Plan Work for You
Read through that section title again. It’s possible that you might be a little uncomfortable because it almost sounds like I’m saying we should make the Bible work for us. And you know that isn’t how we’re supposed to engage God’s Word. We are supposed to be shaped by Him, not the other way around. And you’re right, which is why I had you read it again.
The key word there is plan. We have a real tendency to give the same weight to things connected with the Bible that we do to the Bible itself. Don’t do that. This is a plan. It’s supposed to work for you. Remember there is nothing that says you need to read the Bible in a year. God calls us to engage Him through the Word. He calls us to be shaped by the Spirit as we interact with Him through Scripture. That’s your goal here. Don’t lose sight of that. This means you can adapt that Bible reading plan in a million different ways. Know your why and move out from there.
It's also important to set realistic expectations. Missing a day or two doesn’t mean failure, just keep going. And if you get too far behind, figure out a way to kind of hit reset. Don’t start back at square one, but pick up where you left off. And don’t try to catch up by reading 40 chapters per day. Just let it go and be realistic with your reading. (Side note: this is another reason why that five-day plan is so helpful. Those off days can turn into makeup days).
You should also try to find a good rhythm. It’s usually a good idea to have a specific place and time when you are going to read the Bible. If you just try to squeeze it into your schedule, it isn’t going to happen. Are you a morning person? Put it first thing in the morning. Or maybe you need to wind down by reading the Bible. Either way, put it on your calendar like a meeting with your boss that you just cannot miss.
You’ll also get through a year of Bible reading well if you employ some of the great tools at our disposal. There are also ways you can go through the Bible with a group. Decide to read the Bible with a friend or even a whole church. There are also some online groups that do this sort of thing.
What Is the Best Way to Read the Bible in a Year?
I’ve probably left you a bit unsatisfied, haven’t I? But take a room full of people and tell them to start eating an elephant one bit at a time, and you’re going to have about that many different strategies as to where a person should start. There isn’t really a right way to do it—it’s just to do it.
Sure, there are some wrong-headed ways to do this. I wouldn’t suggest trying to read the Bible upside down or to read in the middle of a busy intersection. Nor would I encourage you to do something that’ll just turn it into a performance-based slog through precious words. What good is that? The Bible is awesome, and you ought to enjoy it. That’s why I want to encourage freedom.
Some of these plans can actually help with freedom, though. If you handed me a guitar and said, “have a good time”, it’s not going to last long. I can’t pluck anything but noise. But give me some guidelines and show me a few chords, and I might enjoy it a little more. That’s what a Bible reading plan will do for you. It’s a guideline that can help you enjoy reading even more because you don’t have to stress about where you ought to read that morning.
Whatever plan you pick, and I do tend to agree with Meliss Kruger that the five-day one is pretty solid, just pick one and get after it. Know that your goal isn’t to read the Bible in a year but rather to encounter the living God through His Word. Sometimes, you’ll be knocked flat by a verse of Scripture that you’ve just started reading. Let that happen. Don’t walk away from that moment because you’ve got to move on and finish your daily reading.
No single plan is perfect for everyone, and that’s okay. The best plan is the one that works for you, aligns with your goals, and keeps your eyes fixed on Jesus. And I realize that when you read this, it probably won’t be January 1st. Don’t sweat it. Just start today and see how far you can get. Every moment will be worth it.
[1] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/melissa-kruger/my-favorite-bible-in-a-year-reading-plan-2/
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Tutye
Mike Leake is husband to Nikki and father to Isaiah and Hannah. He is also the lead pastor at Calvary of Neosho, MO. Mike is the author of Torn to Heal and Jesus Is All You Need. His writing home is http://mikeleake.net and you can connect with him on Twitter @mikeleake. Mike has a new writing project at Proverbs4Today.
