Reading Plans

I know there are lots of variations of Bible Reading Plans, so much so that it begs two questions. First, how come most of us can't find a plan to stick to in order to take ourselves regularly through the text? And second, why do I keep creating my own plan when there are so many out there already?

Well, the answer the second question,  I do it because I'm trying to develop different ways of engaging with the text through regular reading. Over the years I've done a simple one year plan that starts at the beginning of both Old and New Testaments and works to the end of each. I've done the "One-year Bible" approach. Two years ago I worked out a reading plan for the New Testament in one year, spreading the gospels through the year rather than reading all four at the beginning of the year. Last year we did the Old Testament history through the year.

This year we are doing the wisdom and prophetic literature of the OT.(By the way, the "we" means Anne and me. We try to read to each other on alternating nights. Often we have to play catch up because I have meetings that finish late, but that's another story!)

Anne asked if we could mix it up by doing the Psalms and Proverbs every day. It makes the plan a little more difficult to work out, but I'm having a go. The plan is to read the Psalms twice and everything else once. Having done the maths, that works out as 19 verses from Job to Malachi, 3 from Proverbs and 13 from the Psalms. Well that should keep me occupied, working all that out!

Whatever plan works for you, find it and give it a go. Our three plan seems to suit us, and it gives the opportunity to do other things too. Given that this year is the 400th anniversary of the King James translation, it might not be a bad year to look for a resource to help you get started. Search for Biblefresh if you want a place to start.