Reading the Bible–something we all should do, but most of us don’t. Most of us see it like eating oatmeal or five servings of vegetables–good idea, good for us, but just can’t get excited about it.
But then there are times when we run to it. We are scared, we are nervous, we are interested–then we think, “where do I start?” Genesis is interesting, but what does that have to do with me? Someone said the book of John, but “in the beginning was the Word…” ok, what does that mean?
Over my years of being a Christian I’ve seen the Bible several ways. Growing up I saw it as my “get out of hell free” card. Read it and go to heaven. I went to Bible College and I saw it as a textbook. Read it and you pass. Then I went into ministry and saw it as the Employee Handbook. Read it and teach it. But scripture and experience prove that the Bible is much more than these. It is life giving, God inspired and soul enriching. It has the ability to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comforted. It makes me mad, sad but mostly glad. And above all it gives me hope and purpose.
I an effort to #makereallifesimple let me share with you 5 quick things that can help your Bible reading be anything but boring!
1. Download YouVersion.
YouVersion is simply the most important thing to happen to the Bible since the invention of the printing press! This app has been downloaded over 200 million times. And for good reason. It’s free and it’s so easy to use. You can choose from many languages and also many versions. I recommend you use either the NIV (New International Version) or the NLT (New Living Translation). They are the easiest to understand and apply. They also are available in audio version. You can do your Bible reading in the car while its being read to you!
2. Pick a Plan.
YouVersion offers hundreds of different ways to read the Bible. You can read a plan based on a theme – like 5 days on Prayer or 3 weeks on Parenting. They give you plans that give you daily Bible readings based on many topics, books, and themes. This will keep you interested and applying what you read. You can also read a plan based on a goal – like Read through the Bible in a Year or the Book of Luke in a Month. This will help you accomplish reading large passages in a short time frame.
I encourage you to set up the daily reminders as well. Once a day you’ll get an alert on your phone reminding you to do your reading for the day. This helps!
3. Highlight by Color.
When you read and see something you like or have questions about, you can highlight it and then pick a color for your highlight. For instance, you might use one color for what encourages you and another for what confuses you. Then you can go back later and reread your encouraging verses or spend time researching the confusing ones. You can also share these verses with someone as well via email or texting. This is a great way to say “Thought this might help you today” or “What does this mean?”
4. Use S.O.A.P.
Of course, you should use soap in the shower, but I’m referring to a classic Bible Study acronym from Pastor Wayne Cordero – S.O.A.P. Take a piece of paper and write down the SCRIPTURE that grabbed you in this reading. Then make an OBSERVATION about what it says. Next is to determine the APPLICATION for what you read. What should you do in light of that? Finally, write out a PRAYER based off of what you read. One page. That’s it. This is a great way to make what you read stick, but also to look back through and see how God has moved.
5. Do one thing.
If we are not applying what we read, then transformation doesn’t happen. Jesus said that when we hear his word AND do it… that’s when our life changes. Pick one thing you read and put it into practice. Today.
When you do these things… Bible reading will never be boring again. I find that it takes me about 15 minutes to walk through this process every day. But it sometimes takes all day (or month) to apply it. It’s not easy, but it’s not complicated. It’s actually simple.