Viewpoint: Reading Whole Books of the Bible

We’re moving towards the time when most people are either taking holidays or beginning to think about them. This year things are a little different but perhaps even more justification for taking some time off to recharge the batteries.

CBMC Belfast is passionate about resourcing Christians in the marketplace – we love to share videos and articles that are focussed on workplace issues. We see this as the niche area that we are called to ‘speak into’.

With that said, CBMC would like to encourage you over your summer break to dive into scripture. There is no substitute for the Word of God, and in the busyness of work schedules time in God’s Word is something that can be squeezed to a few verses over breakfast.

This summer please pick up the Bible and be intentional about reading whole books in their entirety – as I looked into this I discovered that half the books of the Bible, 33 out of 66 can be read in 30 minutes or less!

Here are some tips drawn from a Gospel Coalition article

1.       Choose shorter books and work up to longer ones. Since you’ll be reading an entire book of the Bible and not just a chapter or two, you’ll want to work your way up to more extensive readings.

2.       Read at your normal pace. Treating the material reverently does not require reading at a slower than normal speed. Read for comprehension, ignoring the division of chapters and verses and treating each book as one coherent unit.

3.       Skip the commentaries (for now). Don’t get bogged down by referring to commentaries or other outside sources.

4.       Pray. Ask God to open your heart to his Word. Trust the Holy Spirit to illuminate the text and provide guidance and understanding.

5.       Begin today. Don’t put it off another day.