Burrowing into the bibleOver the past few years, I have read the bible through each year. I have followed the M'Cheyne Bible reading plan and I have really enjoyed it. I got an overview of the bible and what the various books are about. I feel more confident in my way around the bible.
But like everything there are pros and cons. The downside for me is that I never read in much depth. It was 4 chapters a day, generally I would read them and my legalistic brain would go ‘tick, done my bible reading’, and that was all I thought about it.
This year I am trying to approach my bible reading a little differently – this is the year of ‘burrowing into the bible’. I am going to read small chunks, with a pen and notebook handy and sometimes a commentary nearby. While I will always tend towards the ‘tick, read it’ mentality – this is helping me to think more as I read. I have started in John’s gospel and already have more questions and thoughts than on any previous reading.
Such as:
More of these questions keep coming up – and that’s good. We should want to think as we read the bible, even (or especially) about those sections we have read so many times we feel we know it already.
As I go along, I may share some thoughts along the way – we’ll see!
But like everything there are pros and cons. The downside for me is that I never read in much depth. It was 4 chapters a day, generally I would read them and my legalistic brain would go ‘tick, done my bible reading’, and that was all I thought about it.
This year I am trying to approach my bible reading a little differently – this is the year of ‘burrowing into the bible’. I am going to read small chunks, with a pen and notebook handy and sometimes a commentary nearby. While I will always tend towards the ‘tick, read it’ mentality – this is helping me to think more as I read. I have started in John’s gospel and already have more questions and thoughts than on any previous reading.
Such as:
- in John 1 where Jesus calls Andrew and then he goes to get his brother Peter, he says “we have found the Messiah” – how does he know Jesus is the Messiah? Has Jesus told him, is it just patently obvious?
- in John 2 (at the wedding in Cana) – why does Jesus say to his mother ‘My time has not yet come’, yet still go on to change the water into wine?
More of these questions keep coming up – and that’s good. We should want to think as we read the bible, even (or especially) about those sections we have read so many times we feel we know it already.
As I go along, I may share some thoughts along the way – we’ll see!
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