About a month ago, i started a Bible Reading plan using the YouVersion App. I've been able to maintain it daily since I started. As a wonderful consequence of this, I've noticed that my desire/hunger for God's word has increased immensely. Besides the 10 chapters of daily reading I do through the Reading Plan, I'm also going through the Gospels and some of the Epistles as well. Anyone else do Bible Reading plans? Or have some sort of daily habit you use to read?
I'm currently about halfway through a Lent plan that I started after Easter, because that is how I roll.
Glad you're getting to spend some quality time in the scriptures. It sounds really structured. My own studies are strictly by subject, which is the best way for my mind and memory.
I envy you all. My studying is so sporadic. It's been awhile, too. I really need to figure out an effective way to do it.
I could never quite shake the idea that I was being taken for a ride. Kind of like how you'll see threads with cherrypicked verses from across the span of the Bible in order to prove some statement... but on a book level. In my last reading of the Bible, I just acknowledged that each book is a distinct writing of its own, and read each as such, without attempting to find a thematic path.
No need to envy, just imitate. If you have a smartphone, which probably almost everyone does, get the FREE YouVersion app and sign up for one of the reading plans. It's very simple. And right on your phone. Kind of eliminates OUR excuses for not reading. Notice I said OUR. I was also making excuses.
I won't deny that at times I have felt that I was being taken for a ride as well. I think at some point, all of us have those feelings. To some degree or other. But I will say this, as I read the Bible more often, I do notice a pattern of how it all ties together. Now this didn't happen immediately, it took some time and effort on my part. For the most part I am VERY lazy. So studying has never been my strong point. But a few months ago I came to realize that I was really just wasting my time and life, and it caused me to re-focus on God and His call for me. Now I'm not trying to sound religious, believe me, cuz I'm not, but at some point God showed me there were more important things in life that JUST riding my bike.
Nothing at all wrong with that, and something I personally do often. I agree that"thematic study" oftentimes cherry picks verses out of context and crams them into something that's not actually there. Seen it lots, not a fan of it at all. Having said that, lately I've been listening to a Pete Enns podcast called "The Bible for Normal People" which has been really interesting. I'm behind on that too (of course ... story of my life) but I find it super accessible and informative. I'm also a huge fan of audio Bibles because the Scriptures were originally written to be listened to, rather than read, since most of the ancient world was functionally illiterate. Reading and studying certainly isn't the only way to enrich your life with God things. Not at all.