How do I build a daily habit of reading the Bible?
A daily Bible habit is built on grace, not guilt. Reading the word is a way of knowing Christ, and it grows the way such things do: by small, faithful steps, a simple plan, reading to obey, and company along the way. We read not to earn God's favor but because His word is a lamp to our feet and the voice of the One we love.
This question arose from studying How should I read the Bible?.
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Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
Reading grows from delight, not from duty alone
The blessed man does not merely schedule the word; he delights in it, meditating on God's law day and night like a tree planted by the streams of water. Psalm 119 is a love song to the word: the psalmist hides God's word in his heart so that he might not sin against Him, and calls it a lamp to his feet and a light to his path. A habit rooted in delight lasts; one kept only by guilt does not.
but his delight is in Yahweh’s law. On his law he meditates day and night.But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Make it small, steady, and woven into your day
Moses told Israel that God's words were to be on their hearts and spoken of when they sat at home and walked along the way, when they lay down and when they rose. Joshua was told to let the book not depart from his mouth, meditating on it day and night. The habit does not need to be long or spectacular; it needs to be faithful, a few minutes every day finding their way into the ordinary turns of your life.
These words, which I command you this day, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Read with a plan, and let the word build the habit
A simple plan helps: a book at a time, or a passage a day, read slowly and prayed over. What sustains the habit is not resolve alone but the word itself, which is living and active, able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Jesus said the Scriptures testify about Him, so the more you read with Him in view, the more you will want to keep reading. The habit feeds on the hunger it creates.
For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Read to obey
A Bible read rightly is a Bible lived. James warns against being hearers only, who see their face in the mirror and then forget, and commends the one who looks into the perfect law and continues in it. Paul says Scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete. Reading changes you when you do what you read.
But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Do it with others, and start again tomorrow
The Bereans examined the Scriptures daily, checking what they were taught, and they were commended for it. Hebrews urges us not to neglect gathering together, to stir one another to love and good works. When a day is missed, do not let one miss become a week: start again. The word is not a mountain you must summit in one season; it is a path you walk in, step by step, for a lifetime.
Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching.And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
As you read, you may wonder…
Scripture raises the next question
Studying the Word naturally opens more of it. Follow what you just read: it leads somewhere.
Continue this trail
How was the Bible written down?→“knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”What does it mean to meditate on Scripture?→“but his delight is in Yahweh’s law. On his law he meditates day and night.But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”How do I find Christ in the Old Testament?→““You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me.Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”How do we know which books belong in the Bible?→“Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”What is the difference between reading the Bible and studying it?→“Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”What does it mean that the Bible is both human and divine?→“Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”Where do the wisdom books fit in the Bible's story?→“To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.”What are the greatest promises God made before Christ?→“I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”Why is the Bible arranged the way it is?→“He said to them, “This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.”And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.”How can I understand hard passages in the Bible?→“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.”Did Jesus treat Scripture as the final authority?→“But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”Should I test every teaching by Scripture?→“Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”Hold onto these
Verses to meditate on
but his delight is in Yahweh’s law. On his law he meditates day and night.But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
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