The Bereans “received the word with all eagerness,” and did so on a daily basis (Acts 17:11). According to Luke, this made them “more noble than those in Thessalonica.” Of course, even as implied in this verse, it was no mere ritual.
Momentarily I will post a January Bible reading schedule. (Many free schedules can be found online.) The schedule I post will carry us through the Bible over the course of 2025. I’ll not seek to build a comprehensive case for it right now, but obviously, there is much virtue in reading through the Bible. Yet many seem to struggle with keeping up with daily reading. Here are a few simple suggestions that I hope will be helpful to you.
(1) Determine in your mind that you will read your Bible every day, and don’t go to bed before you do so. If you really struggle with this habit, you might wish to start with the goal of reading just a small portion of the daily reading, maybe only a few verses, or, perhaps just doing the NT reading. Especially if you begin with the former, do this for a week or two, and then “graduate” to a longer reading. Do this successfully for a while, and then increase your reading again. After you do this a few times you will be forming a habit that will be like other daily pursuits. It is not ideal to only do a short daily reading, but your goal is to get to a better destination!
(2) Choose a definite time and place to do your reading. I recommend the morning since the mind is generally fresh and the “cares of the day” do not distract as much. But you choose what works for you and your schedule. Of course, a quiet time and place is best.
(3) Make your reading habit as conducive as possible. For instance, if you are going to do your reading the first thing in the morning, be prepared the night before. You may wish to have your Bible (and perhaps a pen and notepad) set out at the kitchen table or wherever you are going to do your reading. If you wake up in the morning and have to hunt for your Bible, or walk out to the car in the cold to get it, at minimum, you may cut your time too short for reading. Also, take care of any other chores ahead of time that may get in the way.
(4) Another helpful tip is to be accountable to a friend. Make an agreement with a family member or a brother or sister in Christ to keep each other accountable. Pursuing this route may encourage someone else to be a daily reader too!
(5) Remember also to be prayerful about the good habit of drinking daily from God’s Word!
Jesus said: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4).
Daren Schroeder
