To get the best out of daily Bible reading, there must be a commitment on your part to read. For that to happen, there must be a “hunger and thirst after righteousness” (Mt. 5:6) and a real “delight in the law” (Psalm 1:2). Timothy was to “give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Tim.4:13). To “give attendance” to something was to give attention to it, to apply one's mind or effort to it. The English Standard Version says, “devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” A noble example of those who were dedicated to Bible reading might be the Bereans Luke referenced, who “received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so”(Acts 17:11).

Perhaps you would like to be a better Bible student. Maybe you would like to be more prepared for the Bible class or the sermon. In such cases, you might solicit the outlines or list of scriptures from those doing the teaching. Or maybe it's the case, that you would like a more guided study. Bible reading schedules are available in the foyer and online. There are canonical and topical schedules available on the internet.

Whether you decide to study by yourself, with a relative, friend or in a group, such as your bible class or a home bible study group, you need to keep some important principles of Bible reading in mind.

IMPORTANT BIBLE READING CONCEPTS.

READ THE BIBLE SYSTEMATICALLY. I used to wonder how anyone could understand the Old Testament. Keeping the chronology straight seemed next to impossible, plus, trying to learn the people and their names, who could possibly get the big picture? Well, as it turned out, it was not so difficult once I got started; the key is to understand the context. One of my Bible instructors drilled it into us, “Context, Context, Context”! Consider the immediate context and the over all context.

If you are having trouble keeping up with the story line, jot some notes and create an outline of what is happening – you'll find it's more enjoyable! Word of warning: If you're not considering the context of the scripture you are reading, you might come away with some strange doctrine or contradiction, at the very least, it will leave you confused. Remember to consider who did the writing, to whom the book or epistle was written and in what way the commands or principles are to be applied. Someone has said, “Context is the major principle of interpretation whereby a person's understanding of a given passage is shown to be consistent with truth”.

READ THE BIBLE ALONG WITH AN AUDIO BIBLE. There are plenty of good audio Bible formats available to fit your need. There are audio tapes, CD's, mp3 formats and they come in most any version imaginable. I use Alexander Scourby's (KJV) online audio Bible to read along with. It helps keep your attention, it also helps with reading comprehension, and word pronunciation. You'll be surprised at how it helps in covering a lot of Bible text in short amount of time. This is also good for time spent in the car.

USE BIBLE STUDY TOOLS. Sometimes there is need to consult the original language and get the definition. You don't have to know Greek to go to heaven, but it's good to use the language tools that have been made available. After all, God does expect us to learn His will and has communicated it through human language. Every student ought to have a Bible dictionary and concordance. There are tons of word-study tools available on the internet. Make use of them if you can.

Christ prayed for the attainable condition of unity (John 17). Truth brings unity about, therefore, Christ taught that truth was both desirable and attainable (John 8:32; 17:17). When we read with this kind of attitude, it is certain, we will experience bible reading at its best!