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I was ecstatic when my preferred Bible translation became available as a chronological Bible. Reading chronologically is one of my favorite Bible reading methods and I couldn’t wait to get a copy of that Bible in my hands! I’d read through the Bible using a chronological plan a few times but to have a Bible already arranged in that order excited me. Upon receiving my Bible in October last year, I endeavored to complete a full reading by the end of 2024. As of this writing, I’m only in Hosea. And that’s okay.
I’ve seen many well intentioned brothers and sisters sharing online about different strategies to help Christians commit to daily Bible reading. Personally, I aim to read every day and have found it to be beneficial to me. As I began to see many posts about it though, I started having some reservations. While reading the Bible daily may be helpful, I think it’s worth noting that doing so isn’t a biblical command.
Rather than telling us how often to read the word, the Bible informs us how our hearts ought to approach consuming it. Jeremiah 15:16 says,
“Your words were found, and I ate them,
and your words became to me a joy
and the delight of my heart,
for I am called by your name,
O LORD, God of hosts.”
Job 23:12 says,
“I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.”
And Psalm 119:103 exclaims,
“How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
These verses make clear the necessity of the word for spiritual nourishment. They emphasize the reality of Deuteronomy 8:3, “. . . that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”
Salvation is a free gift that comes to us at the hands of an incredibly generous God (Romans 6:23). Gods of other religions generally require that you commit a certain amount of good works in order to be made righteous. The God of the Bible was righteous on behalf of those who repent of their sin and place their hope for salvation in Him alone (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Reading the Bible daily isn’t wrong but it also can’t and doesn’t make us righteous. When we repent of our sin and place our faith in Christ, He robes us in His righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). We don’t read the Bible to be saved but being saved should compel us to consume it.
I’m not anti-discipline, in fact, discipline drives me. Discipline is not a bad thing but when taken to the extreme, it can miss the main thing. God is sovereign over our circumstances and He isn’t less pleased or even displeased with us on days when Bible reading doesn’t occur. He’s easily pleased with us because of Jesus and how He views us doesn’t change even when the day doesn’t go as expected.
We slept horribly the night my two year old son ended up in the ER for a wound while we were out of town. Upon being discharged, my son threw up on me three times due to refusing the anti-nausea medication he was given. He also woke up at midnight and punched me in the face.
The following day didn’t find me reading my Bible at all. My brain was foggy and we were in survival mode. The little mental energy I possessed was focused on things like picking up my son’s medication and purchasing the items needed to transport it back home through airport security.
Having cultivated a discipline of regularly reading the Bible (not necessarily every single day) and meditating on it sustained me in survival mode. Being pushed past my limits (and then some) I grew weary and discouraged.
I didn’t read my Bible the day after my son’s ER visit but having verses from Psalm 40 written on waterproof sticky notes in my shower helped me quickly recall verse 17:
“As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God!”
Knowing the Lord took thought for David, who authored the Psalm, was a great comfort. My circumstances were much different than David’s yet the same God was with me, sustaining me, and even taking thought for me!
Author and Bible teacher Jen Wilkin wrote, “Spiritual disciplines nurture steadfastness. What we repeat in times of ease, we will recall in times of hardship.” I experienced this firsthand.
Spiritual disciplines are not one size fits all. My circumstances and abilities are not yours and yours are not mine. There is nothing wrong with reading the Bible every day but as the idea grows in popularity, I wonder if others, like me, will feel pressure to participate in a daily reading plan motivated by duty rather than desire. I’ve had to remind myself that reading the Bible daily isn’t the prize, Jesus is.
The gospel compels us to not be fickle students of the word but faithful ones. And faithfulness for me might look different than it does for you. Because of the gospel, we are free in Christ to pursue spiritual disciplines in the way that is most beneficial to our flourishing.
When I was single, I had time set aside each morning for Bible reading and prayer. Once I became a mom, the way I spent time reading looked much different. Initially, I felt like a failure when daily reading didn’t occur. Without intending to, I was banking on daily Bible reading as my means of righteousness. Considering that I’m securely robed in Christ’s has compelled me to live in grace on the days when I haven’t had the opportunity to read. I hope it does the same for you too.
You can read your Bible every day in the new year but you don’t have to. May knowing you’re free in Christ to establish spiritual disciplines in the way that’s most helpful for you make you long to. May this year find you delighting in new mercies and cultivating habits of faithfulness not perfectly but progressively as you are transformed from one degree of glory to the next (2 Corinthians 3:18).
