Read the Bible in 2023

"The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.” ~ Dwight L. Moody

How do you, at the same time:

  • relativize your own feelings (because they often lead you astray)

  • know “the good” and keep your life pointed in that direction

  • minimize sin while increasing joy

  • know the truth and understand how to live truly free

  • become wise, increasingly knowledgeable about how to live well

  • understand there is a “word from God to you” that has already been spoken

  • soak in the height and length and breadth and width of the love of God

  • know such a great salvation, that you are united to Jesus Christ, the Son of God

  • practice the faith by breathing in the words of God and breathing out prayers to God

  • become like Jesus in quoting scriptures to keep the devil at bay

  • know your sin, so you can daily repent and believe in the gospel

  • know your Father who so loves you that he has numbered every hair on your head

You pick up the Word. You meditate on the Word. You study the Word. You submit your life to the Word. You choose the Word every time rather than the voice of your culture, your fears, your failures.

You let the Word lead you to the Word Incarnate.

As you breathe in the Word of God, you breathe out worship, you breathe out prayers, you breathe out gratitude.

There are lots of Bible reading plans: here are 20 options.

I’m going back to one that I created a few years ago called The Gospel-Centered, Wisdom-Inspired Bible Reading Plan that allows you to:

  • Read the Gospels 2x per year. (I want to keep Jesus’ life and teachings always before me; hence - the “Gospel-Centered” part of the plan.)

  • Read the NT Epistles and Letters 2x per year.

  • Read the OT Wisdom Literature 1x per year (I want to worship, lament, and acquire wisdom from God; hence - the “Wisdom-Inspired” part of the plan.)

  • Read the rest of the OT once every two years

  • While reading 4 chapters a day Monday-Friday.

 “The Scriptures teach us the best way of living, the noblest way of suffering, and the most comfortable way of dying.” ~ John Flavel

 

Jason Carter