4 Ways to Renew Your Commitment to Read God’s Word This Year

Well, it’s already that time of year – some people’s favorite time! The time, now 53 days into 2021, when all our New Year’s Resolutions are thrown into the trashcan! We just couldn’t do it. We couldn’t stick to the workout plan or the diet or the new schedule or whatever audacious goal we set for ourselves on January 1.

Perhaps one of your goals was to get into the Scriptures more this year. Now, that’s an excellent one! But here we are at the end of February, and maybe your worthy goal has fallen by the wayside. Maybe you’re struggling with shaping that goal into a daily habit. You either haphazardly read a chapter of Genesis or Exodus as you pour your coffee and head out the door, only to promptly forget it, or you’ve given up altogether.

Let me offer a timely encouragement. It’s time to get back at it! It’s time to dive back into the Word and read it faithfully. Don’t have time? Don’t have the mental focus to read? Don’t understand what you read? Here are a few ideas that can help you to renew your Bible reading this month:

#1: Start with a favorite book.

Often, we start the year in Genesis because we’re hoping to read the whole Bible through in a year. It’s a great goal, and something every Christian should strive to do multiple times in their lives. However, if it’s been a while since you’ve had a regular reading time, you may want to start with a passage or book that you know will engage you. Then, once you get back into the habit of regular reading, return to books such as Genesis or Exodus that are more complex. Perhaps a refreshing read through the Gospel of John or Philippians may be just what you need to reignite your soul’s desire for truth.

#2: Choose quality over quantity.

As mentioned above, reading the Bible all the way through in a limited amount of time is an excellent goal and requires about 3-4 chapters a day for a year-long plan. However, if you don’t have the time or resources to absorb that much content at once, you may not see the fruit of Bible study that you are hoping for. It would be far better to read only one verse and meditate on it deeply than to read three chapters and immediately forget it. Even if you do read whole long sections, do you take a deep dive into any portion of it?

The habit of biblical meditation (taking one verse or one phrase and thinking about it from several angles throughout the course of the day) is a lost art in our busy culture. But it’s an essential way to allow God’s Word to sink into our hearts and minds so that we can be changed by it. Whichever option works best for you – many chapters or just a few verses – try choosing one verse or phrase from your reading to meditate on as you go through your day. Here are a few ideas to help you do that:

• Jot your verse down on a sticky note and carry it with you that day or set it as the background of your phone. You can even add a nice picture behind it using a free app like Canva or Adobe Spark.
• Look it the verse several times a day. You may even want to set reminders to glance over it every time you refill your coffee cup or get into your car.
• Rephrase it in your own words.
• Doodle the ideas of the verse, if that’s your thing.
• Google the verse to see if there are any helpful blog posts on it from a reputable site.
• Most importantly, work toward committing it to memory. You may find that this comes naturally as you review it many times throughout your day.

Maybe an example would be helpful. Recently, as I was reading in Romans 5, a phrase stuck out to me: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts” (vs. 5). I wrote it down on a sticky note. It came into my mind several times over the next day or two. I found an encouraging sermon about the verse that helped explain it more. I thought of recent hikes to waterfalls where the idea of “pouring” forms a beautiful illustration. I prayed about the verse, asking God to pour his love into my heart that day. The more I thought about and studied the verse, the more God gave me the ability to see how he wanted to apply it in my life. That’s the goal of meditation.

#3: Listen and learn.

Some of us are not skilled readers. Some of us are easily distracted or our circumstances make it difficult to carve out long periods of time to read. This does not mean you can’t take in God’s Word. While I strongly encourage each believer to spend time reading the Word (maybe even reading out loud would help), there are also alternatives. The YouVersion Bible app has a helpful button at the bottom to “play” any chapter (available in several different translations – just don’t accidentally hit it during church!).  On your way to work, as you drop the kids off at school, or while vacuuming up Cheerios for the millionth time that week, listen to the Bible. Try to pick out ideas and phrases to meditate on. Another way to help you integrate the truth you read is to start by reading the chapter or paragraph first and then finding a sermon or podcast that discusses that passage. This is a great way to gain a deeper understanding of what is happening in the passage and what it means for you.

Pastor Andrew has challenged us to read through 1 Peter as he preaches through it. This would be a wonderful way to connect the truth we hear on Sunday with our experience during the week. Perhaps spend a certain day of the week – say, Friday or Saturday morning – to read through the next section of 1 Peter and re-listen to the sermon from the week before to prepare your heart for Sunday morning. You can find all of the previous sermons on the website, on Sermon Audio, or through the Apple Podcasts app.

#4: Find a friend.

The Bible is not just intended for individual consumption. It’s much more like a pizza than a cup of coffee – you could eat a whole pizza by yourself (especially if you gave up your New Year’s Resolution!), but I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s meant to be eaten in a community of friends and family. So too the Word. We read it individually for our growth, but we must also read it in a community. That’s why Community Groups and other small group Bible studies are so crucial. I always find myself challenged and encouraged when I hear how someone else understands or applies a passage. I would’ve never thought of it that way! I need my brothers and sisters to help me understand the Word.

If you don’t have a context of reading the Word with someone else, you can arrange something now. Join a Community Group or Bible study. Ask a friend to meet for coffee once a week, simply to read the Word together and then discuss it. No prep time needed – just come with a Bible, read the passage out loud together once or twice, and then ask basic questions. What sticks out to you here? What does that mean? How do we apply this? This would also be great to do with the family over dinner.

Reading the Word is crucial for your growth. There simply is no alternative.

But if you’re overwhelmed already, don’t fear. Yes, you must read God’s Word to grow but you don’t have to do it on your own! In fact, you can’t! Thankfully, we have the Spirit who gives us strength and motivation to get into the Word as He teaches us from its pages.

So go to Him and ask Him for help. And may the Psalmist’s prayer be our own:

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”

Psalm 119:18