Picking the right bible reading plan

In this day and age of social media and widespread bible apps for your phone, there is no shortage in bible plans. Everything goes! Some plans are pretty straightforward, some are complex affairs.

So how do you pick the right bible reading plan? Once again, the answer is very simple. The right bible reading plan is the plan that is right for you and your way of life!
The first thing to do is ask yourself why you want to read through the bible in a year. Be honest with yourself here, as the answer you give will have an impact on what kind of bible plan you might like. As I said before, reading the bible for me is a form of spiritual meditation that will hopefully keep me grounded. It stands to reason that for me buying a devotional one year bible is not the way to go!

If you, like me,  are primarily interested in the literary aspects of bible stories a no-frills bible plan might suit you, with maybe a academical study bible on the side to explain things. If you want to feel closer to the Divine by reading through the bible, it's probably best to avoid plans that require so much reading (going through the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice for instance) that you won't have any time left for reflecting or praying on what you read. All you'll be left with is fulfilling a task and not a very easy one at that.

It's also wise to think about how much flexibility you want in your bible plan and choose a plan accordingly. Are you sure you'll find the time to read every single day? Really? My first time of reading through the bible in a year I used a plan that reserved a few days a month for reflection or catching up if you'd gotten behind. It saved me from failure!

And finally, one word of warning: if this is you're first attempt do yourself a favour and don't pick a plan that leads you straight through the bible, beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelation. You probably will be happy enough during Genesis - one of my favourite bible books - and Exodus, but after that you get hit with Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Many an attempt has stranded somewhere in those books.

Good luck with choosing a bible reading plan that fits you.