One of the truths that stands out from the Parable of the Four Soils is that the difference between the good soil and the other three soils, is that the good soil not only hears and receives the Word, but it holds fast to it. The verb ‘hold fast’ is a present active verb, which signals an ongoing, continuous action. If the Word of God is to do its powerful work in our lives and bear fruit, then we must be those who are daily receiving and holding fast to God’s Word.
One very practical way of doing this is to have a Bible reading plan. And with the beginning of a new year upon us, now is as good a time to start as any. The Bible reading plan we are going to do as a church is the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan. It schedules 3-4 chapters for each day—from both the Old and New Testaments—and this gets you through the entire Bible in one year. It also accommodates for busy seasons in life, as there are 5-6 ‘open’ days each month.
This last Sunday, at least 27 people from our church picked up a copy of this plan! Praise God! If you weren’t able to join us this last Sunday, and you don’t presently have a Bible reading plan, come and join us. We are beginning in a few days on January 1st. It will be a real blessing for us as a church family to not only be getting in the Word each day, but doing so together. By reading the same passages together, we will be able to easily share and encourage one another with what we’re reading.
As we begin this endeavor as a church, here are a few tips that you might find helpful in your daily Bible reading:
1. View the Bible Reading Plan as a Tool, Not a Task
Remember that the goal is not so much to finish reading through the Bible, but to be daily receiving the Word so that you can hold fast to it. Don’t view the plan as a checklist. View it as a tool to develop self-discipline and to regularly get in the Word.
2. Remember that God’s Word is Your Food
Deuteronomy 8:3—“Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
God’s Word is our daily food, and this applies to all of God’s Word.
One thing that this means is that we must approach God’s Word believing that it will strengthen and nourish us, even in ways that we do not grasp. When we’re eating our salad and lasagna and Italian bread, we probably can’t explain how it nourishes us. We can’t give a detailed list of its nutritional value. But we eat it in part because we know that it will strengthen us.
So also, we should approach all of God’s Word trusting that it will strengthen us. This includes the genealogies, the ceremonial laws, the prophetic condemnations, the imprecatory psalms—all of it is for your good. You may not immediately understand *how* it nourishes you, but receive it in faith trusting that it is exactly what you need.
3. If You Haven’t Been Eating, Just Eat the Meal Before You
Inevitably there will be time in the next year where you won’t be able to get in the Word on a regular basis. Perhaps it could be chronic health problems. Perhaps it could be time away on a busy family vacation. Perhaps it could be just an unusual busy time of life. Whatever it is, there will likely be time where you’re not able to read the Word on a daily basis. You may fall behind on the Bible Reading Plan.
If that happens, don’t be burdened by guilt. Don’t get discouraged. Just pick up on today’s date. You don’t need to start back where you left off. A friend put it this way: ‘If you missed breakfast and lunch, you wouldn’t go back and eat both meals. Just eat supper.’
4. Truly Feed on the Word
If we are aiming to hold fast to the Word of God, then we must internalize it. We must feed upon God’s Word, receiving it as our food. Don’t rush through reading the Word each day. Read it reflectively. Meditate on it. Consider how it applies to your life. Receive what promises you can cling to that day. Think of how it points to God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Apply what God is calling you to do. Read it prayerfully. As you do this, you will find yourself strengthen and built up.
May God bless our plans to get in the Word this upcoming year. May we truly feed upon it as never before, and above all, may God give us grace to hold fast to it and so bear fruit.