Your first time reading the Bible can be a daunting task.  There must be millions of opinions on how to read the Bible. We’re told we should have a daily habit of it, but for a lot of people it can feel like a chore – simply because of the way we approach it. After all, how can we enjoy or learn from the Bible when we are reading one verse, one chapter, or just one minute a day?

With all the twists and turns, the heartbreaks and breakthroughs, the love, hate, and climaxes of the Bible. . . how could we possibly follow along using that kind of an approach?

May I offer an analogy? Did you like the Lord of the Rings movies? I liked them so much, I decided to read the books. When I did, I discovered so many characters, scene changes, surprises, and history that there were times when it was hard to follow along. But I did because I had fallen in love with the storyline! So, let’s imagine if someone told me to read just one page a day of one of the books in the series. How would I ever be able to remember what was going on? How could I fall in love with the characters? And when I got to the dry parts, would I even make it through without quitting? It certainly wouldn’t be exciting to read the series that way.

Now let’s set a new scene: Imagine yourself wrapped in a soft blanket, nestled in your favorite chair. The house is quiet, and you have a fresh cup of coffee to keep you company. You start to read. Without knowing how or why, your mind dives into the story, you attach to the characters and you want to know more! What a difference! 20 minutes are gone before you know it and you can’t help yourself. . . you keep on reading!

In the same way a good novel draws you in so you get to know the characters, God wants us to read his Book so we can know him. He wants us to dive into his story and attach ourselves to the characters, so we want to know more! So, we build a relationship, and enjoy our time with God!

It’s that simple! God wants you to know him by reading his Book! He wants us to snuggle in and have fun! I understand that some parts of the Bible are hard to follow, but that’s okay! Who could expect to follow the history, theology, poetry, mystery and the bigness of this great book right off the bat?  But as we read the Bible, our ability to understand it will grow in time and familiarity and pretty soon, you’ll love it.

If you would like a recommendation to start with, Luke is a good option because it’s so rich but still easy to follow along and understand. Don’t hurry your way through. . . just hang out, read, underline, write notes, and talk with God as you enjoy your time reading through his super exciting Book, the Bible.