There are many Bible reading plans available on the internet.
But I have found that there is a lot of duplication in topics. Faith, prayer, identity in Christ, God’s love, and several others are found on almost all websites offering printable Bible reading plans.
So what if you want to know what God says about another topic? How do you go about crafting a do-it-yourself Bible Reading Plan?
This is a very simple and straightforward process so grab something to drink, and let’s dive in!
Finding Bible verses for your DIY Bible reading plan
Google or other search engines make life simple when crafting a DIY Bible reading plan. All you have to do is type in “What does the Bible say about …” and then add your topic.
These searches usually bring up different websites that talk about your desired topic. But of course, these articles are the writer’s opinion about what the Bible says.
Also among the search results there usually are a few websites that give you just Scriptures without personal interpretation.
I have come to rely on Open Bible for topics I am interested in. The website gives the location in the Bible where the verses are found as well as the written text in the English Standard Version (ESV). (1)
Open Bible does give a word of caution, though, about the lists that their website generates.
“Always check the context of a verse … The context of a verse might put a very different slant on what the verse seems to say. The Bible isn’t a Magic 8-Ball or a fortune cookie, so don’t treat it like one.”
That is good advice when choosing any verses to direct your life. And so that leads us to our next step in a DIY Bible reading plan.
Reading your DIY Bible reading plan
As mentioned already, you need to understand the context of individual Bible verses.
But equally important is reading multiple Scriptures about the same topic.
You should have a minimum of 15-20 Bible verses on the same topic to get a clear picture of what God is telling us.
It is said that the Bible interprets itself. Reading multiple verses from various parts of the Bible helps us come to the right conclusions.
Understanding your DIY Bible reading plan
The internet can be our friend, with many tools to help us understand the Bible.
What was the meaning of the original language?
Most people read translations of the original Hebrew and Greek. While the majority of the meaning is captured for us, it helps to understand what some of the keywords meant in the original language.
The Blue Letter Bible is a fairly easy online tool that will take you to the original Hebrew or Greek words and what they mean. You will find a brief tutorial on how to use it here at The Creator’s Classroom. (2, 3)
What was the context of the original language?
Many Bibles will give you the context of individual books at the beginning of them. This will include who wrote it, why they wrote it, and some of the conditions under which it was written.
Context also includes the culture, laws, and traditions at the time the verses were written.
Bible Commentaries usually give you more information than what an individual Bible does. (4, 5)
Comparing different translations
Ten or so years ago, you had to own several Bibles in order to compare translations.
Today there are Online Bibles that let you look at different translations at the same time. I like Bible Gateway. It is free but an upgrade is available. (6)
You Version is another one that many people like. (7)
Applying your DIY Bible reading plan
Bible reading is of little value if we don’t do something with what we learn. The purpose of Scripture is to reveal God to us while at the same time changing us into the people we were created to be.
One of the most important changes that we need in our lives is the acknowledgment of our sins and our need for a Saviour. That Saviour is Jesus Christ.
If you don’t know Jesus, you probably have questions. The people at Chat About Jesus have answers. You can text, call, or chat with them online any time of the day or night.
You might also like to read:
- Bible reading for beginners
- Bible study for beginners
- Free online Bible Studies – on several different topics, with more coming.
- Free Topical Bible Reading Plans
References: