With my arms still in quite a lot of pain through nerve harm, I've asked a few friends to step in from time to time. Today Paul Carter provides an excellent article on beginning a Bible-reading habit in 2018.

If you lot intend to read through the Bible in 2018 now is the fourth dimension to go started. Habits are not formed in a 24-hour interval – information technology takes a little bit of fourth dimension and preparation. Here are a few hints and suggestions that might exist helpful in getting yous upwardly and on your way.

Pick a Programme

A number of years ago a friend of mine lost 35 pounds in a relatively short corporeality of time. I was near 15 pounds overweight myself and then I immediately asked him: "What programme did you use? Did yous use the Atkins Diet? The Southward Beach Diet? The Makers Diet?" His reply stuck with me over the years. He said, "It doesn't really thing what plan yous employ. What matters is having a plan and using it." The same holds true when it comes to reading the Bible.

There are a number of really good Bible reading plans.  Each 1 has various points in its favor but as with weight loss, the magic is non in finding the right plan only in using the plan that yous notice. I've been using the RMM Bible Reading Plan; named subsequently pastor and author Robert Murray M'Cheyne, since 2012. If yous want to read more about the features and benefits of the RMM program cheque out this article. The short version is that information technology is customizable to your reading speed and supported by a host of print and on-line resource. To learn about other Bible reading plans see here.

Set a Time

Mostly speaking it is extraordinarily difficult to "discover time" to do hard things. Yous will not fall backwards into Bible reading. You lot will need to carve out space and time. If you are serious most doing this and so you will need to rearrange your personal schedule. Y'all will demand to wake up twenty minutes earlier or become to bed twenty minutes later on every day. Do not try and "find the time". You lot won't. Brand the time or surrender the resolution.

Join a Grouping

Like a lot of men my historic period I need to practise three times a week if I want to keep my weight under control. All the same, similar a lot of men my age, I would rather not.  I ever seem to take an alibi for not getting in my exercise. To combat this natural tendency I have found it helpful to integrate relationships into my practice routine. I play squash on regular rotation with several friends and I find that I am far less likely to bond on an exercise session when there is someone else counting on me to bear witness upwardly. My fear of disappointing people and my want to exist with people results in more calories burned and fewer pant sizes gained.

Knowing what makes me tick allows me to engineer the right incentives into my routine. So information technology is with reading the Bible.  Find out if your church has any Small Groups that support and supplement a Bible reading plan. Alternatively you tin can find such groups on-line. The Into The Word Bible Reading Podcast that I host has an associated Facebook page that features daily encouragements and chat starters for people tracking through the RMM Plan. Face to face up groups are better, but on-line groups are ameliorate than nothing. Doing something in a group is always easier than doing it on your ain.

Start with a Clean Bible

Nearly people are motivated by indications of progress. When I first started jogging I was motivated past beingness able to keep track of my times. When I began I was quite happy to complete 3 kilometers in 20 minutes. Yet, later a while I was motivated past seeing those times change.  3 kilometers in 16 minutes gave fashion to 5 kilometers in 30 minutes and finally 10 kilometers in 50 minutes. Tracking that progress motivated me to carry on.

If you showtime with a make clean Bible you tin can track your progress with a highlighter and a pen. Each day when you consummate a chapter simply highlight what you perceive to exist the important verses in each section of the text. Employ your pen to make notes in the margin or to star things for farther thought and reflection. Over time, your Bible volition change in appearance. Yous volition exist able to lookout man it "fill upwards" with highlights, notes and reflections.  This will motivate you to go along! You volition be "bothered" past those bare pages in Leviticus and adamant to notice something to highlight and capeesh. This volition make y'all a more than attentive and motivated Bible reader.

Exist Resilient (and Forgiving)

"Keeping resolutions is so much easier than making them," said no human being always. Most of us know what we should exercise; we know what's good for u.s.a.; we know what is most important; merely we struggle to follow through. As with losing weight, jogging or anything else, then for reading the Bible. It is very difficult to plow a good intention into a life long habit. But by the grace of God, in fits and starts, it can be done.  The primal is existence resilient and forgiving. Don't quit because you lot discover it hard or because you lot fall backside. Everything of import feels hard at first. Merely and so, slowly but surely, if it is a good matter, it moves from being a duty to a delight. If y'all autumn backside, my communication is to non try and catch up. Just read the readings that are for today. Information technology can be overwhelming to experience that you take to read eighteen chapters today in order to get back on rail. So don't. Skip forrard and read what God has for you today. That is another reason to utilise a highlighter. You will know what chapters yous missed and yous can hitting them next time effectually. Exist resilient and go easy on yourself. Great habits are not developed in a day. Go on at information technology. You will come to beloved it over fourth dimension.

And may God alone be glorified,

N.B. To listen to Pastor Paul's Into The Discussion devotional podcast on the TGC Canada website see here ; to listen on SoundCloud see here . You can also find it on iTunes.