Reading the Bible the Whole Way Through

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Have you ever read through the Bible in its entirety? Reading the Bible the whole way through can seem like a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be if you are doing it for the right reasons and if you have a good plan.

Why Read the Bible in Its Entirety

Our reason for reading needs to be about more than saying we read through the whole Bible. Aim at the difference it can make in your understanding of God’s character and ways which in the long run should yield greater trust and love for Him.

Getting a handle on the whole counsel of God helps us understand some of the harder passages. It gives a context in which to figure things out. Scripture must reconcile with the whole of Scripture.

Getting an idea of God’s big picture helps us gain perspective for the here and now as well as for the end times.

Getting a broad perspective of who God is and how He works helps us trust God more even when we don’t understand what is happening because we see through the pages of Scripture how He is a sovereign and faithful God.

Personal Testimony About Reading the Bible the Whole Way Through

Some people use a plan that guides them through reading the Bible in one year (link goes to affiliate store). While that approach has merit, I personally vary the ways I read through the whole Bible. I usually don’t give myself a time limit but rather simply go at a comfortable pace and get done when I get done because my objective is more than simply reading through the Bible. Some methods have taken me a few years to make it through but it has been well worth it. Here is what I’ve done some of the different times I’ve read through the Bible:

  • developed outlines as I went through the Bible
  • recorded everything that showed God and man communicating (prayer)
  • marked all passages that pointed to Jesus
  • determined what character of God it depicted
  • profiled the various Bible characters as I came to them
  • more diligently prayed over what I read than usual
  • underlined key verses for the passages I read each day
  • purchased a chronological Bible and simply read it in the order provided based on dates the various books were written (link goes to affiliate store)

By changing the way I read through the Word each time, it doesn’t grow old to me and God has used some of the results in providing substance for materials on the web site and in seminars. I didn’t read through the Bible for that purpose. I read it because of my relationship with God, to learn more about Him and consequently build my love for and faith in Him but He uses it in various ways.

What’s Your Plan for Reading Through the Whole Bible?

If you’ve never read through the entire Bible, or if it’s been a long time since you did, consider doing so for the purposes listed above. Make it your goal to get beyond mere words to encountering its Author. Ask God to use it to refresh your soul, to make you wise, to find joy in Him because of it, and to light your way (Ps. 19:7-8).

New to Bible Reading and Want to Read the Whole Bible
If you’re new to Bible reading, rarely or perhaps never have read it on your own, starting from the beginning and going through to the end may not be the best plan for you. Check out the New to Bible Reading Discipleship Tool for help understanding Scripture’s big picture and find a reading plan that helps you see that before venturing out on reading the Word from cover to cover.

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Bible Character Studies

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Perhaps you have become convinced of the value of studying Bible characters. You may have even taken time to learn how to do character studies. Since the Bible mentions a lot of people in both the Old and New Testaments, you might not know where to begin. While you could start at the beginning of the Bible and move forward, you might find it less overwhelming to limit your study based on the following possibilities.

Bible Character Studies Based on Like Traits or Certain Slants

Walk the Walk Bible Character Studies Devotional
Click image to learn more about this devotional.

For example, you might study all Bible characters who are said to have walked with God. The Walk the Walk As Those Who Have Gone Before Devotional Guide can assist you in this study. You will learn from the lives of Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, David Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah.

Tip: You can find Bible characters by putting a keyword in a concordance and looking within the context of those verses for people being described as such.

Bible Character Studies Based on Your Gender

If you are a woman, you might want to learn from women like Eve, Hannah, Miriam, Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah, Rahab, Abigail, Esther, Ruth, Naomi, Anna, Mary Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, Martha, Samaritan Woman, Lydia, Priscilla, etc. – Click on the following to check out the resources in one of our affiliate stores:

If you are a man, you might want to learn from men like Adam, Cain, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Jonah, Gideon, Samson, David, other Kings in the Old Testament, Elijah, Elisha, Ezra, Nehemiah, Job, Daniel, John the Baptist, Jesus’ Twelve Disciples, Stephen, Paul, etc.

Tip: While studying characters of like gender can be helpful, do not limit yourself to only studying people based on that factor. We gain balance and different perspectives in our lives as we learn from those different from us.

Studying Biblical Characters Based on Relationships, Marital Status, or Other Circumstances

Reading about people with similar life struggles, needs, and responsibilities can help us learn how to navigate life and relationships.

Tip: Remember that not all people in the Bible lived each moment with integrity. Learn from both the good and bad in their lives.

Bible Character Studies Based on Ministry

The pages of Scripture contain many examples of people who served God in various capacities. We can learn from their leading, teaching, evangelizing, and a number of other ministries.

Tip: Glean principles for serving from all who have gone before us but always look to Jesus as the Master Servant.

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Stuck but want to Change?

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Stuck in the rut of reoccurring sins, bad habits, unhealthy attitudes? You want to change but can’t seem to overcome the dysfunction in your life. If this doesn’t describe you, perhaps it describes some of the people you serve.

You might rehearse God’s commands, maybe even memorize pertinent Scripture. Yet, change still alludes you.

Is Scripture Useful When You're Stuck?
(Click to enlarge image in Pinterest & repin.)

Certainly turning to God’s Word is the way to go as “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). Memorizing Bible verses follows the example of the psalmist who said, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Ps. 119:11) — So, why do you, or those you serve, remain the same?

What’s Needed for Those Who are Stuck But Want to Change?

Changed lives doesn’t come merely by knowing what the Bible says or memorizing it. That’s just the starting point. You need to get to know the God of the Bible … not just about Him, but to really know Him to the point where you truly rely on Him.

Here’s the flow:

1) The more you get into the Word, the more you will get to know the God of the Bible.

2) The more you get to know the God of the Bible, the more you will trust what He says to be right and true and for your good.

3) The more you trust the God of the Bible to be true, the more you will accept His grace as sufficient not only for eternal salvation but also for following His ways and overcoming in the here and now.

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Cor. 12:9)

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age … (Titus 2:11-12)

4) When you accept His grace as sufficient, THEN you are ready for His power to work in you to make changes where needed and live in ways that demonstrate accountability to and alignment with Him.

Helping Others Get Unstuck

In light of the flow described above, we can help others change, by doing the following:

  • Make sure our teaching and other ministries aren’t just Bible-based, or Bible-centered, but also focused on helping people get to know the God of the Bible. Without that foundation, there’s little hope for sustained change.
  • Help people make the leap from what they know about God to how this knowledge applies to their lives. What are the implications of having a Holy God? … of a Gracious God? … of an Almighty God?
  • Pray that people know Him more and more and trust Him more and more.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might … (Col. 1:9-11)

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Fortitude in Our Personal Walk

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God referred to King David of the Old Testament as someone who walked before Him “faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness” (1 Kings 9:4) and as a man after His own heart through whose lineage He would send Jesus (Acts 13:22-23). God said of Him, “he will do everything I want him to do” (Acts 13:22). David experienced many trials and hardships yet remained strong. When he sinned, he repented and accepted the consequences from God’s hand. Where did David find such fortitude? — From his view of, approach to, and obedience of God’s Word.

Fortitude in Our Personal Walk Requires an Adequate View of God’s Word

Psalm 19 - Fortitude from God's Word
(Click image to enlarge in Pinterest & repin.)

Look at David’s view of Scripture as written in Psalm 19:7-11. Pay particular attention to the emboldened words.

The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

We find similar sentiments about God’s Word in Psalm 119, though it isn’t clear if David authored that Psalm. The longest chapter in the Bible, this Psalm focuses in on how we can find not only guidance but strength through His Word to overcome anything that may come against us.

  • I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Ps. 119:11)
  • Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Ps. 119:105)
  • You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. (Ps. 119:114)
  • Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. (Ps. 119:133)
  • Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. (Ps. 119:165)
  • Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me. (Ps. 119:175)

The psalmist viewed Scripture as his standard for living but also his source of strength to live in alignment. If we don’t have an adequate view of God’s Word and the powerful benefit it brings (2 Tim. 3:16-17), we’re not going to approach it in ways that most profit us.

How We Approach God’s Word Can Determine how much Fortification we Derive from It

The Word isn’t going to benefit us if we don’t turn toward it, which often requires sacrificing other pursuits. And so, the psalmist prayed,

  • Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. (Ps. 119:36)
  • Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. (Ps. 119:37)

The Word isn’t going to help if we don’t remember it. We must keep it ever before us.

  • Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. (Ps. 119:97)
  • Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. (Ps. 119:98)

Fortitude Sustained by Obeying God’s Word

Yes, faith does come from hearing the Word (Rom. 10:17) but faith without works is dead (James 1:22-25; 2:17-20). We will quickly wane in our faith if we don’t apply what we learn to life. We might gain immediate comfort or encouragement from a mere reading of the Word but the real reward comes in obeying it. David acknowledged this reality when writing about the law of the Lord. He said, “By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward” (Ps. 19:11). We read this same truth in the New Testament:

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:23-25)

And, what a difference it makes when obedience to the Word comes out of love for the Word, not mere duty. Notice what the author of Psalm 119 wrote:

  • May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees, that I may not be put to shame. (Ps. 119:80)
  • Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. (Ps. 119:129)
  • I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly. (Ps. 119:167)

Point to Remember: If you want a stronger walk with God, then you must spend time with Him in His Word.

The Word itself is that which fortifies us. We meditate on His Word. Nothing ever can, or should, be a substitute for God’s Word.

God does use other tools to strengthen us in our walk with Him. We can learn from others. But, nothing should ever supplant time spent in the Word. If using devotionals or study guides, let’s choose ones that center on the Word, that not only refer to the Bible, but actually get us reading or studying it.

(If you want devotionals that get you into the Word, check out the Walk the Walk Devotional Guides.)

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How are we Thoroughly Equipped?

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Scripture is Means to be Thoroughly EquippedWe’ve established in the previous post that God intends for us to be thoroughly equipped for the ministry He gives us to do.

As we’ll also see in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, God provides the means for such equipping through His Word.

(Click on image to go to Pinterest for an enlarged version and repin.)

The Comprehensive Nature of Scripture Means We can be Thoroughly Equipped

Notice that “ALL Scripture is … useful” according to 2 Timothy 3:16-17. If we handpick what parts of the Bible we want to believe or apply to life, we may not find ourselves thoroughly equipped. Even the genealogies and detailed measurements can have a place in equipping us.

Perhaps before we can appreciate the details, we need a big picture perspective of Scripture and particularly of the God of the Bible. Understanding the fullness of the character and ways of God can make such a difference. Although written with Bible teachers in mind, the following posts on the TrainBibleTeachers.com blog may increase the value we place on gaining the bigger picture.

Suggestion: Come up with a plan to read through and study all of Scripture, not just the easy to understand or more palatable parts.

The Authoritative Basis of God’s Word for Equipping

The reason all Scripture is useful is because “all Scripture is God-breathed” and thereby not only has a purpose for being included but also the authority and power to make a difference. If we don’t believe this, we will have more of a tendency to pick and choose what we want to believe and apply. As a result, we will very likely not find ourselves thoroughly equipped. For more about this point, read the following:

Suggestion: If you doubt the veracity of Scripture, or tend to pick and choose, take time to get to know the God of the Bible better. If He truly is the God of whom there is none greater, then He has absolute authority.

The Targeted Means through Which the Bible Equips

We are at different places. What one person needs to be ready for service may differ from the next person. Some may need to learn something new. Others may need to become aware of something they’re doing wrong. Or, it might be simply tweaking or improving what we’re doing. Perhaps some need to be taken to the next step in their walk and service. Whatever the need, God’s Word is what will teach, rebuke, correct, and train us. Thorough equipping cannot be a “one size fits all” or “cookie cutter” approach.

Suggestion: Examine your approach to God and His Word. Are you hearing from Him or merely copying and comparing yourself to what others are doing?

The Depth or Extent to Which Scripture Equips

Notice how God uses His Word to train us “in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). This is a very important point as God cares about the process, not just the end result. If God didn’t address the heart, our equipping wouldn’t be thorough. He wants to transform our hearts not merely our behavior. Motivation matters. Character matters. Integrity in serving matters. Thorough equipping happens from the inside out. — For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Heb. 4:12)

Suggestion: Ask God to search your heart and thoughts to see what needs to change and to equip you accordingly (Ps. 139:23-24).

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Intended to be Thoroughly Equipped

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God saved us for a reason — to do good works.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph. 2:8-10)

God doesn’t, however, save us by His grace and power and then intend for us to go off in our own wisdom and strength, to figure it out on our own. Rather, “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).

God’s Intent for Us to be Thoroughly Equipped

When God commissions us to do His work here on earth, He provides all we need to do it as seen in a number of Scripture passages like:

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life … (2 Pet. 1:3-4)

has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Eph. 1:3)

Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. (Jn. 1:16)

for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. (Phil. 2:13)

But, the verses we will focus on for the next several posts come from 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Scripture Makes Us Thoroughly Equipped for Good Works

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

(Click on image to go to Pinterest for an enlarged version and repin.)

What It Means to be Thoroughly Equipped

The phrase “thoroughly equipped” stems from two forms of the same Greek word, one an adjective, artios, and the other a verb, exartizo. They both bring the idea of completeness. The verb is the furnishing, providing, fitting, or supplying part of completeness. The adjective describes how thoroughly that process is accomplished. By using these two forms of the same word so close together, God obviously wants to make a point, emphasizing how much He intends to provide for us to do His will. — We are furnished completely complete.

As noted in the other referenced verses, we have everything we need, every spiritual blessing, grace upon grace, to accomplish “every good work” according to His power and grace.

Make no mistake: God’s aim is for us to be thoroughly equipped. In the upcoming posts we will examine 2 Timothy 3:16-17 to learn:

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