Reading a passage and noting the verse that touches you
Many people want to read the Bible more often and give up after three days: too long, too abstract, nothing sticks. This quest gives you a very simple method so that each reading leaves a trace: read a passage, then note a verse that touches you.
What it looks like in your day
Take a passage of reasonable size: fifteen to twenty verses, a short chapter, a Gospel story. Here are the three steps:
- First ask God to open your understanding. One sentence is enough: "Lord, speak to me through this text."
- Read the passage to the end. Without stopping at every word you don't understand.
- Spot the verse that catches you. Not the "prettiest" one: the one that bothers you, surprises you, comforts you or raises a question. Underline it, or write it in a notebook or a phone note, with its reference.
Then add one sentence: why that one? "This verse touched me because I'm stressed and it speaks of peace."
For a beginner, the Gospel of Mark or John is a good starting point: read one passage a day, for example Mark 1 then Mark 2. If you are in a hurry, five minutes is enough: read ten verses, note one verse. If you are shy about a long text, remember that you don't have to understand everything: one verse kept is better than a chapter skimmed.
What the Bible says
Paul explains why reading Scripture is valuable for us:
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
The Bible was "written aforetime... for our learning." These ancient words therefore have a bearing on you, today, and they produce patience, comfort and hope, which everyone needs.
The psalmist also says that reading has an effect of light:
“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”
"It giveth understanding unto the simple": you don't have to be learned to read it. The simple person, who hasn't studied, can understand the essentials. And Jesus affirms that the word of God is food:
“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
You don't eat a whole chapter at once: you eat one bite at a time. A verse noted each day is like a simple meal that nourishes.
Pitfalls to avoid
Looking for the "perfect" verse. Don't spend ten minutes hesitating. Take the one that jumps out at you, even if it seems ordinary. Tomorrow, you will choose another.
Pulling it out of context. A verse noted remains a fragment of a wider passage. Keep in mind what the text says before and after, so as not to make it say what it doesn't.
Falling into superstition. Opening the Bible at random and taking the first verse as an oracle is not the method. Read a coherent passage, in order.
Giving up after one missed day. If you miss a day, you haven't lost everything. Pick up tomorrow with the same passage or the next one.
Accumulating without rereading. A phone note containing fifty verses never reread is useless. Reread your verses from time to time: it is a treasure.
Today, take a short chapter, read it, and note the verse that touches you, with one sentence saying why.