What might I read next in the Bible?

Imagine a famous author inviting you to his mansion and ushering you into the library. “These are all my books. Make yourself at home, and read whatever you want.” That’s what we have in the Bible.

I love libraries. There’s such a wealth of books to choose from – and they’re free, which appeals to my Scottish upbringing! I’m particularly fond of a little library near me, which is quarter the size of others in our area. Instead of being daunted by vast displays, it’s possible to browse through every section. I come across gems I knew nothing about, and widen the kind of books I read as a result.

The Bible is a library – many types of literature, but with one wonderful theme: how God has made it possible for us to have a relationship with Him. Like my little library, it’s small enough to browse through every section – yet wide enough to dive in for a whole lifetime and still have more to explore.

So, what to read next? Here are a few starters:

• Browse the whole library. Is there a section you’ve never looked at before, or not for a long time? Are you getting a balance of Old and New Testament? Have you ever read Leviticus? Or Jude?
• Are you fighting difficult circumstances right now? Be encouraged by some of the heroes of faith. Find their names in Hebrews 11, then jump into the Old Testament to see how God used their circumstances to strengthen their faith in His goodness and sovereignty. If you’re not sure where to find them, here’s a helpful list.
• Do you know what sermon series is coming up at church? Get ahead by reading the passages now. It will help your understanding of that book or theme – and give you some tricky questions to ask the preacher afterwards!
• Pick a psalm. Use it to praise God for His faithfulness, then ask yourself how it applies to Jesus.
• Get the big picture. Look up a simple Bible overview (there are several online, or you could use the one in Preaching God’s Big Story”. Then read about the key events to see God’s rescue plan through the whole of history.
• Read whole books. When we just pick and mix, it’s easy to read the bits we like and skip the rest. When we read whole books, and ultimately the whole Bible, we are being exposed to everything God wants to say to us.
• Read the whole Bible. It sounds scary – but it’s only about four chapters a day to read the whole Bible in a year. And if you struggle with self-discipline, try this: I told the whole congregation that my New Year’s resolution was to read the Bible in a year, and asked them to check up on me. It worked a treat!