I took it off the shelf in my study. A small, pocket-size copy of the Bible. Good for the summer months when I am outside a bit more and can grab a few minutes here and there to read some scriptures. So, it is with me all day – every day. It fits in the back pocket of my jeans. I also place it on my beside table when I arrive home for the last time each day. Then, as I head to bed for the night, I spend some time reading it as I sit on the chair in the corner by the bed.

And, I have to admit I have been very surprised, even amazed, at how much I have been managing to read as I take it with me … a chapter here, three chapters there. Add to that a few chapters most nights and I am feeling well fed spiritually. Refreshed. Even renewed. And, and I am not stealing time from other events, activities or relationships. Apparently instead of losing time I am now using time and moving forward spiritually all because I made a conscious decision to use the spare moments that use to simply vanish into thin air.

Fresh manna for the soul and spirit every day is good and refreshing. However, it does not happen by itself. It does take a little thought and effort – even a bit of planning. But, in our busy world of constant activity and perpetual demands on our time, it is possible to have that ‘pause that refreshes’ a number of times every day if we just work at doing so. May I encourage you to do just that. Of course that means you may be seen reading your little pocket Bible at a coffee shop, bus stop, at the dentist’s office, and many other places where people today simply no longer are seen reading the Bible.

Today – after two hours in the yard finally racking up the leaves and branches from last fall and spraying some weeds in the pathways – making ready for some nice evenings in front of the fire pit on nights I am actually home … I made a cup of coffee, sat down to rest and refreshed my spirit man at the same time. Felt good!

The best way to read large chunks of the Bible if to often ignore the chapter numbers and the verses. These were not part of the original manuscripts and were added many centuries later to enable people to find the exact spot being referenced in a teaching or a sermon – and to make personal study easier, I suspose.

The Bible was divided into chapters by Stephen Langton about A.D. (C.E.) 1228. The Old Testament was divided into verses by R. Nathan in A.D. (C.E.) 1448 and the New Testament by Robert Stephanus in A.D. (C.E.) 1551. The entire Bible divided into chapters and verses first appeared in the Geneva Bible of A.D. (C.E.) 1560.

The problem is that a chapter break is often placed where there is no thought break. So, if you stop at the artificial break you miss the writer’s complete thought or point because you actually came to a halt part way through it. At times you read the thesis or the thought being presented and then stop at the chapter break – missing the “therefore” … the practical application of that thought or piece of theology.

The Bible verses can do the same thing – putting a break where there should not be one and thus breaking up the thought or argument or even the story being told. Then, when you start reading at that chapter or verse break later, you will have lost some of the meaning because you are starting in mid-stream.

The breaks within a chapter – where the publishers of that particular Bible added headings in mid-chapter… these are helpful to let us know a familiar story or portion of scripture lies ahead. But again, these are artificial divisions added later by someone other than the author or the Holy Spirit.

My point – don’t always be guided by the man-made divisions in the scriptures. Rather – read until you have the complete thought or teaching being presented (with application). Recognize that a story will make more sense when kept in the context of the story or event that came before it (so you know who He is talking to or why this story or parable is being told). You get my point.

So, when picking up your reading on any given day just quickly review the latter part of your previous reading – where are we (Galilee, Jerusalem, Samaria), who is He with, who was He talking to (disciples, multitudes, the inner three), what was His previous point or what issue had He been addressing … then pick up where you left off because you will have regained the context of the stories you are about to read.

Happy summer journey through your Bible….

If you have joined me in journeying through the Bible in 2 months you will, by now, have read 57 chapters. You will have found yourself amazed that you actually read that much of the Bible in that short a time period.

Most of us find it difficult in our fast-paced world to even have a regular devotional time. We realize that so many things squeeze out our planned Bible time on any given day. Good things, family things, important things. Nevertheless, we often lose more daily devotional times than we actually keep in any given week.

Even if we are faithful and manage our daily Bible reading and devotional time – our reading time is realtively short. We manage a chapter or so on any given day. This helps our spirit to be fed and stay alive spiritually but it does not give us the big picture of how God has and is interacting with mankind on a daily basis.

But, in the slower summer months when we sit out a bit more, BBQ in the back yard, ride our bikes, go for walks in the park, sit by the pool (backyard version or at a regional or provincial park) – maybe now is a good time to take a run at reading the Bible from cover-to-cover and become familiar with its wonderful (and true) stories once again.

Each year as summer approaches I go on-line and purchase a new Bible to use for my summer reading blitz. I purchase a version I have not read or don’t normally use. And, I buy one that is packaged in a compact way. It then fits in the sack on my bike, easily goes in my lunch bag when heading out to the beach or the park, is portable so I can take it when I go to walk the dog… you get the idea.

So, my dog and I go for three long walks a day – total of 10 miles or so. On the two during daylight hours I take my Bible. Two thirds of the way to the turn-around point there is a nice grassy slope and a stream as well as some shade trees. So, we walk and enjoy the trail we are on – then we sit, have a diet coke (he drinks water I have brought for him) and I read my Bible. Cooking supper on the BBQ – I can read 5 to 10 chapters in the time it takes to slow cook (slow on purpose, of course) the steaks. Because it is lighter earlier in the summer – and warmer – I get up sooner than I normally would, grab a coffee, and head out to the lawn chair to enjoy being outdoors and to, you guessed it, read my Bible.

Summer is a great time (although short) to be intentional about Bible reading. So, grab a smaller Bible that fits into your purse or knapsack and is fairly portable and take it with you everywhere you go. Use your spare minutes wisely and you will be amazed at how much of the Bible you can actually read in any given two month period.