Here's the secret to Bible reading in 2025
Many people set goals at the beginning of a new year, and one of the greatest goals at the beginning of the year is the goal to read the entire Bible in a calendar year. The path to success is organization. When it comes to anything in life, having the right tools for the job is extremely important. If I’m working on a vehicle or making a simple home repair without the proper tools, I often find myself frustrated. For that reason, as you begin your journey through the Bible in 2025, I would urge you to use the right tools.
A random approach to Bible reading is not the way forward and will leave a person discouraged by failure. A number of years ago, I found a plan that works well for me and helps balance readings in the New Testament and Old Testament each day. I want to share that plan and recommend some others as well.
Before I talk about the plan, allow me to make another recommendation: Read the Bible with a devotional heart in 2025.
Read the Bible to know God and to worship God
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Far too many people read the text in order to check off the day. Take time to read the Bible with a devotional heart of worship and watch how you grow spiritually. It truly makes a difference. Scripture should never be approached as a mere checklist or intellectual exercise. The Bible is God’s living and active Word (Heb. 4:12), and its ultimate purpose is to draw us closer to Him in worship. The psalmist declares, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105), reminding us that God’s Word is both a guide for daily living and a source of joy and wonder.
When we read devotionally, we engage not only our minds but also our hearts. This means approaching Scripture prayerfully, seeking to behold the glory of Christ, and responding with adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and petition.
The M’Cheyne Bible reading plan
The Robert Murray M’Cheyne Bible reading plan has stood the test of time as a valuable tool for Christians seeking a structured and spiritually enriching approach to reading Scripture. Designed by the 19th-century Scottish minister Robert Murray M’Cheyne (1813–1843), the plan guides believers through the New Testament and Psalms twice a year and the Old Testament once a year. Its format offers a daily mix of Old and New Testament readings, making it an ideal resource for fostering both personal devotion and a comprehensive understanding of the Word of God. I have personally used this plan for over a decade now and have grown to truly appreciate this approach. Why do I appreciate this reading plan?
1. Comprehensive and balanced: The plan ensures that readers encounter the entire counsel of God in a systematic way. By engaging with multiple sections of Scripture each day, readers gain a holistic view of God’s redemptive purposes throughout history.
2. Encourages family and private worship: M’Cheyne envisioned his plan as a tool for both personal devotions and family worship. It allows families to grow together spiritually while also enabling individuals to seek the Lord privately.
3. Promotes consistency and discipline: The plan’s daily structure fosters a disciplined habit of Scripture reading, helping believers prioritize time with God even amidst busy schedules.
Robert Murray M’Cheyne himself emphasized the transformative power of Scripture in a believer’s life. He wrote, “The greatest need of my people is my own holiness. How can I be holy if I neglect the Word of God?”1 M’Cheyne wrote, “A calm hour with God is worth a whole lifetime with man.”2 His words remind us that immersion in Scripture is vital for personal sanctification and ministry effectiveness. He wrote to his church and warned them of reading the Bible out of formality, self-righteousness, careless reading, and a burdened approach (from a heavy yoke that’s too heavy to bear).
Reading the Bible is about knowing God and growing to love Him in a more intimate manner each day. If you’re merely reading words on a page rather than seeing and experiencing God from the Bible, you’re missing the point. God isn’t going to grade us on our percentage of Bible reading at the end of the year. However, a disorganized reading plan will likewise minimize spiritual growth, and that’s one thing we seek to avoid when choosing a good plan. God wants His children to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him. What better way to accomplish this than by a good systematic Bible reading plan.
Access to the reading plan:
M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan: Each day includes a passage from both the Old Testament and New Testament. If you prefer to use technology (phone, iPad, or computer) to read, you can find the M’Cheyne Bible reading plan on various platforms such as the ESV site and the Bible app (one that I hesitate to recommend because of the many deficient Bible teachers they recommend on their platform).
May the Lord encourage you and strengthen you as you read the Bible in this new year!
Happy New Year and happy reading!
References
1. Memoir and Remains of the Rev. Robert Murray M’Cheyne, ed. Andrew Bonar, p. 292.
2. Ibid., 382.
Originally published at G3 Ministries.
Josh Buice serves as the pastor of Pray’s Mill Baptist Church, a 180-year-old church where G3 Conferences began. Josh is the husband to Kari and father of four children: Karis, John Mark, Kalli, and Judson. He studied at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned his MDiv and DMin in expository preaching. He also serves as Assistant Professor of Preaching for Grace Bible Theological Seminary in Conway, Arkansas. Josh has a passion for biblical preaching, missions, church planting, and the local church. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, running, hunting, and spending time with his family.
