I have known some who are rather  insistant that one needs to read every
day... and put people under serious guilt if they didn't.  I  realize it is
important to have time with God, but if one reads one verse, or ten chapters
does that make him a "better" Christian?  I can spend time with God just
talking, thinking, singing,
Wow! You sure have read the Bible many times!
Rhonda

-----Original Message-----
From: Echurch-USA The Electronic Church
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Phil Scovell
Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 12:08 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: 5 Chapters a day chart

Rhonda,

Yes, whatever is comfortable is probably the best for anybody.  I have read
the Bible 114 times from cover to cover.  For 8 years, back in the eighties,
I read 40 chapters every day.  This allows you to read the complete Bible
once each month.  One year, I read it not 12 times but 14 times.  I even
read it all in one week, just to see what it was like, but I didn't do a
very good job paying attention I don't think.  Reading the Bible once a
month, however, really had a profound effect upon me in ways I find hard to
explain.  You get a different picture of how Bible stories fit together
since, at many points, you are reading whole books in a day or several books
within a week.  After I reach something like 108 times, I stopped reading it
even on a daily bases.  This year is the first time I have really thought
about reading it through again.  It is odd, to some degree, but after
reading it that many times, when I am praying and thinking about other areas
of the Bible, connecting passages will come to mind that I've not noticed
before.  My goal was to reach 100 times but since then, as I said, I have
slowly crept up to 114.  I've read the New Testament a few more times than
that but I forget how many now.  In many respects, especially in the New
Testament, it is probably better to read less than more so, as you said, you
can focus more on what is being read and so you can think about what you
read throughout the day.  Meditating on a passage is very rewarding but
that's a different subject.

Phil.