I’m currently reading the stories of The Rich Young Ruler as well as Felix and Paul. Other comments from people with current private readings or their own opinions about my two choices welcome.
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May I suggest a couple of ideas for reading the bible.
Try adopting read through the bible in a year.
To do this you start in Genesis and read three chapters, then a psalm followed by a chapter in Mathew. You do this every day untill you’ve read the whole bible.
Why do it? Because it gives you an over view of the bible and rather than just reading the nice easy bits every part is read and All scripture is God breather and useful for teaching, rebuking and instructing the man of God so he is fully equipped for every good deed God has prepared for him. ( see if you can find that quote. )
Another method is to read chapter by chapter through a book in the bible, but also recording what you read, what struck you in the passage and why, then what you prayed about.
This method forces you to read and re read the chapter and to re read passages that strike you so you have some understanding what it means.
Again use audible bible recordings as you travel to work etc.
Or you could read a passage and then read what a commentator has written about that passage.
There are many ways to read the bible, what is important is that you read all of it and re read it.
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I recently came across this article on the Rich Young Ruler and thought it had a lot of good insights.
A contemporary reader would immediately notice the triple oxymoron:
- rich
- young
- ruler
In a Biblical civil order, rulers would be the grave and experienced elders of the community. Men seasoned by life, and proven by decades of good decision-making.
So how did this young dude become a ruler? Probably the same way he became rich – as the scion of hereditary nobility.
I’m about four months behind on my last read-through of the Bible, following a Navigator’s plan. Just finished Revelation, and need to polish off a few chapters of Isaiah before launching into the deep one more time.
Next time, the plan is to follow the canonical reading schedule: read the books in order, from Gen. 1:1 to Rev. 22:21.
I’m also reading the Bible in a foreign language I’d like to learn. This definitely forces me to slow down and pay more attention!
I’m not sure why but I’m brought back to certain stories again and again and with you asking about this it brought it to my attention that these same readings I read more then others. But the story of Joseph and his brothers I read a lot a lot and I also see reference to it all the time in life bringing me back to reading it and also Adam and Eve story is another . And also in Revelations the seven seals and it’s weird I constantly see laying around these things seals it’s just something and then my thoughts are of the scrolls and God and I need to pray 
and to others it may look like junk on the ground but I will see it’s a seal to something I just know God speaks to my mind at times. A lot of mystery though too. I really hope to talk with someone trusted one day about the so not coincidental occurrences in life too it’s just 
at times I do get the fear of the Lord the mystery certain themes and then I wonder if it has to do with the different tribes that continues to this day within us that we belong to ?
Dr_S, reading in a language you’re learning is a great idea. It makes you slow down in a way skimming in English never does.
For anyone else who’s fallen behind on a plan: Who-me’s tip about journaling what stands out is a good way to restart without guilt. One verse and one question per chapter is plenty.
Full disclosure, I run a small Christian site called The Redeemed One, and it has free reading plans (the New Testament in 90 days, the whole Bible in a year) with a daily checklist that remembers where you left off (just search The Redeemed One). A paper checklist works just as well, though!
On the Rich Young Ruler, what always gets me is that Jesus “looked at him and loved him” (Mark 10:21) before giving the hard command. The call to surrender came out of love.
Took the words right out of my mouth brother, lol. I couldn’t have said it better. I’ve been reading the Bible ina year for the past 7 years in a row. 3 chapters a day, without the Psalm or Matthew chapters but if I was listening to a Pastor teaching video then I’ll look other stuff up as he directs in his sermon, but I don’t that towards my reading plan.
Earlier this year I felt one day after I had finished reading my 3 chapters that day that, it wasn’t enough. So I started reading 6 chapters a day just because I find it that interesting and so I look forward to 6 chapter a day. That did mess up my reading timeline though, lol. I finished the rest of the OT and began again the next day in the NT, read it all and so started over in the OT again at Genesis. This morning I see that I am up to, 1 Samuel 12 through 18 of next years reading if I had stuck with 3 chapters.
At 3 chapters a day average I used to finish in mid to late December perfectly but now that wont happen any more I’m sure.
Reading the Bible and not being able to understand it is what makes it so hard for people who do not normally read it every day. But Guaranteed it does get easier and does get more interesting the more you read it. Everyone should have a reading plan and read it in the morning when you wake up refreshed and before the noise of the world invades your thoughts. The Lord did this for me, lol! He wakes me up at 2:30 am every night so starting at 3 we beginning connecting with prayer and so forth and after that, the reading of the word. One day we will all stand before Jesus…(Right?), what if He says, so, did you read my book?
I thought about that one time, and I wouldn’t want to have to say no I didn’t read it! That would be embarrassing to say the least.
I like the mix of ideas here. For me reading a little every day beats trying to cover a lot, and I usually end up stuck on one line for a week. The Rich Young Ruler story gets me every time because it’s less about money and more about what we hold onto tightly. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Honestly that’s how it feels for me, just enough light for the next step and not the whole road.
I suppose my short and simple observation would be that the OP would be hard pressed to find two more divergent messages.
One speaks of an unwillingness to surrender material possessions,
While the other is an example of complete surrender.( assuming the reader gets to Nero)