As I’ve written before, I am using the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan this year – it’s the best system I know of for actually getting through the whole Bible in a year. But there is an unlimited number of other plans and ways to read the Bible.

Some folks like to read the Psalms and Proverbs in a month, for example, or every month. My wife, June, was just asking about how we used to do that so I thought the answer would be worth sharing.

Proverbs is a no-brainer. There are 31 of them, so if you read the chapter in Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month, you’re in business.

One could read the Psalms consecutively: there are 150 psalms, and with 30 days in the month, that’s five psalms a day – 1 – 5, 6 – 10, and so on. But the late Jim Downing, “Navigator #6,” who passed away in 2018 at the age of 104 1/2, had another plan, which I really like. It goes like this:

• On day 1, read Psalm 1, 31, 61, 91, 121
• On day 2, read Psalm 2, 32, 62, 92, 122
• That’s not rocket science, and you’ll know which Psalms to read fairly easily. Just start with the day of the month for the first reading. Then add 30, for the next four readings.
• You might know that Psalm 119 has 176 verses! No problem…it’s divided into 22 sections of 8 verses each, so the first 22 days of the month, add a section of Psalm 119.

There’s your plan. Tomorrow is the first of March (maybe today if you’re in the habit of reading this the morning after it’s published!). If you don’t have a regular plan, give this one a try.

And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. (Deuteronomy 17.18 – 20, ESV)

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1.1 – 3, ESV)