It calms me down every time.
Me too.
Hey...this is my little way of getting through the Bible several times a year. Your mileage may vary, but it is a sweeping overview that works for me, and has made certain Books, like the Gospels, the Torah, Acts, and Revelation get rear 2-12 times a years. It is a great way of “Hiding God’s Word in your heart (Psalm 119).
Here we go:
1. Get 8 little bookmarks. The more colorful and cheerful, the better. (Mine were a gift from a student, and they have puppy and kitten holograms on them! LOL)
2. Place the Bookmarks in Your favorite translation of the Bible like This:
Old Testament:
1. The Torah (Genesis - Deuteronomy)
2. History (Joshua - Esther)
3. Poetry (Job - Song of Solomon)
4. The Prophets (Isaiah - Malachi)
New Testament:
1. The Gospels (Matthew-John)
2. The Book of Acts
3. The Letters (Romans-Jude
4. The Book of Revelation
Every morning, while you are having your coffee, read ONE Chapter from each of the Bookmarks, and then move the bookmark forward to the next chapter, and then go to the next bookmark, read ONE chapter, and then go the next. DO NOT be legalistic about it, because that will make it a chore. Instead, let the Word minister to you and have the whole counsel of God at your fingertips.
Because of the number of chapters involved in each bookmark, it works out like this:
The Torah...2X a year
History...(the toughest section, IMNSHO) 1X a year
Poetry...2X a year
The Prophets...1X a year
The Gospels...2+ times a year
The Book of Acts 12(!) times a year
The Letters...2X a year
Revelation...12X a year
The complete overview is important so you won’t get bogged down in the “begats” or the wicked kings that keep messing up, which can be depressing! By following the Prophets with the Gospels, you see how the prophecies are fulfilled, and the messages in the Letters are uplifting after reading about the sufferings of Paul in the Book of Acts.
This is not actual Bible STUDY, but Bible Reading. Bible STUDY is, of course, the in depth exegesis of chapters, Passages, sentences, words, and even LETTERS in the Bible. It has, as you said, a “calming” effect, and starts the day off right every time!