Reading Timeline

Here is a reading timeline (10-10) based on 10 chapters Old Testament and 10 chapters New Testament. Highlighted books are books which can be read together and are broken down into both (individual days) and grouped days. Numbers in red are both large and chaptered such that reading them by timed method (1 hour) would be best.  

Old Testament Reading Schedule

Book	Chapters	Days		Book	Chapters	Days
Genesis	50	5		Ecclesiastes	12	1
Exodus	40	4		Song of Solomon	8	1
Leviticus	27	3		Isaiah	66	7
Numbers	36	4		Jeremiah	52	5
Deuteronomy	34	4		Lamentations	5	1
Joshua	24	3		Ezekiel	48	5
Judges	21	2		Daniel	12	1
Ruth	4	1		Hosea	14	2
I Samuel	31	3		Joel	3	(1)
II Samuel	24	3		Amos	9	(1) 1
I Kings	22	2		Obadiah	1	(1)
II Kings	25	3		Jonah	4	(1)
I Chronicles	29	3		Micah	7	(1) 1
II Chronicles	36	4		Nahum	3	(1)
Ezra	10	1		Habakkuk	3	(1)
Nehemiah	13	2		Zephaniah	3	(1)
Esther	10	1		Haggai	2	(1) 1
Job	42	4		Zachariah	14	2
Psalms	150	15		Malachi	4	1
Proverbs	31	3

Total number of days needed to read through the Old Testament by reading 10 chapters average would be 100 days  or about 3.5 months. This amounts to reading the Old Testament 3.5 times per year.

New Testament Reading Schedule

Book	Chapters	Days		Book	Chapters	Days
Matthew	28	3		I Timothy	6	(1)
Mark	16	2		II Timothy	4	(1) 1
Luke	24	2		Titus	3	(1)
John	21	2		Philemon	1	(1)
Acts	28	3		Hebrews	13	(1) 2
Romans	16	2		James	5	(1)
I Corinthians	16	2		I Peter	5	(1)
II Corinthians	13	2		II Peter	3	(1) 1
Galatians	6	(1)		I John	5	(1)
Ephesians	6	(1)  1		II John	9	(1)
Philippians	4	(1)		III John	1	(1)
Colossians	4	(1)  1		Jude	1	(1)  3
I Thessalonians	5	(1)		Revelation	23	2
II Thessalonians	3	(1)  1

It is a bit more complicated but one could group them together to read the 10 chapters average. If done this way the New Testament could be read in 30 days or read 12  times per year. Imagine reading through the NT once a month!  Okay ... cut the reading time in half. Reading 5 chapters a day from each the OT and NT would result in completing the OT 1.75 times a year and the NT 6.5 times.

Rewards (What comes naturally.)

One big advantage (reward) is that the Scriptures take on a whole meaning beyond the verse by verse study. Whenever an OT passage is quoted in the New Testament, you immediately get a contextual grip on its significance.

Study will become easier and insightful application will begin to weave itself into discussions, meditation and prayer. You will begin to see God in everything around you. You will begin to see His 'fingerprints' on all of creation and will understand more deeply (what I like to call visceral understanding) passages such as: 

Rom. 1:18 - 23 (NASB) ¹⁸For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. ²⁰For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. ²¹For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ²²Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Apologetics, hermeneutics and the like are coming. I can hardly wait!  I hope you can join me.

One other reward, you will start a natural trend toward evangelism.  This is important, because the evangelism (witnessing) should be natural. There are basically two types of witnesses. Those who are natural and those who sound like telemarketers. A REALationship with Him begins with the Word. Remember, Jesus is the Word and no one comes to the Father except through Him. The Word starts transforming us inwardly through the renewing of our thinking patterns (mind). We start thinking (meditating) on His thoughts.  We start asking questions (praying) and wondering about how things work. Before we know it, our behavior starts changing until one day someone who you are around a lot (co-worker) comes up to you and says, "I noticed you don't get as angry as quick anymore. In fact, I can't recall the last time you flew off the handle. What's going on?" A tear may form in your eye as you say, "Well, something marvelous. Let me tell you about it."  

NOW THAT'S EVANGELISM.