I didn’t set out to copy the entire Bible by hand. And yet, somehow I am. Here’s my story.
How It Started: Back in 2018, I was searching for a new way to engage with the Bible on a daily basis. A friend of mine had created 36 months of topical Scripture writing lists—three years’ worth!—and I figured that I’d give it a try for a month and see if I liked it.
I did indeed like it. So I completed the entire three-year collection of passages, rarely missing a day. (I’m so thankful to my friend Debbie at The Architect and the Artist, who has allowed me to make her Scripture writing plans available here on my blog. You can download them for free from this post.)
But as I approached the end of her three-year plan, I began to panic just a wee bit. Scripture writing had become an important part of my day, and an integral part (sometimes the only part) of my daily time in the Word. I was about to run out of my three-year supply of topical verses, so I asked Debbie what she did after she completed her own Scripture writing plans. She told me that she just started copying out entire books of the Bible. (My jaw dropped, and you can find more about that story in my very first post on Scripture writing here.)
But I gave it a try. I started easy (Philippians, only four chapters), then challenged myself to see if I was really serious about this (Psalms, 150 chapters). Those two books took me about eight months, and by then I was completely hooked.
Where I Am Today: I began copying entire books of the Bible in September 2021. Four and a half years later, here’s where I am:
- I’ve copied out 40 books* of the Bible, out of 66
- That’s 731 chapters, out of 1,189…
- Or 18,347 verses, out of 31,102…
- Which is about 60% of the Bible, give or take.
So, it looks like my daily habit of Scripture writing—usually about 10 to 15 minutes each morning—is going to lead to me writing out the entire Bible. I am as surprised at this as almost anyone.
How It’s Benefited Me: Even after nearly eight years of copying out the Bible every single day, Scripture writing is still my favorite way to engage with the Word. I love the act of writing out verses, chapters, and books; I love choosing which book to copy next (back when I did the topical plans I loved seeing the new topic each month); and I love filling my spiral notebooks with God’s Word written out in my own hand. Most of all, though, I love how it slows me down and allows time for me to read my study Bible notes, think or pray about what I’ve written, or dig deeper into a chapter or passage using a handbook like With the Word. I’ve done many Bible reading plans over the years, and I have nothing against them at all … except that I sometimes felt rushed (too rushed to read study notes or a Bible handbook), or I found my mind wandering, or I felt like I wasn’t truly getting anything new from what I was reading, because I’d read it many times before. But with Scripture writing,
- I no longer feel rushed. It’s impossible to “get behind” or feel that I don’t have time to look into something that I have a question about.
- If my mind wanders, I pull myself back to my own handwriting on the page in front of me, rereading what I just wrote. Somehow this helps refocus me better than skimming my eyes over the Bible itself, trying to find where I got off track.
- Everything feels new—even passages and books I’ve read many times before. This is a direct result of my mind being forced to think at the pace at which I’m writing, which isn’t nearly as fast as the pace at which I read. Sometimes, when I’m writing it out, it feels as if I’m reading a Bible passage for the first time. Passages that I love become more precious to me; passages that I’m very familiar with feel fresh and new; and those more mundane (okay, boring) sections that seemed inconsequential before take on new meaning and importance (keep that Bible handbook handy for this, or use a study Bible—this is the one I use, and this one is also good—if you’re writing out Scripture, you’ll have time to read these, now!).
What’s Ahead in My Scripture Writing Journey: Well, in my immediate future, twenty-six books of the Bible are yet ahead. I’m really excited about some: Proverbs, Romans, Acts, and 1 & 2 Peter, especially—as well as Revelation, which I’m saving for last and fully expect to end in tears. I’m not so excited for others, honestly: 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles are not exactly calling my name, nor is Jeremiah, but (and I know I’ve mentioned these above, but they’re lifesavers) my study Bible notes and my Bible handbook will be especially helpful when I’m writing out those books.
And after that? After I’ve written out the entire Bible? I honestly have no idea. I don’t think about it much because I get a little sad and forlorn. Maybe I’ll start over with the original 36 months of topical lists, for old times sake. Maybe I’ll re-copy my favorite Bible books. Maybe I’ll create my own Scripture writing study based on some of the Bible study resources I already own (possibly Francis Schaeffer’s 25 Basic Bible Studies, which would be great for this). Maybe my grandchildren will be old enough to want to copy with me and I’ll come up with a plan we can do together.
And at some point, in the far future, I hope, I know I’ll no longer be physically able to write out God’s Word in my own hand. Maybe that’s when I’ll start listening to the Bible, which, surprisingly, I’ve never personally done.
While I deeply love this Scripture writing journey that God has had me on, and I pray that he will allow me to see it through to the end, I also look forward to whatever he has in store for me next.
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*Here are the books that I’ve already copied, in order. It’s very satisfying to type them all out together like this, let me tell you! This post gives a peek into how I’ve selected which book I’m going to copy next.
Philippians • Psalms • Hebrews • Jonah • Genesis • John • Judges • Ruth • Daniel • Leviticus • Esther • Titus • Philemon • Ecclesiastes • Micah • Ephesians • Hosea • 1 John • 2 John • 3 John • Isaiah • Jude • 1 Timothy • 2 Timothy • Exodus • 1 Samuel • 2 Samuel • Joel • Amos • Obadiah • Nahum • Matthew • Ezra • Nehemiah • Colossians • Ezekiel • Luke • Haggai • Job • Galatians
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Great and Noble Tasks 