“Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.”

That’s what Oscar had Julie Andrews tell the the von Trapp family in “The Sound of Music.” And then she taught them do, re and mi.

After talking about some of the confusing parts of Bible reading last week, I wanted to pick up another question I’m asked: “Where do I start?”

Often, people start with Genesis. Other times people are told to start with John. Still other times, people open a Bible randomly and start reading whatever they see first.

If you are a person who likes to see the whole picture, then sometime in life, reading from Genesis to Revelation is a good idea. It gives you a sense of context. But it will take a long time and you will get bogged down in Leviticus.

If you are a person who wants a complex theological discussion of who Jesus is, then starting with John is a good idea. But it will take some time wrestling with the theological explanations John includes.

If you are a person who likes to walk into a library or bookstore and browse the shelves, the random method is fun. But it leaves you with no context at all for your reading. And you end up in some very peculiar places.

I have a suggestion of where to start for the next couple of days.

Psalm 4

Tomorrow and Thursday, I’ll write our way through it.  For now, just read it.

Read it knowing that you don’t have to milk instant application from it. Read it knowing that other people will talk with you about it. Read it knowing that someone else has talked to God, wanting answers and eventually finding sleep.

And that sounds like a very good place to start.