Robert Murray M‘Cheyne (1813-1843) created one of the most popular Bible reading plans ever. It takes readers through the OT once and the NT twice over a year.

But M’Cheyne also offered four warnings about the misuse or plans like his.

1. Formality—Reading Bible for the sake of duty rather than reading the Bible for the Love of God (hence the name of D. A. Carson’s fantastic two-volume devotional built on the M’Cheyne reading plan).

2. Self-Righteousness. We read to make ourselves feel righteous before God. M’Cheyne describes this type of reading as complacent and unaffected by the work of God.

3. Careless reading—Reading the Word of God without trembling in his presence.

4. A yoke too heavy to bear—Beginning the year reading with joy but being consumed by the burden of reading. Legalism consumes and destroys.

But M’Cheyne also lists five rewards:

1. Reading the whole counsel of God’s Word
2. No time wasted in selecting passages to read
3. Family devotions
4. The pastor knows where hie congregation is reading
5. Christian unity strengthened when we read together.