Bible Reading Tip – Easily Keep Track of Where You Left Off on a Page with Several Chapters

I use ribbons to mark my place, but when I open to the ribbon and find four chapters on the two pages it marks I often don’t remember which chapter to read next. I sometimes end up reading the same chapter multiple times. An alternate of course is to mark the chapter or write it down, but that’s too cumbersome and I almost never have a pencil handy. If I have to go through extra steps I will eventually stop. Fortunately there’s an easy way around this without having to write anything down and it’s fast and easy.

Before closing your Bible count the number of chapters on the two open pages and see what number the next chapter is. For example, your next chapter might be the fourth chapter on those pages. The printed number of the chapter doesn’t matter. Ignore that for now.

Close the Bible with the ribbon marking the page. Place the palm of your hand across the bottom of your Bible with your finger lining up with the spine (pinky for left hand or your index finger for your right hand). Now count the number of fingers to match the number of your next chapter. Move the ribbon to line up with that finger.

When opening your Bible, lay your fingers across the Bible again before you open it and count which finger it lines of with. Now open the Bible and count the chapters on the pages until you get to that chapter.

As an example, my next chapter in 1 Timothy is the third chapter. Now I know to read chapter 6 next.

As another example, my next chapter in Psalms is the fourth chapter, so with my fingers on the Bible and my pinky lined up with the spine, I move the marker to my first finger. When I open the Bible I place my palm on the Bible and count to the first finger. From my pinky to the first finger tells me that I’m reading the fourth chapter. I open the Bible, starting at chapter 81 I can see that I’m reading chapter 84 next.

I’ve been using this method for a while and haven’t had the ribbons to move out of place. Do you use this method or do you use a different method to keep your place?

Photography by hannah C brown