Is Reading the Bible Important?
God expects His people to read His word. “It is to be
with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to
revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and
these decrees…” (Deuteronomy 17:19)
One of the most important things you can do in your
Christian life is to read God’s word.
Without it you will not do well in the fight against the world, the
flesh, and the devil. You must read your
Bible.
Do you read the Bible every day, or maybe 2-3 days a
week? Do you only read it when you are
at church? I know many people who leave
their Bibles at home when they attend church on Sundays.
According to a Transformational Discipleship
Assessment study by Lifeway Research, only 19% of churchgoers
personally (not as part of a church worship service) read the Bible every day,
and 14% say they read the Bible once a week, while another 22 percent say once
a month. And yet, the survey found 90
percent of churchgoers agree with the statement that "I desire to please
and honor Jesus in all I do.”
Does that describe you?
In Matthew 4:4, Jesus says “It is written: Man does not
live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Bible studies, daily devotional booklets, and
skipping around Bible readings are not enough to help you. In 1 Peter 3:18 we are told to, “…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” God preserved every word down through the
ages, and every word has a purpose for the believer.
The Bible is an incredible book of history and facts that
proves that there is a God that created all things. Most important of all, the
Bible is the Word of God. It contains the mind of God and His will for each one
of our lives. That is why the Bible was
given to us. The Apostle Paul says in 2
Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man
of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
So, is ready the Bible important? The following are a few scriptural reasons
that we should consider when answering this question:
1) First, the Word of God is
infallible.
There is no error in God's Word. The law of the Lord is perfect concerning our
soul. The testimony of the Lord is not only
infallible, it is inerrant. Scripture
tells us that, “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take
refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a
liar.” (Proverbs 30:5-6) And God warns
us not to misrepresent His scripture.
2) The Word of God is complete.
The Bible does not need any new chapters or books. It is complete as it is because it is the holy
Word of God. “I warn everyone who hears
the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God
will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words
away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the
tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
(Revelation 22:18-19)
3) The Word of God is totally
authoritative.
The book of Psalms 119:89 says, “Your word, O LORD, is
eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” The Word of God is the only source for
absolute divine authority. And as such,
it is for you and me as servants of Jesus Christ. When some say, "I have a word from the
Lord for you," write it down and hold it up to the light of God's word, and
see if the Lord speaks to you through His Scriptures. Only then will you know if the Lord is truly
speaking to you.
4) God's Word is totally
sufficient for all of our needs.
We don't need anything else. “His divine power has given us everything we
need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his
own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and
precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine
nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (2 Peter
1:3-4) As Christians, we can be totally
secure in the Lord by studying the Bible, because it is God's plan for our
life.
5) The Word of God will
accomplish what it promises.
If God told you something will happen, it will happen if
you wait on Him. “…my word that goes
out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I
desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)
God sent His word to accomplish His perfect will in our
lives. There are so many promises given
to us in the Bible. And these promises
reassure us and bring comfort to our lives in our times of trial. I challenge you to take time to study the Word
of God.
The Lord will show you many wonderful things that will
change your life!
Can God change your life?
God has made it possible for you
to know Him, and experience an amazing
change in your own life.
Discover how you can find peace
with God.
