I have fond memories of going to grandma and grandpa’s house as a kid. In fact, most of my memories revolve around them. I will never forget the image of seeing one or both of them sitting up at the snack bar with a Bible open doing their daily reading. I am grateful for how they modeled the Christian life to me. I developed a love for God’s word at such a young age, and I never take that for granted. I remember one of my AWANA leaders when I was in the 3rd grade telling me to make God’s word a part of my everyday life now. She warned that if I waited til I was an adult to start reading and studying on a regular basis that it would be nearly impossible to find the time with a busy schedule. She wasn’t kidding! Different stages of my life definitely proved to try hard to take away my time with the Lord. Thankfully, I learned young how important God’s Word is. Today, I wanted to take time to share with you why I love God’s word so much!
A couple fun facts to know about the Bible:
If you read just 4 chapters per day you will read the entire Bible in less than a year.
There are over 500 different full translations and over 2,000 partial translations and its meaning hasn’t changed one bit.
It’s still the number one selling book with over 5 billion copies sold.
It was written by 40 men over the course of 1500 years with no contradictions.
It’s so simple that the brand-new Christian can read and grasp truth, yet so deep that no human can ever reach the full depths of all the treasure it holds.
What the Bible is NOT:
- The Bible is not a book of fairytales to make you feel good. It is truth as revealed by God Himself.
- The Bible is not a band-aid or quick fix to run to only when you have a problem.
- The Bible is not a book of inspiration and motivation to be used as material in your next “positive life” seminar.
- The Bible is not a “choose your own ending” book. You can’t interpret it however you want to so that it fits your life and desires at the moment.
What IS the Bible then? I’m so glad you asked!!
- The Bible is God’s prophetic word written by men as He spoke to them. It has ONE interpretation. (2 Peter 1:19-21) This means that if two people disagree about the interpretation of a passage of scripture, one is right and one is wrong. Interpreting scripture takes a lot of time and effort but is necessary for proper application into your life. One of the things I so admire about my husband (who’s a pastor for those of you who don’t already know) is that he takes the time to teach our church members HOW to study the Bible for themselves.
- The purpose of the Bible is to equip the Christian to do good works. It does this through teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) This is the reason that a lot of people refuse to read and study God’s word. No body likes to be told they’re wrong. We live in a culture that applauds sin and rejects anything that might suggest they are living in sin. The Bible is going to step on your toes and show you where you need to align your life more to God’s holiness. Embrace it. Learn from it. Obey it.
- The Bible is eternal and secure. (I Peter 1:25) It cannot be destroyed, erased, or eradicated although many have tried. It will stand through any trial, any persecution, and any attempt to silence it. This has been proven time and again throughout the centuries.
- The Bible shines a light into your heart and soul and reveals EVERYTHING that you think is hidden. It is living and active in the life of the reader. (Hebrews 4:12-13) I can’t even tell you how many times I go to my Bible for my normal study or quiet time with the Lord and the passage I am reading is EXACTLY what I needed to hear that day. It is active as God reveals what He wants me to see as I spend time with Him. This truth about scripture is why it’s vital that we are spending time in the Word on a regular basis and not just when we “need” it. (We need it every second of every day). As it pierces my heart and guides me in truth, I am better prepared for the days ahead.
What to do with the Bible:
- Read it daily. (Acts 17:11)
- Let it dwell in you. Soak it up and share it with others. (Colossians 3:16)
- Memorize it. Start with one verse at a time. I’m happy to offer suggestions! (Psalm 119:11)
- Study with diligence so you don’t mis-use it. (2 Timothy 2:15)
- Do what it says to do and don’t do what it says not to do. Simple…. But ignored by so many. (James 1:21-25)
I love God’s Word! I know that I don’t do the best job of communicating things. I often have brain blips and think I’m saying one thing when something totally different is coming out of my mouth (or onto the page). I pray always that God would let others hear only truth and that He would speak past my discombobulation. I hope that you see from the overview I’ve shared how important it is to have a proper view of God’s Word. As you search your own life, ask yourself where the Bible ranks in your life. Is it like oxygen to you? It is to me. I can’t live without God’s holy word speaking to me daily. Maybe you are completely overwhelmed with your Bible and don’t even know where to begin. I would love to help you! Please feel free to contact me if you need some help getting started in reading and studying God’s Word.
UPDATE: Since the original publication of this blog, I have begun to write a 12-book series to help you read and pray through the entire Bible. It’s called One Good Thing: A 30-Day Guide to Scripture-Led Prayer. Each book covers a specific section of scripture with guided devotions and prayer to help you learn how to read God’s word. Once all twelve books are written, they will cover the entire Bible. You can find current copies on Amazon from my author’s page!
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