It is interesting that many people declare that they are Christians but know nothing about the Bible. Some people only ever read it in church and then after that never pick it up again. Some people have never picked it up, let alone read it. That is not how it should be. The Bible is not just history or moral stories but it is Scripture breathed on and inspired by God. (2 Timothy 3:16) It is as relevant to us today as it was centuries ago. If you understand this, you will realise that there are so many reasons you should be reading the Bible, not just when a scripture is made reference of in church, but every day. I will highlight just a few reasons you should be reading the Bible but there are many more, and you will realise them as you spend more time in the Word.
God Speaks Through the Bible
The first and most important reason you should be reading the Bible is because God speaks through it. I know quite a number of people are desperate to hear from God, to hear Him speak into their lives. They look everywhere from churches, to ministers to prophets. None of these are bad places to go, but sometimes what ends up happening is that these mediums become a crutch, and one constantly goes to these places to hear God because they can’t hear Him when they are away from them. That shouldn’t be the case. We are to learn, benefit and get guidance from churches, ministers etc. but you also need to get to a place where you hear God’s voice for yourself. That can only happen by reading the Word.
In the same way that you become familiar with your friend or spouses voice when you spend a lot of time hearing it, you will become more familiar with God’s voice the more time you spend listening to His voice through His Word. God speaks to all of us through the Bible and there are so many things He wants us to know through it. Why else would He have emphasised so much that we mediate on it day and night? (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2) We won’t hear Him or learn what He wants us to learn if we aren’t spending with the Bible.
The Bible Will Guide You
The second reason you should be reading the Bible constantly is because it will guide you through life, it will illuminate your path and show you the way in which you should go. (Psalms 119:105, 143:8).
Life is full of uncertainty. We are uncertain about what will happen tomorrow. We are uncertain about how to live. But as we read the Word we gain understanding and wisdom (Proverbs 2:9-11) and with that will come a superior and Godly knowledge of how to conduct our affairs and how we should live our lives.
God doesn’t want anyone to be confused or uncertain. He wants us to be secure and prosperous, successful and victorious. All of this will be available to us if we ground ourselves with the Words He has given us in the Bible.
The Bible Will Meet Your Needs
The third reason you should be opening the Bible daily is because it will meet all your needs. We need many things in this life and the Bible informs us of ways we can have those needs met. You have a health problem? The Bible declares that by Jesus’ stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5) and that by our faith we are made well. (Luke 17:19) You have need of food and clothing? The Bible promises that if we seek first the kingdom of God these things will be added to us. (Matthew 6: 31-33)
These are only two scriptures out of thousands and yet they have already provided light on how to meet some of our basic needs. Imagine how much more you can learn and gain if you read more of the Bible? How many more of your needs and questions can you find answers to? Pick up the Bible and find out.
The Bible Will Help Your Faith
The fourth and final reason I will give for reading the Bible, is that it will help your faith. In Romans 10:17 we are told that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. You can hear the word through podcasts, preachers, music or even a Christian friend but the primary place you can hear the Word of God is through the Bible.
The more you read the Bible and not just read but meditate and think deeply on its Scriptures the more your faith will begin to abound and grow. This is important because we cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6) and as Christians we walk by faith not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) To be able to successfully walk through this life as Christians we need to have strong faith and that faith is strengthened by the Word.
Life can be a battle and we need to be sure that we are equipped for it. As Christians the only way we can do that is by making sure we are armed with the Word, and then amidst the chaos we can know what God’s good, perfect and acceptable will is (Roman 1:2) and how we can move in it through faith.
The Word of God is living (Hebrews 11: 12) and it will impact and change you in a way that no other book can. If you understand that and begin to read and do what it says, you will begin to see the great impact it will have on your life. The more you read the Bible the more you will see how God speaks through it, how it is a guide, how it will meet your needs and how it will build your faith. It will make you wiser and help you be successful and prosperous. But don’t just take my word for it, go and read it and discover these truths for yourself.
