“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)
One of the reasons many professing believers struggle, leave the church, and walk in the ways of the world and not of God, is because they’ve never formed the habit of daily reading and study of God’s Word, the Bible. When I ask people about the Bible, too many use excuses like: “I hate to read.” Then get an audio Bible! “I don’t understand what I read.” Then find someone who does and read together! “It’s old and I get confused with all the ‘Thee’s and Thou’s’.” Then buy a modern speech translation.
Of course, there are many more reasons why people don’t read the Bible, but the primary reason, at least as I see it, is they don’t know it’s Author. To know Jesus is to hunger to know Him as well as you can, and there’s no better place to learn of Him than the Bible. We see Jesus from Genesis to Revelation, from a burning bush, in a furnace with three Jewish teens, to the clouds as He returns for His people.
We’ve grown accustomed to the “CliffsNotes” versions of books, that may be a good way to get an overview of something, but it’s not the best path to deep study and meaningful learning. John Stonestreet wrote: “Nearly 300 years ago, Jonathan Edwards offered five marks of a true work of the Holy Spirit. A true revival elevates Christ, opposes sin and Satan, prizes the Bible, distinguishes truth from error, and manifests love.”
If your desire is to be like Jesus, then you must be a student of God’s Word. God will not work where He’s not welcome. C. H. Spurgeon wrote: “Nearness to God brings likeness to God. The more you see God the more of God will be seen in you.” The Bible paints the clearest and most accurate picture of Jesus from which to model your life. If you want to be like Jesus, you have to learn to treasure His holy Word.
Jesus was the Author of God’s words and was able to bring clarity to His words and motivation to the hearts of those who sought to understand them. Which brings to mind a problem I had when I was in ministry and had to preach 2-3 times a week. Because my time was very limited, I used to rely heavily on Commentaries, thus the words of men about the Bible.
The Lord called me on it one day and challenged me to listen to Him first, then check the Commentaries. Most times what He gave me was similar to what was in the Commentaries, but sometimes He pointed me in ways and opened my mind to things I would never have seen had I skipped His input. Steven Lawson said: “There is only one lamp unto our feet and one light unto our path. The blazing word of God.”
In my experience when people begin to drift from the Lord, including myself, it’s because they’ve reduced or removed their time in the Holy Scriptures. Jesus said in John 10:27: “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” The Word of God, the Bible, IS HIS VOICE! If what you think you’re hearing from the Lord isn’t verified in Scripture, it’s not His voice.
The quickest way to lose your way is to bypass reading and studying the words of God in Scripture. The more I study, the closer I listen to His voice as I read, the more I grow in my love and dependence upon Him. These are just a few of the reasons why I read God’s Word regularly.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 