Over the last week, I’ve been spending quite a bit of time in Psalm 119, reading it through slowly, taking notes, and simply meditating on the words of the Psalmist. As a result, I’ve been reminded to persevere in the discipline of Bible reading.
I’ve often heard, Why persevere in plugging away to read the Bible?
The Bible is our authority for all of life, but on top of that, it is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). What does that mean? It means when you read scripture and spend a few moments meditating on it, the Holy Spirit challenges your thinking and transforms your attitude. The truths taught in scripture are timeless – which means they are relevant to your life today.
I’ve come up with a few good reasons to discipline yourself to read the Bible every day. But before I give you those reasons, let me give you two guiding principles for reading scripture:
Less is often more. What do I mean? Rather than trying to read 3 or 4 chapters a day. Slow down. Consider reading only one or two verses. Ponder just those thoughts. You might be in a season where you are raising small children. Read a verse or two and then perhaps leave your Bible open on the kitchen counter to remind yourself of what you read. Or, write a verse or two on an index card and bring it to the office with you.
Read for transformation, not just information. This is why we want to slow down. God’s purpose in your life is to transform you into the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit uses Scripture to bring our mindset into unity with Christ’s.
Keeping those two principles in mind, here are some compelling reasons to open your Bible daily.
The Bible is filled with practical wisdom for your life. Life is complicated and you need wisdom. Right? God’s Word lights your path and gives direction both for daily decisions and long-term planning. It provides wisdom for your career, your family, your personal life, and your spiritual life. The Psalmist writes, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). And, “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130).
As I look back on my journey of reading through God’s Word, I am astounded at the notes I’ve made in the margins, with dates of times when I cried out to God for wisdom and He answered me through His Word. Honestly, if you need wisdom, there’s no better source! Human wisdom will eventually disappoint. God’s wisdom is a sure thing and the source of His wisdom is His Word.
The Bible builds your faith in the goodness of God. It’s easy to doubt God’s goodness when life feels difficult. That’s quite normal. Reading your Bible on a regular basis re-establishes toppled-over faith (Romans 10:17).
When you read your Bible, I recommend reading with a pen and highlighter in hand. Mark verses that apply to your situation. If a verse echoes the cry of your heart, circle it and date it. Borrow the words for your own prayer life and then mark in the margin of your Bible how God answered. This discipline will pay off in the long haul. On days when you doubt God’s goodness, look back through the margins of your Bible and see the evidence of how He’s answered. It’s an amazing faith-builder!
The Bible is God’s love letter to you. All of us long to feel loved, accepted, and cherished. When you read your Bible regularly, you’re reminded that God is passionately in love with you. He continually pursues your heart and loves spending time with you. Jeremiah 31:3 teaches that He has loved us with an everlasting love. 1 John 3:1 teaches that God lavishes his love on us. When you’re experiencing rejection from others, it’s easy to feel you’re unlovable. Nothing could be farther from the truth! God adores you. When you read your Bible, you give His Spirit the opportunity to remind you!
The bottom line is this. We don’t read our Bible to earn grace from God. He’s accomplished that already through His Son, Jesus Christ. We read our Bibles to connect and invest in our friendship with God.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Becky Harling
Featured Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
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