With all the turmoil in the world, it can be difficult to know how to respond. Do you speak out or hold your tongue? Should you join the crowd or stand with the resistance? When it comes to figuring out how you should live and which direction to go, there is no substitute for God’s Word. We do not place enough emphasis on the study of God’s Word today.
So many preachers are busy delivering self-help sermons and trying to read themselves into the Bible that we’ve lost the basic need and discipline of reading and studying the Scriptures. Bible reading is not a tired and dusty practice. It is as essential as oxygen in the life of every believer.
Psalm 19, verses 7-11 tells us God’s Word is perfect, trustworthy, right, pure, enduring, reliable, and more desirable than gold. What better way to spend your time than indulging in its riches? The Psalmist also tells us God’s Word renews one’s life, gives wisdom, provides warnings, and brings a great reward. Why would we, especially as lovers of Christ, not avail ourselves of such a rich resource? You can get advice from the wisest men in the world, read every classic book, and subscribe to the greatest social influencers on the planet. You won’t come close to the wisdom and truth of the Bible. There is no substitute.
Christians in the West take for granted the privilege we have. I don’t know off the top of my head how many physical Bibles I own, but it’s probably between fifteen and twenty. That doesn’t count the additional versions I have in digital form. It’s a little crazy. Any American who wants a Bible can get one. Churches give them away for the asking. Bookstore shelves never lack for them.
In many places around the world, the only Bibles they have are made up of verses they have either copied or memorized and scribbled onto scraps of paper. Still, others have access only to the parts of the Bible they have memorized and keep hidden in their minds. As a side note, this is why memorizing scripture is imperative for every follower of Christ. We never know when access to God’s Word will be taken from us. Don’t think such restrictions could ever happen in the place you live. That’s what many other countries thought before their governments made the Bible illegal in their land.
If you don’t have a Bible, and you are able, get one. If you have a Bible, open it up and begin reading. Paul told Timothy all of Scripture is profitable for teaching (2 Timothy 3:16-17). All of it is worthwhile. If you don’t know where to begin, start with the book of John, Romans, or the first epistle of John. Get in the habit of reading the Bible every day. I recommend it be the way you begin each morning. There is no substitute for the value you will reap from regular reading and study. Read with a desire to learn more about God. Read for the sake of knowing Him. Bible reading and memorization are two keys to growth in Christ. You can’t grow without knowing your Bible. Read it, memorize it, and develop a love for it. God’s Word is pure, righteous, and true. There is no substitute for it.