The Bible is The Word of God

and is a source of continuing strength and encouragement. Yet many people who claim to love the Lord seldom if ever open it pages to search out the eternal truths of God. No wonder so many Christians are weak and inconsistent in their faith!

The reading of the Bible should be a priority for all believers. If we want to develop a specific skill we will do whatever is necessary to attain proficiency. A person who longs to know and obey God requires the same type of tenacity. Developing an understanding of Scripture demands a life long consistent effort. There are no short cuts to developing Biblical knowledge. Ultimately understanding the Word of God is more important than any other skill one could develop.

Joshua was a great military leader of Israel. Before he led the people into battle the Lord came to him with this great conditional promise. "Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do" (Josh 1:8). Success for Joshua was contingent upon obeying God’s truth. The Bible as a whole teaches that success and prosperity in God's eyes relates primarily to the spiritual (as opposed to the material) aspects of life.

Studying God's Word requires disciplined commitment. Ezra the priest understood this. He "determined to study and obey the Law of the Lord and to teach...the people of Israel" (Ezra 7:10). The second part of this verse indicates the great importance of passing on the Scriptural knowledge we accumulate to others. This responsibility can be carried out either formally or informally.

God is always willing to reveal truth to us. In the days of Nehemiah people were involved in the study of the Old Testament Law. One day "they discovered that the Lord had commanded...(Neh 8:14) a certain action through the prophet Moses. As soon as they discovered the truth they implemented the Mosaic instruction. When we apply biblical truths to our lives the Lord will allow us to discover more truth which in turn draws us into a deeper and closer relationship with the Lord (see Psalm 119: 32, 34).

The predominate theme of Psalm 119 relates to the importance and value in studying and meditating upon the Scriptures. They include, among many others, personal joy (1), actions that reflect God's decrees (5), staying pure (9), and avoiding sin (11). The psalmist also sees the Scriptures as sources of wisdom and encouragement (24, 28).

God has given us his word. He wants it to govern all aspects of life. The Apostle Paul knew the importance of the Bible. In his letter to Timothy he stated "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" (2 Tim 3:16).

The Bible should be the most important book in our lives. It contains insights into the eternal God. It is his personal message to us. It shows us how to live in relationship with him. If we are truly honest how important is God’s book to us?

Copyright. Bruce June 2007


Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.