The New Year (albeit a few weeks in) is a great time to start (or renew) the habit of daily Bible reading. More than physical food, God's Word is essential for healthy living. Warning: Dad joke coming up. What happens when you go seven days without reading the Bible? Answer: It makes one weak! Kidding aside, why read God's Word? Here are a few good reasons taken from 2 Timothy 3:16.
Guidance
Wouldn't it be great to have a roadmap for life? We all need direction, and God's Word provides it. The word Torah (the first 5 books of the Bible) literally means "instruction." You can think of God's Spirit as your personal life coach and God's Word as your instruction manual. Dive into Deuteronomy and see why Jewish children (including Jesus) would commit it to memory.
Stern Rebuke
Let's face it - we'll blow it in 2018 like we did in 2017--sometimes big time. Perhaps the worst part about being wrong is not knowing that we are. The Bible provides a stern rebuke when we're out of line. Just like kids left on their own, we sometimes make a huge mess of things. We need a "parent" in the room. The book of Proverbs was written by parents to children providing much needed words of wisdom for fools (like us).
Correction
What do we do when we crash? Self-help remedies don't work. We need God's grace, healing, and clear instructions for mending. This takes humility, repentance, and trust - because only Jesus can save us. It took the death and resurrection of the Son of God to remedy our wrongs. Reading any of the penitential Psalms brings our hearts back in line with God's (Psalm 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143).
Training
Like a good coach, God's Word gives us a regimen that leads to godliness. Repentance, faith, and obedience make up the workout routine centered on following Christ. The result is spiritual fitness, equipping us "for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:17).
The instruction and promises found in God's Word are not only for us, but for our children (and grandchildren). They are able to make us "wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15). Here are a few resources to help with Bible reading:
- There are many Bible reading plans. Start here for suggestions.
- The Bible Project is another great resource for gaining your bearings as you read through God's Word. There you can find an introductory video to every book of the Bible, as well as videos on key themes found in the Bible.
- For those who would like to dive in a bit deeper, read Seeing Christ in All of Scripture, a wonderful resource put together by the faculty of Westminster Seminary.
Though it can be difficult at times, reading the Bible brings great rewards. You are sure to find it "better than gold and sweeter than honey" (Psalm 19:10).