The effects of the global pandemic have been felt across all areas of life, including the church.
According to a recent study by the American Bible Society and Barna, the number of people who read their Bible has declined from January 2020 to June 2020.
Their findings also show that the decline in bible engagement is directly related to one’s ability to attend in person church services.
However, I encourage every believer to get back into the word of God today.
Now is not the time for us as Christians to shrink back from the word of God, but to dig deeper into his word.
Today we’re going to cover 7 important reasons why you should read and study your Bible.
7 Reasons Why You Should Read the Bible Daily
If this pandemic has shown me anything it’s how much we as Christians rely on the church and our Pastors to make sure we read and study our Bibles.
I believe that this pandemic has shown many of you, myself included, that having our own personal time with God is so important to our faith.
How easy it has been for some of us to fall away from the spiritual disciplines of the faith because our governments have limited our abilities to attend church and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
What will happen to your faith if churches are shut down completely? If your Pastor can no longer live stream from the pulpit on Sunday and Wednesday?
How well will your faith hold out without the word of God in your life?
That’s why I believe that during this crisis every believer needs to learn how to read and study the bible for themselves for these 7 reasons.
1. It Is Your Instruction Manual
When you became a Christian, you agreed to live life according to God’s standards not your own.
Tweet
The Bible is your instruction manual for living life as a Christian. When you became a Christian, you agreed to live life according to God’s standards not your own.
The Bible contains these standards for you to live a life that is holy and acceptable to him (not yourself).
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”(2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV, emphasis mine).
Within the pages of the bible, you’ll learn how you should live in relation to God, fellow Christians, unbelievers, and the culture we live in.
2. You Are Encouraged to Study On Your Own
Part of your pastor’s job is to teach you the word of God, but you are also expected to read and study the scriptures on our own.
In 2 Timothy 2:15 the Apostle Paul tells Timothy,” Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
How can you rightly divide (understand) the word of truth if you are not studying the bible for yourself?
3. Keeps You From Following False Teachings
In the age of the internet, everybody and anybody can claim to be a pastor, prophet, teacher, or evangelist.
On YouTube alone, there are millions of people teaching about Christ. How do you know which ones are preaching the truth or a lie?
The Apostles warned us that there would be false prophets and people that will twist the gospel of Christ for their own gain.
However, if you’re not reading the Bible on your own how will you be able to distinguish the truth from the lie?
This is how the devil tricked Eve. He didn’t tell her some outlandish lie he bent the truth enough to cause her to question what God said.
It’s very easy for people to twist the word of God. Most of the time it’s just a slight change in a solitary verse.
For instance, I’m sure you’ve heard people say,” money is evil” or ” having money is a sin.” They often quote 1 Timothy 6:10 as their source.
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil …but this verse does not say that money is evil, but that the love of money is a source of evil. (emphasis mine)
If you read the scripture further it explains why:
And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows(NLT).
Always check anything you hear being preached against the word of God for yourself.
4.Teaches You How To Relate to Others
Do you want to know how you’re supposed to treat your spouse, kids, neighbors, or people that hate you?
Has someone in the church wronged you and you’re not sure how to handle the situation?
The answers to those questions can be found in the Bible.
Here are just a few scriptures that address these topics:
- Marriage: Ephesians 5:23-25, 1 Peter 3:7, Mark 10:9
- Parenting: Ephesians 6:4, Proverbs 13:24, Proverbs 22:6
- Fellow Believers: Hebrews 10:24-25. Ephesians 4:2-3, Matthew 5:23-24
5.You Learn About the Character and Nature of God
Everybody knows the scripture that says God is love (1 John 4:7-8). However, that is only one aspect of God’s character.
He is also:
- Holy (1 Peter 1:16)
- Just (Ps 50:6)
- Sovereign (Job 7:10)
- Merciful (Dt 4:31)
- Patient (2 Peter 3:9)
This is just a small list of his many attributes. As you read and study the word of God, you’ll learn more about his character.
6. You Will Learn What God Requires of You
God wants to have a genuine relationship with you. How do you build a relationship with an invisible God? What does God require of you now that you’re a believer?
As you read your Bible you will discover all that God requires of you. For example, he wants you to:
- Have faith in Him.
- And without faith, it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6, ESV)
- Praise Him.
- I will praise the LORD, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever (Psalm 145:21, NLT).
- Live your life according to His word.
- Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2, NASB)
6. Reveals Hidden Sin in Your Life
As a Christian your moral code is no longer based on your own thoughts of what is right or wrong, but the moral code God has placed in the Bible.
Tweet
Before you came to Christ you lived according to your own moral code and ethics.
As a Christian that moral code is no longer based on your own thoughts of what is right or wrong, but the moral code God has placed in the Bible.
As you read through the Bible, it will expose areas of sin in your life. Attitudes, actions, and beliefs that are contrary to the word of God.
For example, did you know that gossiping is considered a sin? Jealousy? Unforgiveness? Foolish Talk?
I didn’t either until I started reading the Bible for myself.
What’s great about God is he is faithful and he will forgive you of your sins if you repent (sincerely ask for forgiveness) and turn from them.
7. The Bible Gives Us Hope and Strength
If the world needs anything right now, it’s hope and the strength to endure these trying times.
That strength and hope that you’re looking for can be found in the pages of God’s word.
When you become rooted and grounded in the word of God, it becomes a source of hope and strength when you face difficult circumstances and hardships in life.
Suddenly the scriptures become more than just words on a page.
- The Lord is like a strong tower; those who do right can run to him for safety. (Proverbs 18:10, NCV).
- But the Lord is faithful and will give you strength and will protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3, NCV)
- And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose…What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? (Ro 8:28,31, NASB)
- …but those that hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint. (Is 41:6, NIV)
These verses take on a new meaning when you’re struggling with life’s issues.
But because of your faith in Christ and in the word of God you don’t panic. Instead, you put your faith and hope in him.
Everything that you need to live a life pleasing to God can be found in the Bible. You must take the time to not only read the word but to be doers of the word.
Jesus said to his followers,
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”(Matt 7:24-25, NIV, emphasis mine.)
You can’t build a firm foundation if you are not reading the word of God or putting it into practice daily.
If you haven’t been reading your bible or you’ve gotten out of the habit of reading it, I encourage you to start again today.
I promise you despite what it may look like and how you might feel, God has not forgotten about you and his word is true.
If you are new to the faith or curious about reading the Bible check out my post, How to Read the Bible for Beginners. It provides valuable tips and insights about the Bible and where you should start reading.
I also wrote a post on how to study the Bible for beginners.
If you’re looking for a way to spice up your bible reading routine try one of these bible reading methods.
I love hearing from my readers! Share your thoughts on this post with me in the comments section.
As always, keep Jesus in the center of everything you do.
Your Sister in Christ,
Eboni