As 2014 comes to a close, you may be considering some new year’s resolutions, what you will try and do in 2015. Have you considered reading the Bible more in 2015?
Bible reading is something we are certainly encouraged to do.
We are told by God that our very lives depend upon feeding upon his word. Jesus makes this point clear to Satan by quoting the words of Deuteronomy: ‘Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”‘ (Matthew 4:4).
In what ways does the Bible help you to live?
Firstly the word of God gives you eternal life. We are all destined to die and then be judged for our sins. Paul tells us ‘For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.’ (2 Corinthians 5:10). But if you read the Scriptures and accept their command to trust in Christ you can be saved from such judgement. Paul writes to Timothy: ‘But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.’ (2 Timothy 3:14-15). Why read the Bible? You will be wise for salvation.
Secondly the Scriptures help you to serve God as one of his saved ones. Paul follows those verses to Timothy with these words: ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’ (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Why read the Bible? To be equipped for good works.
So it is not surprising then that God’s people in the past have taken great delight in God’s word. A whole Psalm was written to extol the word of God, with statements like ‘The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.’ (Psalm 119:72). Could you say that?
And no wonder the King of Israel was commanded to read the Bible daily: ‘When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left.’ (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). Yes, you’re not the king of Israel. But you should want to be wise for salvation and equipped for every good work. And if you do want that, then you need to read the Bible, daily.
In the end we must recognise that the Bible is a book like no other. It is written by God and worthy of our utmost attention in 2015.
So are you going to read the Bible more in 2015? Joel Radford.
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