What is your opinion about Bible reading? Is it necessary? Is it helpful? Is the Bible a book worth reading? Is the Bible able to point you to God and to the Truth? Is the Bible able to touch your life and transform you? “What is in it for me?” you may ask. “Why does my Discipleship Group (DG) Leader urge me to read it regularly?” you may wonder. I hope to be able to address some of these questions in this pastoral perspective.
As children of God and followers of Christ, our desire is to know the Bible. We read Scripture not merely for information, but so that we may know the God who speaks through it, and grow in love and obedience toward Him. For Christians, the Bible is the Word of God. The question, then, is this: “How do we know that the Bible is truly the Word of God?”
In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV, the Word of God says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” These two verses tell us that the Bible, which is all Scripture, is breathed out by God. This points us to the fact that the Bible is the Word of God.
In answer to the question, “What is in the Bible for me?” the Scriptures reveal God Himself and His plan of salvation for the entire world – including you and me. In John 14:6 ESV, Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is telling us that He is the One who knows the way and leads us in the right way to God, His Father. He is also telling us that He is the One who knows the truth and explains the truth of God to us. He is also telling us that He is the One who gives life to everyone who puts their faith in Him. Therefore, the Bible is the Word of God, pointing us to Himself and revealing His plan of salvation, fulfilled in His Son, Jesus. Jesus came to this world so that we may have life to the fullest, that is, a full and meaningful life! (see John 10:10).
In answer to the question, “Is the Bible able to point you to God and to the Truth, and able to touch your life and transform you?” In John 8:31-32 ESV, the Word of God says, “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'” When you know Jesus, you will know the Truth because Jesus is the Truth. When you put your trust in Jesus and continue to know and love His Word, you will experience true freedom in Him. Jesus will set you free from the bondage of sin and shame.
In Psalm 119:105 ESV, the psalmist declares, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” The Word of God is essential for showing us how we ought to live. Like a lamp that illuminates each step in the darkness, Scripture gives clarity and direction for the path before us. Without a lamp, one cannot see where to walk and is likely to stumble.
In the same way, without God’s Word, our lives lack clear guidance. But with the Word of God, our lives in Christ are rightly guided and directed according to His will. As Psalm 32:8 ESV assures us, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” Through His Word, God faithfully leads, teaches, and watches over His people as they walk in His ways.
We need to read the Bible regularly so that we may grow in our faith in Christ. The Bible is food for our soul and for our spiritual well-being. In Job 23:12 ESV, the Word of God says, “I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.” In Matthew 4:4 ESV, the Word of God says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Let us, therefore, desire to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (see 2 Peter 3:18 ESV).
I hope that you will make it your goal to embark on reading the Bible regularly and consistently, not because you have to, but because you are delighted to know God and His Word. I strongly urge each one of us to intentionally set aside time each day to do our Bible reading and allow the God of the Bible to speak to us. When we do this, God will be pleased and our lives will be touched and transformed by the very Word of God. Indeed, as we commit ourselves to regular Bible reading, we will grow toward spiritual maturity in our faith, continually engaging with the God revealed in the Scriptures.
