Deutsch: Lutherbibel von 1534 English: Luther Bible, 1534 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Why do I study the Bible?

First, because I’m one of those strange people who loves to read and learn. If there’s an area of my life that my wife probably wishes I would stay away from a little more than I do, it’s my study desk. I sit down with the intent to read a couple chapters of the Bible, and before I know it, there are fifteen study resources laid out on the passage I was reading and six hours have come and gone.

But that’s not the only reason I study the Word of God. Scripture itself tells us to busy our time in its pages. We’re told it is profitable and rewarding to bury the messages of the Bible in our hearts.

I also study the Bible because life is only available through its teachings. The Word of God proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ! Martin Luther once said that Jesus could have died a thousand times, but it would have done no one any good if they never heard the gospel. Life is found in the Word! Jesus is the Word!

There’s another reason I spend every available moment (balance, I must be balanced… I have a relationship with my wife also) in God’s Holy and inspired Word. I believe this is how our Heavenly Father has chosen to speak to His children. I believe when I go to His Word, He speaks to me. I’m not talking so much about audible here… it’s much louder than that. But if I want to hear Him audibly, I need only read aloud. It’s His Words I’m reading!

Do you share a similar passion for God’s Word? Do you long for the next opportunity to open the Bible and feast on the meat, milk, bread, and water that truly fills? If not, why?

The reasons I have been given in the past by believers for not yearning to be in the Word range from ‘it is boring’ to ‘I can’t understand it.’ Can this be true?

Think about the ‘boring’ statement for a moment. Is there a single recorded event in Scripture where God spoke or visited and the recipients of His Word walked away saying, “Man, is our God boring?”

Of course not! When God moved among His people, their lives were radically changed. It is no different today! God describes His Word as, “living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).” Does that sound in any way boring?

What about… ‘It’s too difficult?’ First, let me assure you that if you are truly a born again believer in Jesus Christ, you have been equipped to hear and understand the Word of God (1 John 2:27; John 14:26). By the way, this doesn’t mean we don’t need pastors and teachers. God equips certain people in the body because we do need them. Secondly, if the words you are reading are difficult to comprehend because the language seems different from how you normally communicate, then possibly you need to consider another translation. There are some excellent ones to choose from. (When you’re choosing a translation to study from would be a great time to take advantage of your pastor’s wisdom)

Spending time in God’s Word is much like any relationship in our lives. How would your spouse or child or best friend respond if you inadvertently recognized them on rare occasions as though you really weren’t concerned about what they were doing or had to say? I think of my relationship with my own wife. Many times through the course of a week we find ourselves just chit-chatting about what’s going on in one of our lives. That’s the relationship God wants with His children. It is through prayer and His Word that we fellowship together. We come to His Word shouting, “Daddy! (Abba, Father) You’re Here! (Romans 8:15)!”

Related articles

• Believe Or Behave – Part I (ptl2010.com)
• To Gospel or not to Gospel, part two (ptl2010.com)
• One Book, One Story – the synergistic power of the Bible (ptl2010.com)
• To Gospel or not to Gospel (ptl2010.com)
• Hearing Gods Voice – Through God’s Word (danielamarei.wordpress.com)