I followed Jesus a long time before I started reading the Bible. That is before I read the Bible on my own outside of Bible study and Sunday school and church.
In college I sat on my bed one night with my Bible open to some random book. I had no idea what I was reading, but I just knew I should be reading it. My roommate walked in, and even though she was a Christian too she looked at me in a peculiar way communicating, “Why are you doing that?” Even in Christian circles reading your Bible was just not done. It was almost faux pas. You were definitely crossing over to the Bible-thumping side.
What’s interesting to me is that even though I’m older nothing’s really changed. I do read my Bible regularly now, but I still know a lot of Christians who do not read their Bibles.
I want to make the argument that your relationship with Jesus will never give you the fullness of life it’s purposed for without reading your Bible regularly. How do I know this? From my own experience.
God makes many promises in the Bible. However, the fulfillment of His promises are for people who know Him personally – not simply believe in Him. It’s in knowing Him that we experience the promises such as peace, power, rest, and victory. It’s in knowing Him that we find freedom from the craziness of this world. The only way to truly know God is to read His Word. This is how we learn His character, understand His purpose and distinguish truth from falsehood.
God’s Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). It is God breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). It is His love letter to us, His story of redemption. It is also our only weapon against the lies the world tries to tell us (Ephesians 6:17).
I don’t remember exactly when I started reading my Bible on my own. It happened gradually. The more I read it, the more I wanted to read it – the more I craved it. It became an insatiable thirst that I couldn’t get enough of. I started looking forward to my Bible time. That led to not just wanting to read the Bible but to also study the Bible.
However, it wasn’t the knowledge I gained that made any type of difference in my life. It was how it changed me. I started to see the world differently. Surrendering to God became less of a temper-tantrum and more of a willful honor. His promises became real. I began to know life abundantly.
“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10b (ESV)
Before I was living with a rabbit’s tail mentality of “if I’m a lucky one” – just scurrying through life wishing it would be better. What I came to realize is that I don’t have to wish. God’s promises are there for me, sitting on a shelf, waiting to be claimed. I claim them by knowing Him personally.
The one reason you need to read the Bible is to claim God’s promises.
Jesus came to earth so that you, too, can claim His promise of abundant life. He does not want you to live defeated. I believe that the main culprit of Christians living defeated lives is not truly knowing Jesus. It’s in knowing Him that there is life abundant.
Next week I will share with you “How to Start Reading Your Bible”. There’s no doubt that reading your Bible is not the easiest task. Come back then as I share more.
What do you think? Do you think reading your Bible is important?
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