IMPORTANCE OF READING THE WORD DAILY

"I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach the Bible with the idea that it is not only a book which was once spoken, but a book which is now speaking." - A.W. Tozer, Pursuit of God, p. 82.

In World War II, Corrie Ten Boom and her fellow prisoners were enduring the horror of the Holocaust. Each day she secretly shared the Scriptures with other women around her. If caught she could have been executed by the guards. Years later, she described the immediate, life-giving properties of God’s Word in the midst of that dark experience. She wrote, "I would slip the Bible from its little sack with hands that shook, so mysterious had it become to me. It was new; it had just been written. I marveled sometimes that the ink was dry." Lawrence Kimbrough, Words to Die For, p. 168

Without reading the Bible …
• I am depriving myself of LIFE. In the wilderness the Israelites learned that their lives were dependent on the Word of God (Deuteronomy 8:3). The provision of bread in the wilderness was a daily reminder that life is more than sustaining a heartbeat or holding off hunger. Real life is defined as an intimate relationship with God—which is of greater value than physical survival. God’s Word is the source of spiritual life.

• I am stunting my GROWTH. Crying indicates different needs for an infant. For instance: diaper changes, relief from gas, entertainment, or milk. In 1 Peter 2:2, Peter challenges us to desire God’s Word in the same way—as a baby craves milk. Why? So that we can grow!

• I am undermining my FAITH. In Romans 10:17, the Apostle Paul explains that faith comes from hearing the message of Christ. Faith in Christ is strengthened as I continue to read about Him in His Word. Because He is unchanging, what I observe in the Scriptures helps me to trust Him in the present. Confusing circumstances and painful experiences can undermine and weaken my faith. Faith is strengthened through a regular diet of truth.

• I am steering away from personal PURITY. In Matthew 4, Jesus Christ responded to each satanic temptation with the same phrase, “It is written…” If Jesus could not combat temptation apart from a personal knowledge and understanding of God’s Word, how can I escape temptation without a daily engagement with the Scriptures and an intentional effort to saturate my mind with God’s Word?

• I am cutting myself off from GUIDANCE. God "breathed" the Scriptures to change me through a relationship with Him. In 2 Timothy 3:16 Paul highlights the four types of guidance found in the Scriptures: teaching (what is true?), rebuking (what is wrong with me?), correcting (how can I literally straighten out what is wrong with me?), and instruction in righteousness (how can I live routinely in the will of God?).

• I am abandoning the primary source of all effective MINISTRY. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul also links effective ministry to our handling of the Scriptures. God's Word is sufficient to change my life and the lives of those I minister to. By submitting to the life-changing guidance of the Scriptures, I am equipped to impact the lives of others.
In the busy world we live in, finding the time to read and study the Bible can be a challenge. The most intense spiritual battles will erupt around my efforts to fellowship with God through the Scriptures. The devil will do all he can to distract you and me from simple devotion to Jesus Christ.