“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart”
- Hebrews 4:12 -
When we choose to read the Bible daily but struggle to do it, we must seek reasons to value the Word more and be faithful. Ask yourself these questions: What will help me to put the daily reading of the Word first in my life? What will help me to value daily Scripture reading above the thing that’s preventing me from doing it? And what thought, realization, frame of mind, insight, or truth will give me the power to eat and drink the Word daily? Well, here are some reasons to consistently be in the Word:
To Be More Aware Of God Throughout The Day
Reading Scripture daily helps us be more aware of Jesus throughout the day. Our Lord’s sacrifice, and all that it affords us, will cross our minds when we need these heart-felt facts if we are in His Word regularly. Remember the Lord’s assurances to the disciples: “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). It is no small feat to be conscious of our Savior walking with us as we navigate the convoluted twists and devious turns of our daily lives. To respond in ways that please God takes a daily grounding in the Word. So carve out time to read it!
To Put On The Spiritual Armor Of God
Starting our days with Bible reading helps us put on God’s armor so that we will ‘be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil’ (Eph. 6:10-17). This armor is spiritual and designed by God to defeat an evil, spiritual army; the source of failure, suffering, and darkness. The last but not least of this armor is ‘the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God’ (17). Its power eclipses all the other armor, which is why it brings up the rear. This is where the enemy is most prone to attack, from those faithful believers who know the Word and treasure it in their heart.
To Realize True Growth In Christ
When we read Scripture hit-or-miss, merely here or there, we fail to advance far beyond carnal living as we haven’t developed a diet of the Word or a taste for its riches. By definition, a diet is a course of living or nourishment; what is eaten and drunk habitually. It is a regular provision of food and a daily meal. Most important of all, a diet is a special type or range of foods in order to improve health.
The daily spiritual diet of Scripture is necessary to please God as it guides our reactions and responses to this life. As growing Christians, we refuse to face the world in our own strength. We know that ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble’ (Ps. 46:1). We realize it would be disastrous if we didn’t put the Word first. Our consistent diet of the Word prunes our spirits for greater kingdom productivity. We can then tell, by our attitudes and actions, that we are truly growing in Christ and not by our own human power or might.
To Experience A Broken Spirit And A Contrite Heart
God is pleased by a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart (Ps. 51:17). It is these that God will not despise. We only become broken in spirit and contrite in heart when God’s Word works in us. We gaze upon the Word and say with Paul that ‘all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness’ (2 Tim. 3:16). What a precious treasure is ours! Just listen to the author of Hebrews, who says: ‘For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart’ (4:12).
We cannot divine soul and spirit or discern thoughts and intentions by our own power. Only faithful Bible reading reveals things about ourselves that cannot be perceived or accepted through occasional reading. Only consistent time in the Word reveals things that God wants to bring into the open. It alone allows us to grow in the Lord, especially if we thought in vain that we were already growing. The Word is just that strong!
To Become More Like God
The Bible is God's Living Word. By reading it consistently, we become more like God. No matter how well we think we’re progressing as Christians, we need the daily inner pruning provided by Scripture. We can’t become better people or respond like God to life’s trials by our own strength. As Paul teaches: ‘those who are in the flesh are not able to please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you’ (Rom. 8:8-9). Sporadic Bible reading is like relying on our flesh to be triumphant, but we know better. God’s redeemed know that our flesh is crucified and brought under holy dominion when we treasure the Word in our heart, so that we may not sin against God (Ps. 119:11). The daily Bible reader not only becomes more like God and begins to have victory in all areas.
To Appreciate Our Freedom To Read The Bible
Censorship of the Bible (and the persecution of Christians) is no new phenomenon. There always have been and always will be prohibitions on possessing, reading, and using the Bible. Violators of Bible bans have always been punished with imprisonment, forced labor, banishment, or execution. We would learn much from the early church’s passion for Scripture in the face of deadly persecution. There are 52 countries today where the Bible is outlawed or severely restricted. So we ought not take God’s Word for granted. We ought to spend precious time reading and learning from our personal copies of the Word while we still freely have them.
Even knowing all this, we still need to be proactive in building a faithful Bible-reading habit. Here are some ways to achieve that:
Choose someone in the Bible whose life you’re interested in studying. Searching for Scriptures about him/her will help draw you to the Bible.
Buy and carry a pocket Bible to read if you miss your time at home. Phone apps are not as good because it’s too easy to be distracted by calls, texts, and countless other apps.
Space out short readings throughout the day. That way, if you miss reading at one time, you’ll be more likely to read at another.
Refuse to interact with another person (if possible) or read emails/messages before reading the Bible. If that means waking up earlier, set an alarm and work hard to make it a practice. You don’t know what you’ll face in the day ahead and you must fortify yourself with the Word first.
Reducing the length of your readings to a few sentences of Scripture can help ensure that you take time to read. Don’t put more on yourself than what you can bear. It’s important that you open the Word, look at it, and hear God’s voice by reading it aloud when you can. So start small and build from there.
Take advantage of Bible versions that are easier for you to read and understand. If you are loyal to one translation, keep it and use it alongside an additional version. You may learn much from comparing multiple translations!
Finally: forgive yourself if you miss your Bible-time. Just read again as soon as possible.
We grow the most when we are proactive about daily eating and drinking the Word of God. We know that it is good to set the Word in our hearts and minds each day. We find the strength to be faithful when we take the Word to heart and meditate on its truths. We feed our reborn spirits by reading each day what God has said, choosing to believe it, and remembering it for times of trial. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get into the Word.
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Thank you for sharing my piece. The illustrations are lovely! Sandi/Draw Nigh To Hope