Coach's Corner

Why Read the Bible?

I recently had a conversation with an individual who was sincerely wondering why Christians need to read the Bible. Throughout the conversation, I heard the issue of the Bible’s relevancy addressed, the topic of the Bible being confusing was raised, and the idea that God could be primarily known and understood outside the Bible was strongly communicated to me. I disagreed with this individual in several areas but I left the conversation thinking, “I wonder how many other Christians feel like this?”

I’ve always taken the words of Paul seriously that say “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV). Scripture is the very breath of God. And when God breathes, it is profitable and valuable for me to listen. I’ve often wondered why Christians feel so compelled to go from service to service looking for a “word” from the Lord, when there are hundreds of “words” from the Lord located in the very Word of God!

We read the Bible because it is our primary way of knowing and discovering God. It doesn’t mean that we can’t learn and experience God in things like songs, prayer, fasting, service, and other acts of worship, but it is the primary instrument that God uses to help us understand him more fully. Knowing this should inspire and encourage us to learn new ways and put deliberate practices in place that will help us read and understand the Bible more clearly.

Certain sections of the Bible can at times be confusing. But confusion shouldn’t prevent us from digging deeper to discover the many truths found in the Bible. Perhaps something simple as changing the Bible version you use can greatly assist you in the quest to minimize confusion. Finding an online commentary or a study guide can help you understand the historical, cultural, and theological context of the passage you read. Choosing to meditate on the passage and ask God to reveal his truth to you can be an excellent way to bring God into the conversion and allow him to bring clarity to you.

Probably, the biggest excuse I hear about why people don’t read the Bible is “they don’t get anything from it” which is another way of saying that it’s irrelevant. I couldn’t disagree more! Recently, I was facing a challenging that was pretty heavy on my heart. I was praying that God would provide, lead, and guide me through this situation. That morning as I opened up the scriptures, I felt like the words in the Bible leaped off the page and spoke to my heart directly. I had a moment while sitting in amazement where I could only thank God for being real to me in life’s circumstances. That day, I was reminded that even though I read a story that happened thousands of years ago, the principles found in this story are still relevant for me today. The Bible has that way of getting right to our hearts and speaking to our specific situation.

This doesn’t mean that you won’t have days where picking up the Bible and reading it feels like a chore. Trust me, you will! But when we approach the Bible with confidence that it is relevant, understandable, and our primary way of connecting with God, we open our hearts to receive what God has for us that day.

Yours for making space in our lives each day for the Word of God

Pastor Josh

Posted February 01, 2012