Too often one hears folk say that they find the Bible “hard to understand” or “difficult to read”. Sadly, some might even say there are so-called "contradictions". But no, not so!! If we are willing to read the Bible prayerfully, carefully and consistently, we will discover just how incredibly amazing this Book is.
As we read the most precious Book ever written, we will discover that it explains itself over and over again. From Genesis to Revelation it spells out the amazing message that God loves us so much that He wanted to reconcile us (sinful man) with Himself. He did this by sending His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to take on Him your sin and mine, so that we can be saved from a lost eternity in Hell (a place, by the way, that is prepared the devil and his angels). By simply putting our trust in Christ alone for salvation, we can be reconciled to a loving God.
But back to the Book itself …
All too often we are happy to read passages and verses that encourage us or help us gain strength for the journey of life. That is quite understandable and there is nothing wrong with that at all. Sadly though, we can make the mistake of neglecting passages that challenge us or provide a reality check, as well as guidelines for living a life that pleases God and glorifies Him.
One can understand why this happens. BUT we must REMEMBER that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” (2 Timothy 3:16). We cannot pick only those parts that we enjoy or that fit our way of thinking. The Word of God transforms us into the image God has planned for us. “Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)
All of us at one or other stage have had this idea that when we read or study the Bible, or hear a sermon, that we have to take away with us something that is personally applicable to us and our current situation. Now, while that is true and the Bible is indeed filled with lessons that we can apply to our lives or situations on a day-to-day basis, there is so much more.
As we read His Word, we can find ourselves in some more obscure passages which do not necessarily apply to us personally, BUT … they teach us more about God and who He is! We discover more about the history of His people, the Jewish nation, as well as His plan for their future … and ours! Reading through His precious Word helps us deepen our understanding of our triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
So, don’t make excuses about not spending time in God’s Word. Bible reading and study is much more than just about ourselves! As believers, our ultimate goal is to know more about Jesus, and to make Him known.
So, as we read and study His Word, we will be more equipped to reach out with the Good News and we will grow in our knowledge of our God and Saviour. As Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive His approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of Truth”.
And remember “ALL Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” So, no excuses. Be diligent, read, study and grow in grace and in the knowledge of His Word! And be blessed beyond measure!
OTHER HELPFUL SCRIPTURES:
“… anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So, we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
“Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.” (Colossians 3:10)
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