We study the Bible because God gave it to us. It is a precious gift from Him. If He didn’t want us to open it, read it, and study it, He wouldn’t have bothered to inspire 40+ men, over a period of 1,500 years to write down His Words.
The Bible gives the story of how His creation was separated from Him by disobedience. We need HIS help! It proves we are unable to fix that separation without His Redeemer, Jesus Christ. The rest of the writings weave together the story of mankind’s redemption.
The Bible is truth. It is not based on “I think”. Please consider how many times we have heard those words come from people making decisions that influence how we are living during the COVID-19 crisis.
We need His leadership. His Word, proven true by fulfilled prophecies (conversation for another time) can be trusted. God leads and guides us through His Word.
It helps us deal with fear and panic (see prior Blog on Fear – Facing Fear and Handling Panic).
It gives specific historical events that teach us how He interacts with people. It teaches us that people are precious to Him. It proves women and children are important to Him. We learn how to relate to Him with respect and awe. It shows us how to interact with each other so we can have healthy relationships. Everything we need for a fulfilled and satisfying life is discussed in God’s Word.
The Bible describes how to have life that is abundant and meaningful. We need to study each day (Timothy 3:16-17).
Why study on my own? Why isn’t it enough for me to listen online or attend Sunday church?
As most of the world is confined to their homes because of COVID-19, loneliness has become a problem for many people. This proves we need each other. God gave us each other as a gift. Unfortunately, we often fail to see this truth. But God knew it from the beginning. He gave Eve to Adam because He knew it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). He instructs us to gather together so that we can learn from each other about Him. The old saying, “two heads are better than one” indicates this truth. He unites us. The Bible calls this the Body of Christ.
Faith in Jesus needs to be nurtured. As a baby learns how to live life, believers learn how to live life by faith in Jesus Christ. This is a lifelong pursuit. Our relationship with Jesus is worth the time and energy we give it.
We study to clear up misunderstandings about God. Has anyone ever made a judgment about you based upon peripheral knowledge? They didn’t take time to get to know you, and made a snap judgment about your character. That really hurts. From creation we learn that there must be a Creator. The details of a flower, or the mechanics of a bumble bee support this. Without the Bible you can worship that Creator (rather than worshiping creation itself)(Romans 1:25). The Bible gives understanding to His identity and character, and so much more.
In order to legally drive in the United States, we must study a manual. Why? The manual gives a measure of one’s knowledge of the rules of the road. Without it, there is chaos. You would never know what to do at a four way stop. Those who fail to obey the rules, often either cause accidents for others, or are injured themselves.
God’s Word is His manual for His creation. Studying Scripture helps remove confusion the world, Satan, and we ourselves bring to our understanding of God. The Bible helps us accurately hear and understand God.
God’s Word guides and enhances our personal relationship with Him. Imagine someone trying to build a relationship with their spouse based upon no conversations with him or her. What kind of relationship would that be?
God’s Word describes blessings for obedience. It is filled with amazing promises for those who love and call upon Him.
It details judgment and discipline for disobedience. It IS His world. We are His creation. He has the right to set the rules.
You have nothing to lose by studying God’s Word, and everything to gain, including eternal life.
Please consider joining me on my journey of studying God’s Word. Next message is on how to study the Bible.
Warmly,
Donna
Copyright 2020 Donna Shappy
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.