Why Read the Bible
There are many reasons to make a commitment to read your Bible regularly and there’s no better time to start than at the beginning of a new year.
God is all-knowing, all-wise, all-truth, and all-good, so what He says is authoritative, accurate, supernatural, sufficient, and indispensable for our lives. Here are just a few of the many benefits of reading God’s Word:
It helps you mentally: Reading Scripture gives you access to the highest knowledge anyone can ever know. You will learn God’s Word is the source of truth (John 17:17), reveals the true and living God (Isa. 45:5–7) and what He has done (Isa. 44:21). It discloses who we are as human beings (made in God’s image—Gen. 1:26–27), exposes what is wrong in everyone’s life (sin—Rom. 3:23), makes known how everyone can be delivered (Jesus Christ—Col. 1:13–14), unveils what the purpose of life is all about (the glory of God—1 Cor. 10:31), grants you better understanding (Psalm 119:130) and discernment (Psalm 119:66), and details on how everything will end (1 Cor. 15:23–28).
It helps you psychologically: Reading Scripture helps stabilize your life (Psalm 1:2–3), enhance your joy (Psalm 119:111), diminish your grief (Psalm 119:28), revive your spirit (Psalm 119:156), solidify your peace (Psalm 119:165), offer you free counseling (Psalm 119:24), grow your hope (Rom. 15:4), avoid self-delusion (James 1:22), and bring comfort in suffering (Psalm 119:50).
It helps you relationally: Reading Scripture will help you become a better friend (Psalm 119:63), answer those who stand against you (Psalm 119:41–42), give you perspective when others sin against you (Psalm 119:95), keep you from falling into an enemy’s trap (Psalm 119: 110), allow you to be an example to others (Psalm 119:79), and fortify your love for your brothers and sisters in Christ (1 Pet. 1:22–23).
It helps you financially: Reading Scripture will inform you about how to view and use your material wealth God’s way. You will learn that God is the owner (1 Chron. 29:16), provider (Deut. 8:18), and controller (1 Chron. 29:11–12) of all that you have. You will learn we are managers of His wealth (Luke 16:1–13) and He teaches us how to spend (Prov. 20:14), save (Prov. 6:6–8) and share (2 Cor. 9:6–8) it wisely and generously.
It helps you spiritually: Reading Scripture has the power to lead you to follow Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 3:15), reverence God (Psalm 119:38), feed your soul (Matt. 4:4), grow your faith (1 Pet. 2:2), guide your life (Psalm 119:105), resist sin (Psalm 119:11), keep you pure (Psalm 119:9), protect you from deception (Jude 17–20) and experience God’s blessing (James 1:25).
If those benefits fail to ignite or reignite a fresh passion to read God’s Word, maybe this will help: God’s Word shows you all you need to know to live for Jesus, helps you when you get tripped up by sin following Jesus, then shows you how to pick yourself up and get back on track for Jesus, and trains you how to stay faithful in pursuing Jesus. It’s all summed up in 2 Timothy 3:16–17: “All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.”
Here’s my favorite reading plan: Five Day Bible Reading schedule. Explore more options on the blog.
Pastor Jeff
P.S. The 2024 State of the Bible revealed 57% (151M) of Americans are considered “Bible Disengaged”— the highest percentage ever recorded, while only 18% (47M) are “Scripture Engaged,” the lowest in 14 years. There is some good news: 54% percent of Gen Z adults (ages 18–27) agreed that the message of the Bible has transformed their lives. Evangelical Protestants—a multiethnic group—lead the way in Scripture engagement, with 46 percent of the group characterized as scripturally engaged, compared to 26 percent among Historically Black Protestants, 25 percent of Mainline Protestants, and 11 percent of Catholics. Read the report here.