Guest Post by Randell De Vera of Bible trivia
The Bible is our Heavenly Manna. It is the Bread of Life. However, most of us often hurry to get through the hustle and bustle of life without even eating our morning meal– the Word of God.
Moreover, we continue throughout the day without even compensating for it at noontime or nighttime.
I learned throughout my Christian life that you never waste the time you spend with God. Reading the Word, just like any other activity, has its advantages.
To enlist some, here are ten benefits of daily Bible reading:
1. It quickens the mind.
- The Bible as an educational material.
Psalms 119:130 says, “The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.”
The Bible, like any book, is a type of educational material. We learn from it not only Bible trivia but also principles which are useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).
When we open and read through the pages of God’s Words, we connect ourselves to the ultimate source of knowledge and wisdom.
2. It makes one awesomely abundant!
- The best investment in life.
Reading the Bible is the best investment in life. According to Psalms 1:2-3, “Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, and whatever they do prospers.”
- Does God compensate people for reading the Bible?
This verse is similar to God’s charge to Joshua upon his succession of Moses’ leadership. The Lord says that if he keeps everything written in the law, he will succeed and prosper.
Well, of course, the act of reading the Bible is not what makes man prosperous. We are not compensated for reading the Bible. Instead, what makes him prosper is his obedience to what “thus saith Lord.”
3. It serves as our guide.
- It’s undoubtedly not blind leading the blind.
The Bible is the lamp unto our feet and the light unto our path (Psalms 119:105). It means that it serves as our guide throughout life. And although it doesn’t explicitly tell us what to choose, it gives us principles to follow to help us in our decision-making, whether big or small.
Imagine the Bible as God’s voice stirring you where to go. He who sees the beginning and the end will never fail you.
He will allow you to see great signs and wonders. He will make you get through the fiery furnace of your life. He will even part the Red Sea, or calm the storm for His children, as you journey home to the heavenly abode.
3. It changes you.
- It has the power to stir the hearts to action.
Hebrews 4: 12 says, For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart.
One of the hallmarks of good literature is its ability to stir its viewers’ hearts to action. The Bible is a powerful book that changed the lives of billions of people from generation to generation.
- By beholding we become changed.
The Bible says, “By beholding, we become changed” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Thus, by constant meditation on God’s love letter, we become reflectors of God’s love and image, which is a powerful witness to the people around us.
4. It equips you for good work.
- A missionaries manual
The Bible equips us for righteousness as written in 2 Timothy 3: 16. In the preceding verse, however, we are charged to present ourselves to God as one approved, a worker does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth
The bare study of the Scriptures is enough to make a man equip for service. It is the missionary’s manual. He who receives a Biblical education gets the highest training the world could afford.
And although the study of sciences, literature, and other fields is beneficial, the Bible is still the best material to prepare man to work for God’s vineyard. Just think about Peter, James, and John?
5. It strengthens the faith.
- Our only safeguard for faith.
Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (KJV).
The Bible, along with prayer and ministry, is our only safeguard for faith. If the Christian is not rooted in good soil, he will wither. Daily Bible study allows us to grow healthy and fruitful.
Without daily Bible study, our visions of eternity will grow dim. Remember that we are all afflicted by sin, and without constant meditation of the Words of God, our strength will diminish, and our hopes will die.
6. It protects you from temptation.
- A Biblical life is a life of active Bible study.
Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (KJV).
The Bible, according to Ephesians, is the sword of the spirit. When Jesus was on earth, He was able to defeat Satan’s temptations because of God’s Word.
- Jesus is our example.
Remember his famous line, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4)? Jesus was our example in all things. His life is our standard. And if we want to live a Biblical life, daily Bible study must be our guard.
7. It gives us joy.
- The answer to our live’s whys.
“When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty” (Jeremiah 15:16).
The Bible does give us joy. It has the answers to all our lives’ whys; it encourages us when we are down; and it satisfies our souls with the abundance of love, joy, and peace.
I believe that there is a God-size hole in every human heart that He is longing to fill. No material wealth or possession can fill a place that only Jesus can.
8. It sanctifies us.
- The divine filter– God’s words.
In John 17:17, it says, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”
Having faith won’t change the fact that our conditions are still imperfect. The Bible allows us to have a change of heart. It refines us to be more and more like Jesus.
When we read the Scriptures, we become aware of God’s holy precepts, laws, and standards. It leads us to repentance and a desire to live a righteous life. When we humbly receive the reprimands of Scriptures, we allow the spirit’s sanctifying power to affect us.
9. It reminds us of God’s wondrous deeds.
- It reminds us of past victories and gives security for the future.
“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 11: 8, 9).
The history of people in the past gives us the strength to carry forward to the unknown future. It is pleasant and fulfilling to know that this same earth was once the perfect world God created.
It is the world that experienced the great flood, ten plagues, and the parting of the sea. Do you know what the common theme is in these events? Deliverance. Daily Bible reading allows us not to forget how God delivered his children in the past and how He can deliver His children at present and in the future.
10. It leads us to salvation.
- The Way, the Truth, and the Life which became flesh…
Lastly, in James 1:21, it says, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”
The Lord wants to have a personal encounter with us through the Scriptures so He can save us.
Jesus said He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the Word of God that became flesh. And it is only through Him that we can have salvation.
It caught my attention when you said that reading the bible could serve as your guide as it acts as God’s voice guiding you where to go. This is something that I will share with my husband so we can consider reading devotional bible verses that would guide our lives. Since last month, we have been feeling so stressed and lost, so it would be nice to find a way to be redirected and motivated again.
Psalm 119:25 KJV
“My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.”