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So what reason could there be to read the Bible? Well, praise God, there are some very good reasons for reading this long, challenging book.
So what reason could there be to read the Bible? Well, praise God, there are some very good reasons for reading this long, challenging book. Let me mention just three of them.
Read because It Is God’s Word
First, we need to understand that the Bible is not irrelevant. In fact, it is the most relevant book ever written! It matters, and it matters a lot. Why? Because it is the Word of God to us. That is the biggest reason to read the Bible. It is the Word of God.
Now, you’ve probably heard that phrase—“the Word of God”—many times, and it may not seem all that important to you anymore. But think about it for a second. This book is God talking to us. This is God’s message to His church. That’s amazing! That’s the biggest reason to read the Bible. Suddenly, the length of the Bible is a blessing! Praise God for giving us so much of His Word! What a treasure!
If you get an email from a friend you really like, you aren’t disappointed if it’s long, are you? The longer the better! When I’m travelling, I love to get long emails from my wife—the longer the better, because I love her. If you see an email in your inbox from someone you’re really eager to hear from, you’re terribly disappointed if you open it and it’s only one line: “Sorry, I’m going away for a week; will write when I get back.” That email is easy to read, but it leaves you wishing it were a lot longer! It would take more time and it definitely would be more work to read a longer email, but that extra work would be a pleasure, wouldn’t it? The Bible is like a giant email from God to His church. It would be a lot easier to read if it was shorter, but who would want it to be! So that’s the first reason and the greatest reason to read the Bible: it’s a message from God.
Read for Truth
Second, the Bible is true. There are a lot of things in this life that are uncertain. People tell you things, and you’re not always sure whether they are true. But the Bible is God’s Word. God is truth; thus, His Word is true. Maybe one of your friends has lied to you. You thought you could trust him or her, but you’ve found out that you can’t. You will find that much of life is like that. There are many things that you can’t be totally sure about— ranging from what the media tells you to what friends tell you. People lie to me every day in emails from all over the world, telling me that if I provide certain information and follow their conditions, I can inherit millions of dollars. But all they want is to get information about me so that they can use me. They don’t want to make me rich; they want to get richer off of me.
Truth is hard to find in today’s world, but there is one place where we can be sure to find it: God’s Word. God cannot lie, so whatever He says is true. That’s a good reason to read the Bible. Charles Spurgeon, a famous English preacher from the 1800s, wrote: “The deeper you dig into Scripture, the more you find that it is a great abyss of truth” (Complete Gathered Gold, 60). In a world of shifting sand, God’s Word is rock solid. Stand there, build there, and you’ll be safe. There’s no doubt about it.
Read for Wisdom
Third, the Bible is full of wisdom—wisdom, first of all, for salvation. The Bible itself says that it is able to make you “wise unto salvation.” Paul writes to Timothy: “From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15). The Holy Spirit has used the reading and studying of the Bible in the lives of countless millions to show them their sin, to drive them to Jesus Christ for salvation, and to train them to live the Christian life. He can grant you this wisdom, too.
But the Bible is also full of wisdom for practical daily living. When you run into situations where you’re not sure what to do next, you might ask someone for advice—a friend perhaps. The advice your friend gives you may be very well intentioned; he or she might really and genuinely have your best interests at heart. But the advice could still be terrible. It might be very foolish. Your friend might have good intentions but lack wisdom. God never lacks wisdom, and His Word is full of it. There you will find principles to guide you that are both well intentioned and wise. You never have to wonder about the Bible’s advice. It is the wisdom of God.
So those are three big reasons for reading the Bible. I’m sure you could think of more, but these three are very important and provide us with motivation to pick up the biggest book in our libraries and read it—it’s from God, it’s true, and it’s full of wisdom.
Excerpt from:
How Should Teens Read the Bible?
By Joel Beeke
