Reading the Bible
Hello friend! Welcome to the blog!
This week I want to talk about reading the Bible! To start, let’s discuss why the Bible is so important, and the reasons we can trust it!
God has given us the Bible to instruct us. It is our roadmap for everything we do in life! It teaches us how to live our lives in a way that honors God. It also reveals God’s character, and we read it to draw closer to Him! The Bible is the main way the Lord speaks to us today, and if we want to live life with Him, we need to read His Word! It says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17-
“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. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.”
ALL Scripture is 100% true- that is a promise from God! It leads and guides us down the right path, and Psalms 119:105 says-
“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
If we aren’t diving into the Word, we aren’t going to know where to go and what to do. We aren’t going to be close to our Heavenly Father! The Word of God is “alive and active” and the Lord uses it to “prepare and equip His people for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) So when we read the Bible, we get instructed, we draw closer to the Lord, and we become equipped for the calling God has on our lives! This is why reading the Bible is so important! Without it, we don’t have a real intimate relationship with the Lord, and I am a living testament to this!
Before I was reading the Bible every day, I was not close to the Lord. I loved God and desired a relationship with Him, but because I wasn’t reading His Word, it wasn’t possible. Think of it like this- if you want to be friends with someone, you set aside time to spend with them. You ask them questions, listen when they talk, and pursue them! And if they want to be friends too, they will do the same. What makes it a beautiful friendship is both people choose to pursue each other. When you love someone, you choose to spend time with them. See, the beautiful thing is that God made us to have this kind of relationship with Him. He made us with free will so that we could CHOOSE Him and have a close, intimate relationship. So, how do we lean in and draw closer to God? We READ HIS WORD! It says in James 4:8-
“Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”
God has always been chasing after us; He has always wanted our hearts to be devoted to Him so that we can live with Him. But just like a relationship, both people need to pursue each other. We too need to pursue the Lord by reading the Bible, talking to Him, and choosing to follow Him. That is why reading the Bible is so important! When we show up every day and get into the Word, we draw closer and closer to God. You begin to hear and recognize His whispers because that is how He speaks to us. It says in Revelation 3:20-
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”
When we read the Bible and invite God in, He comes and makes life so much better! Does that mean life becomes perfect; no! But, when you follow the Lord’s roadmap and desire to get closer to Him every day, it is so beautiful! I never want to stop being hungry for Him, that is how I want to live my life! And the truth is, God is NEVER-ENDING! Every day you open up your Bible, He wants to share something new and reveal more of Himself to you! Even if you have read that verse 1,000 times, He will teach you something new! It says in Luke 16:10-
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.” So every time you open the Bible, you are being faithful, and the Holy Spirit will fill you up every time!
Another reason we need to read the Bible is that it renews our minds. The Lord is shaping our minds to desire what He desires, to see things through His lens. Ephesians 5:26 says, “We are washed by the cleansing of the Word of God.” We need this DAILY! We need to be renewed by the Word of God every single day! Let’s fix our minds and hearts on Jesus, and let him transform us! It says in Psalms 1:2-3-
“But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”
The Word of God is a delight to read, and when we meditate on it day and night, we draw closer and closer to God. When we are rooted in Him, we can hear His voice and truly follow God! And when we are living like that, it is the best place we can be in!
If you feel intimidated by reading the Bible, it doesn’t have to be scary! And you don’t have to read for an hour a day to “meet the qualifications”. If you do read the Bible for an hour, don’t stop! That is amazing, but even just 15 minutes a day is enough! If you are just starting your Bible reading journey, I challenge you to read 15 minutes every day! And set aside time where it can be an uninterrupted date with Jesus! I recommend the morning! That is what I do; before I look at my phone or do anything else! I wake up early, get a cup of coffee, and spend time with ABBA! I want the first thing that goes into my mind each day to be the Word of God, and that is my absolute favorite time of day! The days I have my date with Jesus are drastically different than those without. Try it; you will see what I mean! And if you don’t know what to read, I gottchu! 😉😉 This is what I do- I pick a book of the Bible and read a chapter of that a day, (I recommend starting with the books of John, Romans, James, Ephesians, and Psalms) and then I read the Proverb of the day! Whichever day of the month it is, I read the corresponding chapter in Proverbs (Because there are usually 31 days in the month and there are 31 chapters in Proverbs)! Lastly, I read a daily devotional or a Psalm! It is as simple as that! Also, I recommend taking notes! It has been proven that whenever we write something down, we remember it more! I love taking notes and journaling has really changed my walk with the Lord! I also want you to let the Holy Spirit lead! It is good to have a plan in place, but we can’t be so fixated on the plan that we forget who we planned it for! If the Lord pops a verse off the page and you just want to meditate and pray about it, then do it! You don’t always have to stick to the plan, it’s just an outline to help!
And if you don’t have a Bible- you NEED ONE! It says in Matthew 4:4 that “Man cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” We literally need the Bible to survive!! So if you need one, I recommend getting a Hosanna Revival Bible! Not only are they super cute, but they have space in the margins for note-taking! That has been a lifesaver for me (if you are a note-taker and doodler like me then you understand!) They also have journals! And for pens and highlighters, I recommend the brand Mr.Pen! You can find them on Amazon, and they are amazing writing tools that don’t bleed through the paper!
So let this be your sign to spend time with your Heavenly Father today, by diving into His Word. It is the “sword of the spirit” (Ephesians 6:17), and you need it to fight the battles that come with everyday life! Let’s delight in our ABBA today, and as we draw closer to God, He will shape us to be more like Him!
And I also have a challenge for us! This week, let’s show at least 5 people how amazing Jesus is!
Friend, Thank you so much for reading! I would love to get to know you more, so join the community! Follow on Instagram, and stay tuned for next week’s blog post! Let’s live life with Jesus together!
