Why should you bother reading your Bible?

by Caroline Santing

Did you ever notice that it’s easier to do anything at all than read your Bible? Its funny isn’t it how we can decide to do the most random and unappealing things rather than reading our bibles. I can find the most stupid excuses (washing the dog, mopping the floor, emailing a random person...you get the picture) to talk myself out of opening that life giving book. It’s not that I don’t want to read the bible or anything; it’s just that I convince myself that I’ll do it later, I’ll read my bible before I go to bed or after my homework or something. It never happens!!

A while back I was finding it hard to make time for God. One day I decided to open my bible and these words jumped out at me:Your word is a lamp to my feet and light for my path.” (Psalm 119 v 105)I realised that God was really trying to get through to me and say “Wake up!! Your walking blind, my word isn’t lighting up your path, you’re gonna stumble and fall!! I realised how true it was. I felt so convicted of the need for reading the bible. And so I decided to write this article.

I always need a reason, a reason for why to do things. For example I need food, for energy. If I don’t have energy I die. Simple, I now know why I should eat food. In the same way “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” This is originally written by Moses (Deuteronomy 8:3) when he is reminding the Israelites of all the 10 commandments and things. Jesus later quotes it when he is fighting the devil in the desert (Matthew 4:4). Imagine what would happen if you didn’t eat any bread (or other food) for a week. You wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything; you’re more likely to react badly if someone annoys you etc etc...

What if you never ate?? I read up on the internet (long live the internet) that if you don’t eat your heart has trouble working, your blood pressure drops so you feel dizzy etc, you get swollen ankles, you get osteoporosis, you can get epileptic fits, you can’t think right, you’re always sad, you’re always cold, you’re tired, your hair thins out, your muscles become weak and nearly disappear, your skin dries up, it might go yellow and then eventually you die.

In the same way you need to read your Bible. Except this time it’s not food for your body but your soul. If you don’t read your bible you dry out, you get weak, cold, sad, depressed etc...You never bother to open God’s word so he can’t even talk to you. The Bible is the living word of God. It’s how he speaks to you, the way he can communicate with you. So if you’re never opening his word and never hearing his voice and spending time with him, how can you possibly expect to recognize his voice when talks to you. Eventually you just slip away because you’re starving, growing weaker and weaker and falling further and further away. You don’t even know your Saviour’s voice. Your active relationship with God is falling apart!! You’re dying!!

This really scares me! The worst possible imaginable thing that could happen to me is that I stop knowing Jesus...That I would lose the most amazing and important thing in the world just because I’m too lazy to open my bible, get on my knees and do some serious praying and praising!. (YES!!! It is laziness if you don’t set apart time for Jesus and READ that bible that he wrote for you!!) Jesus DIED for you!! HE sacrificed EVERYTHING for you!! Why can’t you sacrifice at least half an hour of sleep, or something to SPEND with him!!!

If you want more information on how to study the Bible look at our article on Bible Study here