Monday, June 10, 2013

Merciful Monday: Why Read the Bible?

Have you ever questioned the purpose and/or importance of reading the bible? I will speak for myself because I know I have. Sometimes it just seems like book full of big, Old English words meant to confuse readers! But our reading today in Romans describes how we can benefit from reading God’s word.


It gives us hope and encouragement
There have been many times where I have been feeling down and been inspired by reading the Bible. Verses like “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged" Deuteronomy 31:8 and stories like Daniel and the lion’s den inspire me to believe that God is real and he can save me from anything.

Romans 15:4 says, “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement.” Bible stories are meant to teach us. Some are cautionary tales, telling us what not to do (like Judas’ betrayal of Jesus and subsequent suicide), while other are models for us to follow (like the life of Jesus Christ). No matter what, the Bible shows us that Jesus Christ within us is “the hope of glory” and that the Lord has "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Colossians 1:27, Jeremiah 29:11).

It teaches us patience
Romans 15:4 goes on to say that the Scriptures “give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.” Each and every day, God forces us to abandon our childish nature of “want, want, want” and our false perception that things should happen on our time. Even David called upon the Lord to work on his time saying, “Please, God, rescue me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me… But as for me, I am poor and needy; please hurry to my aid, O God. You are my helper and my savior; O Lord, do not delay” (Psalm 60:1,5). There is nothing wrong with praying to God to do a quick work on our behalf, but there is something wrong with sulking if he chooses not to. 

Still, I can definitely attest to the fact that the Bible is teaching me patience. If anything, the past 6 months, the complexity of the Bible has taught me to be patient in understanding! But seriously, as I grow in God, I see myself becoming slower to anger, and less anxious to have my way. It’s truly amazing.

It helps unify believers
The Bible is meant to be a tool that helps unify the body of Christ. Not only does it teach us the tenets of Christianity and the manner in which God wants his people to live, but it provides us with a common bond. Furthermore, the Bible says that we have power when we bind together as believers. Leviticus 26:7-8 says, “In fact, you will chase down your enemies and slaughter them with your swords. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand! All your enemies will fall beneath your sword.” When we bind together we can chase away evil in droves!

I have seen the power of God when believers bind together in unity. I truly believe that this blog is an example of unity. Since all seven of us began working together on this blog, we have seen ourselves grow individually and as a unit. I mean in the past, Brittney (our Warrior Wednesdays blogger) really got on my nerves!! But I have grown to the point where it is so much easier to talk to her….IM KIDDING lol. But really, our commitment to binding together to read the word of God has helped us to spread the Gospel to people we did not regularly contact in the past, people living in other states, and people struggling. It issuch a blessing.

So I encourage each of you to examine yourselves and think about the importance of reading the Bible and think about what the Bible means to you. Watch the video below to hear just one of millions of stories of how the Bible changed a woman's life: 



Merciful Mondays: Jael
For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.” Deuteronomy 4:31


1 comment:

  1. Everyone must own the Bible. It is the book which teaches us not only about the God but also how to live life in a better way. You will get rid of all the earthly suffering once you read this book. Order it now from Church Supply Store.

    Regards,
    Brano

    ReplyDelete