Why Should We Study The Bible?
ISN’T READING IT ENOUGH?
I was having a conversation with a new acquaintance after church and she admitted that reading is not one of her strengths so she doesn’t read the Bible and doesn’t even own a paper copy.
I found that curious but appreciated her honesty and vulnerability.
Shortly after that, another friend asked me what my Bible quiet time or study time looked like. To my surprise, this friend (who I thought I knew fairly well) sheepishly confessed that she reads a chapter a day in her Bible every day “like we are supposed to” but that’s it. She doesn’t bother to try to study it because it just doesn’t make sense to her.
For Additional Reading: Finding the perfect-for-you devotional time.
My friend considered reading commentaries and devotionals to be acceptable Bible study time. This sweet sister figured God would want her to make better use of her time than to try to read something she obviously wasn’t qualified to understand.
Now I was beyond curious.
Did it matter if we just read the Bible and not studied it? Would we still grow spiritually? How much study was “enough” and what was overkill? Was it possible to study the Bible too much and just end up more confused than ever?
THE HOLY SPIRIT ADJUSTS OUR PERSPECTIVE
To some, this will seem overly simplistic but years ago I had a revelation that we are all different. God has gifted us to be different. What makes sense to my brain and spirit will (in part) depend on my spiritual gifts and my growth.
I think of it as looking at life through the spiritual lenses of a pair of binoculars. The Holy spirit adjusts the knobby thing so that things come into focus for me. What I choose to look at through those lenses is up to me. I can’t do the adjusting; only the Holy Spirit can (and does) adjust them.
Because of my eyesight, my settings on the binocular may be different from yours. God has given me the tool I need to see clearly. If I refuse to pick up my binoculars, He can’t do a whole lot with me. It’s the same with my Bible.
It took a long time for those things to settle into my spirit and transform my thinking.
I’ve been told it is because of my spiritual gifts but the Bible fascinates me; the many ways God applies it to our lives, the many ways He reveals himself through the words. So when a friend tells me they don’t read or study the Bible, I am always taken by surprise. Not that I think less of them. I’m sure there are areas in their life that they are fascinated with that I’m ambivalent about.
Before hearing from these friends, I couldn’t tell you the last time someone admitted to me that they didn’t study the Bible. Then to hear this twice in one day? Okay, Lord, I’m listening. You have my attention.
For Additional Reading: How to know if it is God speaking into your life.
My new friend made a comment that kept circling in my mind….”I don’t get why it matters if I spend time in the Bible. Isn’t it the job of the church to teach me all that I need to know?” Around and around in my thoughts, those words spun and became the basis for this post.
ISN’T READING AND STUDYING PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THINGS?
Before we get to why studying the Bible is important, I’d like to address another issue my friend had. She wanted to know if reading and studying were the same.
Not really, no. Obviously, we have to read to study. But when we read we take things at face value and plow through. When we study, we dig into what we are reading by asking questions and searching for answers.
It’s like the difference between an acquaintance and a friend. We are friendly with the acquaintance and, if asked, can probably share facts about this person. But we don’t know the why, how, who, or anything else that would give this relationship depth and make it a friendship. As we spend time with an acquaintance getting to know them better, our friendship grows and strengthens. If we neglected this friendship and quit spending time with them, the friendship would more than likely slip back into acquaintance territory.
3 REASONS WHY STUDYING THE BIBLE MATTERS
The Bible is a physical object given to us by our Heavenly Father. It is a precious gift that is written by man but inspired by God himself. God wants us to use it to get to know him better.
It’s like my About Me/Testimony page on this blog. I hope you have hopped over and read it, I’d love for you to get to know me better. I’m not “required” to share about myself for all the world to see. But I want you to know the real me. It would thrill me if you would send me a message and tell me about yourself. Life is about connections and our Bible connects us to the great and mighty I Am.
The Bible is so much more than a simple book. It reveals God’s will, answers our day-to-day questions, teaches us how to respond and behave, shows us the past, and tells us the future. All in one book!
There were two verses that came to mind as I was talking with these friends:
“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 straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.”
(2 Timothy 3:16-17)“For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of should and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
(Hebrews 4:12 KJV)
THE HIDDEN WORD SPOTS THE HIDDEN FAKE
As Christians, we need to be in our Bibles regularly regardless of where we are in our walk or what we feel our spiritual gifts are. We can’t hide God’s Word in our hearts if we don’t know His Word. If we follow blindly without reading and studying for ourselves, we can easily become deceived and sin against God or trust the wrong people.
We have to study the real so much that we can spot the fake, even if everyone else is deceived. God doesn’t want us to be clueless or caught off guard. He loves us too much for that.
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
(Psalm 119:11)
Satan is famous for slightly twisting the Word and making it sound legit. And we are told (2 Corinthians 11:14-15) that Satan comes as an angel of light…as a Christian. So not everyone who says they are a Christian really is! Not everything that is spoken about God is true and legit.
It is our job to carefully weigh what we hear and see and compare it against the Bible so that we will know if someone is of God or is masquerading for their own gain. Going along with this, we aren’t to turn the responsibility of our spiritual growth over to anyone, not even our Pastor, best friend, or Sunday School teacher.
God has provided us with Bibles. He expects us to use the gift he has placed before us.
THE HOLY SPIRIT DESIRES TO TEACHER US
When we avoid studying because we feel we don’t understand what we are reading, we have hope!
God has taken care of us (His children) even in this. He has provided us with his most Holy Spirit that lives inside of our spirit and speaks to us always. He loves explaining the Bible to us and will frequently bring what we have read to mind just as we need it.
Many Christians find the Holy Spirit does the same thing with Christian songs. I get that but nothing takes the place of the very words of our Lord found in the Bible.
My new friend felt it was the job of the church to teach her all she needed to know. I wish that were true. I am positive most do their absolute best to be all that the congregation needs them to be. But they are humans and will mess up just like we will.
Just as a teacher in school presents the information and expects the students to dig deeper into the studies with homework and supplementary material, the church does the same; it presents certain aspects and expects you to dig to discover what they don’t have time to teach. We will not grow if our only contact with the Bible is one day a week for one hour. Instead, your spirit will be starved for living water and spiritual nourishment.
If you are a Christian the Holy Spirit waits for you to turn to Him.
NOT A CHRISTIAN YET?
If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you will not understand Scripture regardless of how determined you are to find answers. God says it this way:
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
(2 Corinthians 4:4)
A TIMELY WORD IN NEED
We should be ready with a word of help or encouragement for those around us. Again, we can’t do this is we don’t know what the Bible says or where it says such-and-such.
We could offer someone worldly pep talks but we know that they are empty of real hope. Only the words of God have the power to soften someone’s heart and/or situation. Speaking through the Bible, God will give you a timely word. That means the exact thing you need to hear at the exact moment you need to hear (or share) it. He desires to use us, the body of Christ, to do that for others.
God uses these timely words to straighten our crooked paths and helps us understand what is wrong in our lives. It transforms us to be more Christ-like.
Unfortunately, when we minister to someone (even ourselves!) and don’t know the Word of God, we might pick a verse at random and force it to apply to our situation (taking it out of context). If we had studied it, we would realize that the verse meant something completely different than we thought. This is an example of falling back on our own understanding and wisdom.
“Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not unto thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
(Proverbs 3:5-6)
“My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts tighter than your thoughts.”
(Isaiah 55:8-9)
FINAL THOUGHTS
Although I give you three here, Bible study matters for so many reasons!
It is true that studying the Bible takes more time and energy than simply reading. However, the time you sow into knowing God's Word will always come back as you reap his blessings. It is never time wasted. As Americans, we currently have unlimited access to Bibles both on paper and on our devices so we really have no excuse.
We don’t have to be biblical scholars to study God’s Word but we do have to be faithful and make digging into Scripture a regular part of our life. Some days we will be able to dig deep, some days we will feel blessed to have time to simply read. Regardless, if your effort is genuine the Holy Spirit will meet you and bless you.
For Additional Reading: Discover and apply God’s promises.
If you read something you don’t understand, take a moment and share it with the Holy Spirit but don’t quit. Trust that He will reveal it when you need it. But don’t stop reading just because you might not understand something as well as you think someone else would. The fact is every believer who seeks, find. It is one of our promises from God.
“Keep on asking and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.”
(Matthew 7:7-8)