Why You Need to Read the Word of God

One of my weaknesses is a short attention span for anything that does not provide immediate benefit. A flaw once minor now threatens to become major, thanks to scrolling. It’s the same on every platform–the post, reel, picture, meme, or video has less than two seconds to earn my attention before a thumb swipes it away. Admit it, your thumb is twitchy about staying with this article.

I aspire to keep that short attention span out of my encounters with God’s Word, and I encourage you to do the same. Time spent in the Bible is spent with Jesus—time with a person, not time with a book. Let’s remember just a few of the myriad reasons why knowing God’s Word is important for daily life:

When we are conflicted, God’s word has untangling power.

It pierces between soul and spirit, the light of truth reaching clouded thoughts. This isn’t wishful idealism—this is what God’s Word does. It is not merely writings of human wisdom. It is God-conceived, God-breathed, God-directed, God-assembled, and God-preserved. When you hold a Bible book or scroll a Bible app, you are interacting with the words of God, not just words about God. Hold the Scriptures with this level of reverence. Hold them with this level of confidence.

Scripture shows us the whole story while we struggle in our messy middle.

You may identify with the people of Israel caught between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea; your situation is perilous. The Exodus travelers did not know what the Lord would do—they were in the middle of their story. But because you know God’s Word, you know the beginnings, the middle, and the ending. Facing your own Red Sea, faith overtakes fear. You’ve read what God can do in those moments. It does not mean that God will part the waters for you—but because you know the Bible, you know that he could.

The Psalms give us kindred spirit prayers for celebrating or sinking.

They keep our gaze Godward with raw, deeply felt prayers and unfiltered shouts of joy. What if you became so familiar with the Psalms that you knew exactly where to find verses of praise to pray back to God when something good happens? And should an enemy appear or your plans begin to sink, you could know exactly where to find psalms of longing, lament, or cries to God for rescue. Knowing your Bible loads the heart to be ready to celebrate, give thanks, and declare that the glory and credit are his.

The Bible is God’s self-revelation.

Each book has something God wants us to know about his nature, character, and ways. God is eager to share himself with us. Your Bible is more than a reference book. God invites us to find him on every page.

Scripture keeps us alert to our citizenship in a better Kingdom.

Knowing God’s Word wakes us from the lazy river of worldly culture. It reminds us about who we truly are. It outlines the future of this world and the destiny of those in Christ.

I have owned several paper Bibles, switching translations or formats as they captured my attention. (Don’t get distracted by the thought of paper Bible vs. digital app. The Bible you will habitually use is the best one.) I loved the Bible I used through high school and college. It is now shelved as I no longer track with that translation. But I loved it. I was intimately familiar with its delicately thin pages. Often, I did not know the chapter and verse address for a passage, but I knew it was on the left side near the bottom of the page. This familiarity only comes from frequent handling.

Personal study of God’s word does not always mean studying alone. Many of us aren’t as disciplined as we would like, so jumpstarting a Bible-reading habit could benefit from a buddy. Start with a small goal. Make plans to grab a meal or coffee once a month to talk about what you’ve discovered and enjoyed in the Word. If you want more, meet more often. Meet up with someone on Monday to dig deeper into what was preached on Sunday. But at the start, set yourself up for success to minimize the chance of feeling pressure or obligation. The aim is to meet God in his Word. Why not text someone right now, inviting them to a monthly hangout to share what God has been doing as you’ve read your Bible?

It’s great that you gather with the saints on Sunday, nodding in agreement as the Word is preached. You might even affirm the Word out loud, “Preach it!” or “Yes!” or “Amen!” (By the way, we preachers love that—keep it coming.) But are you opening the Word between Sundays to nod in agreement in your bedroom, saying Amen in your car, or at the coffee shop?

Please allow me a moment to exhort you to spend more time with your Bible. To exhort someone is to cheer them on, to spark their courage, to clap your hands while declaring, “You can do it! Keep going!” It’s a little like a rallying halftime speech—a coach calling the team to give it everything they’ve got, to remember their fundamentals, and to play for each other. If a halftime speech doesn’t resonate, picture cheering bystanders along a marathon route. Among the whoops and cheers, you’ll hear, “You’ve got this!” and “Don’t give up, you’re almost there! Or “Way to go! Keep up the pace!” That’s exhortation.

So here is yours: Don’t give up! There are a few more miles to go. There’s a second half to be played. Don’t forget your fundamentals! Keep going to church for sermons, but read the Bible for yourself between Sundays! You’ll be so glad that you did!

Read your Bible. The stories are epic. The stories are true. God is still doing today the things he did in the Scriptures. You will find guidance in your Bible. You will find encouragement and hope in your Bible. Best of all, you will find him.