Make the bible your friend every day.
We must read and study the Bible because it is the Word of God to us. It is literally “inspired by God.” (2 Timothy 3:16) In other words, it is the Word of God for us. Thinkers have always asked a considerable number of questions that God has answered in Scripture. For example: what is the meaning of life? where do we come from? Is there life after death? how to get to heaven? why the world is full of evil? Why is it so difficult for me to do good? In addition to these “big” questions, the Bible also gives us a lot of practical advice on topics like choosing a spouse, a successful marriage, friendship and parenting, success and how to get it, how to change, who matters in life, how to live without regrets, how to please God or how to deal with the unjust and unfortunate events of life. We must read and study the Bible because it is totally reliable and without errors.
The Bible is unique among the so-called “holy books” in that it not only transmits to us a moral teaching, which it enjoins us to follow: but it also allows us to test its reliability, by verifying the hundreds of detailed prophecies that it transcribes, the historical stories that it relates and the scientific facts that it contains. Those who say that the Bible contains errors have their ears blocked from the truth. Jesus once asked whether it was easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven” or, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk,” before proving that He had the power to forgive sins (something impossible to verify visually) by healing the paralytic, which the witnesses of the scene saw with their own eyes. Likewise, we have the assurance that the word of God is true when it addresses spiritual matters unverifiable by our senses because it proves true in verifiable areas, such as history, science, and prophecy. We must read and study the Bible because God does not change and neither does human nature. Its message is just as relevant to us today as when it was written. Technology evolves, not nature and human desires. You will discover by reading the pages of biblical history that when it comes to individual relationships and societies: “there is nothing new under the sun. » And while humanity continues to seek love and contentment in all but the right places, God, our good and gracious Creator, promises us eternal joy. His revealed Word, the Bible, is so important that Jesus said of it: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” » (Matthew 4:4) In other words, if we want the abundant life that God has planned for us, we must listen and obey His written Word. We must read and study the Bible because there is so much false teaching. The Bible allows us to distinguish truth from error. It describes God to us. Having a false image of God is like worshiping an idol or a false god. We then worship something that it is not. The Bible tells us the true way to heaven is not through good works, baptism, or anything else we might do (John 14:6, Ephesians 2:1-10, Isaiah 53:6, Romans 3:10-18), 5.8, 6.23, 10.9-13). It also reveals to us how much God loves us (Romans 5:6-8, John 1:16), which pushes us to love him in return (1 John 4:19). The Bible equips us to serve God (2 Timothy 3:17, Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12). It helps us understand how to be saved from sin and its ultimate consequences (2 Timothy 3:15). Meditating on it and obeying its teachings will give meaning to life (Joshua 1.8, James 1.25). God’s Word opens our eyes to sin in our lives and helps us to break away from it (Psalms 119:9, 11). It guides us in our lives and makes us wiser than our masters (Psalms 32.8, 119.99, Proverbs 1.6). The Bible helps us avoid wasting our lives by focusing on what doesn’t matter and won’t last (Matthew 7:24-27).
Reading and studying the Bible helps us, when we are tempted to sin, to discern the painful “hook” behind the seductive “bait,” so that we can learn from the mistakes of others instead of repeating them. Experience is a good teacher, but when it comes to sin, learning can be very cruel. It is much better to learn from the mistakes of others. There are so many biblical characters we can learn from and who can serve as both positive and negative role models at different stages of their lives. For example, David, through his victory over Goliath, teaches us that God is greater than the trials he asks us to face (1 Samuel 17), but, by giving in to the temptation to commit adultery with Bacheba, he shows us how long and terrible the consequences of a moment of pleasure tainted by sin can be (2 Samuel 11). The Bible is a book that is not only meant to be read but also to be lived: it is a book to be studied in order to be able to apply it. Otherwise, it would be like swallowing food without chewing it, then spitting it out: you get no nutritional value from it. The Bible is the Word of God and as such it is as fundamental as the laws of nature. We can only ignore it at our own expense, like the law of gravity.
The importance of the Bible in our lives cannot be emphasized enough. Bible study is like a gold mine: if we make little effort and just dig among the stones that cover the torrent bed, we will find only a little dust; however, the deeper we make the effort to dig, the more our efforts will be rewarded.
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