I'm not going to lie to y'all I struggled with reading my Bible for yearssss! I would tell myself I was going to be more consistent, and I would read for a few days in a row....then life would happen and I wouldn't pick it back up again for 2 weeks. I think if we're honest with each other, we've all been a victim to that cycle of on again, off again time in the word. I mean let's be honest, the Bible can be hard to understand and confusing at times. It's HARD to be consistent with anything, let alone be consistent with something that is hard to understand. BUT, there is good news, the Lord GIVES us understanding and all we have to do is ask for it. Proverbs 2:6 says, "For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding." So lets start with that fact, we CAN understand it, but why should we read it?
First, reading the Bible changes how we feel and think. Think about it, what we read and listen to impacts us in big ways. When you watch the news how do you feel? Probably anxious. When you scroll endlessly on instagram how do you feel? Probably envious and insecure. But the Bible is different, it brings peace and joy. Let me tell you from personal experience: days I read my bible and spend time with the Lord first thing in the morning, I am less stressed, I am kinder, and I overall have a better day. On days I skip it, lets just say YOU CAN TELL! I have a short temper, I'm stressed, and I am not the nicest person to be around. Reading the Bible makes us feel and act better.
The next reason we need to read our Bible is it is ESSENTIAL to mature in our faith. We are called to grow and mature in our relationship with the Lord, he doesn't desire for us to just be stagnant. Ephesians 4:14-16 says, "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." In other words, the Bible is necessary in order to mature to our full potential. We have to know what is TRUE so that we are not swayed by the ways of this world. We have to know scripture in order to go to war with the enemy.
Speaking of the enemy, the next reason reading our Bible is essential is because we need to know scripture in order to combat the lies of the enemy. If we don't know what Jesus says about us, we will believe what the devil says about us. The Bible tells us that the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), but it also tells us that the Bible is sharper than a double edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). I don't know about you, but if I know there is an enemy out there on the prowl, I want a weapon to fight with. We have the perfect example of using the scriptures as a weapon of defense in Matthew when Jesus himself was tempted by the devil. A little back story, Jesus had been in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights with no food or water. (I don't know about you but after 5 hours I need Chick-fil-a lol) He was at a vulnerable state to say the least. This was when the enemy came to him and tempted him three separate times. All three time Jesus combatted the temptation with scripture. How many times have you been in that situation? If I had to guess you've never been in the wilderness for 40 days with no food or water, but I can say with certainty you have been in a vulnerable state. Maybe you were lonely, and the enemy told you "no one would ever want to be your friend". Maybe you were feeling insecure in your body and the enemy told you, "God will never use you when you look like that". Maybe you went too far with a boy and the enemy told you, "no man will ever love you now". I don't know what lies you have been believing but I do know that that is not the Father's desire for your life. He wants to give you FREEDOM from the lies of the enemy, and it starts by reading and knowing his word and what HE says about you.
So all of this is great, but how do we practically get into the word? Here is three daily practices I want you to try out!
- Use the Bible app's text to speech feature in the car and listen to scripture instead of music on your way to school or work!
- Find a fun devotional that you look forward to reading! One of my favorite brands is "For the Girl". They have so many devotionals that are biblically sound but, also cute:)
- Grab your Bible before you grab your phone in the morning. Even if you only read a few verses, let it be the first thing you see in the morning.
The Bible is truly the best story in the history of the world. It has transformed my life and I pray it changes yours.
xx Mallori
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