There is a growing trend in America that is very concerning. Sadly, many people who call themselves Christians rarely if ever read the Bible. In fact it is safe to say that in most evangelical Christian churches, I believe, we can group the congregation into three classes. One group of church goers read the Bible every day. A second group of people read the Bible once in a while. Finally, the third group sitting in church rarely if ever read the Bible. And it is this third group of Christians that I pray either read this devotion or if you know one of them that you share it with them.
Ever since I gave my heart to Jesus Christ on October 12, 1981 I have developed a love affair with the Bible. I read it daily for my daily dose of fresh manna. And because I love the Author of this amazing love letter to me, Jesus Christ, so much, I cherish the privilege to discover more about my precious Savior contained in the pages of the Bible. I have found that the more I read and study the Scriptures the greater my love for Jesus becomes, the more I understand how to glorify Him, and the more I want to read my Bible.
Going to church but rarely reading the Bible is one way to stunt your growth as a Christian. Just as we need physical food to grow and stay strong, a Christian needs the spiritual nourishment contained in the Bible to also grow and stay strong. Without reading the Bible is like trying to drive a car with an empty tank of gasoline. Just as the car won’t go anywhere, the believer who rarely if ever reads the Bible is destined to stagnate in their Chistian walk.
While I am convinced that many people who go to church and never read the Bible are not Christians, there are definitely those who are Christians and for one reason or another just don’t read the Word. My advice to this group of stunted believers isn’t to chastise them but to show them what they are missing out on by not reading the Bible.
For example, (Psalm 119:105) says: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” The Bible is the ultimate guidebook on how to live a successful life. Without the wisdom and guidance, that we can obtain by studying the Bible, essentially leaves us to be the captain of our own ship – which we inevitable sink!
When trials and suffering come our way – and they will – only the serious student of the Bible will be able to find the coping measures needed to make sense of these negative circumstances – and in fact even get joy through them. (James 1:2-4) tells us: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
And of course when you read the Bible daily you get the infinite privilege of meeting with the Creator of the universe on a one-on-one basis. You can ask Him for wisdom, pray for needs, and spend an intimate time of worshipping Jesus through praise and thanksgiving.
All of these blessings and so much more can’t be experienced if you are not reading the Bible. Some argue what about those who live in countries where the Bible is prohibited from being read like China and North Korea? My response to this is always the same. How much more should we thank God that we in America have the privilege and freedom to openly read the Bible. We should cherish this wonderful right and take full advantage by reading the Bible daily.
And for the Christian who doesn’t read their Bible they are opening themselves up to all manner of attack by Satan and his horde of demons. If you aren’t reading the Bible, as a Christian, you basically are shutting down the main avenue that God uses to bless you.
In closing, if you are a diligent student of the Word then the following quote by Professor Andy Naselli should cause you to take reading the Bible even more seriously. And if you rarely read the Scriptures then I pray this quote will send conviction into your very heart and soul to start reading the Bible every day. If you do, I guarantee you will be blessed bigtime!
“Because the Bible stands over us, it requires reverence, submission, and obedience. Because it is completely truthful, it requires trust. Because its nature contrasts sharply with our finiteness and sinfulness, it requires humble reading that is always open to correction. And because it reveals God and his ways, it requires careful, prayerful reading that situates passages within its grand story of God’s creation, our fall, Christ’s redemption, and the universe’s consummation.”1
1 The Book That Is Essential for Knowing God | Crossway Articles
John 6:48 says that Jesus is the bread of life. The Word of God is food for the spirit. If one is truly born again & is a believer in Jesus Christ, he or she will have a continual hunger for the ” bread of life”; the eternal Word of God.