The Benefits of Bible Study

There is a lot to be said in scripture about the benefits of studying God's Word. The author of Hebrews calls scripture "living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword," and in Paul's letter to the Ephesians the Word of God is the single offensive weapon listed in the "armor of God" section in chapter 6. Jesus quoted scripture to ward of Satan's temptations in the desert and then even more to rebuke pharisees who were too wrapped up in their own supposed righteousness. This post's purpose, though, is not to dissect what the Bible says about study. My purpose in writing this is to share what God has done in my life through regular reading of His Word.

In January 2010, our church started a 90-day reading plan through the New Testament. Here are some things I discovered about following through with a plan like this:

• I got better! By reading every day I got used to the language in the Bible. I got faster at reading and more efficient at absorbing the material. I got better at looking at seemingly obscure histories and finding something useful to my life today. Just like with anything, practice makes perfect!
• I started to understand God in a more complete way. There is still much to learn, but with every day that I read, I felt like my understanding of God grew because I was reading His revealed word as opposed to someone's opinion on His word. 
• I started to recognize the things that put space between myself and God. Our relationship with God is fragile on our end, not on His. As we do things that are ultimately sinful, they drive us away from God. I began to see these things and to desire to rely on God and his will.
• I felt the difference on the days I skipped. Yes, I skipped days. I sometimes had to come back later and catch up, but the lesson here is that those days felt different. Like going a day without talking to your closest friend, these days just began to feel empty, off-balance and incomplete.

I always set an alarm and did my reading in the morning. What started as a chore and a hindrance to my sleep schedule quickly became the biggest blessing in my day and something I willingly and joyfully jumped out of bed for. Jesus said "I came so that you may have life and have it to the full." When we challenge him to prove it, he won't disappoint!