Why should I read the bible?

Why should I read the bible?

Well, how can you KNOW the fathers will for your life if you don’t know His word?

I’ll be honest with you, I never really got into reading the bible until recently and I am a thirty-something year old. As a kid growing up we were bribed/rewarded for reading the bible. A trip to the dollar tree after reading a certain amount of chapters. For someone who leaned towards being a perfectionist this only breed more perfectionism.

I had gotten along in my life hearing from God, knowing His voice without really digging into the word. I thought I had what I needed to ‘get by’ in my walk with God. Turns out I was missing out on such a big part of God.

I discovered I had been robbing myself of a treasure I could have only dreamt of. 

As I began digging into the word I found myself desiring that time with God. I began looking forward to the time I had carved out to sit down to journal, read the word and soak in His presence every day. I’m not sure what sparked me FINALLY sitting down and reading the bible. It’s definitely been a long time coming. Over the last year I had little whispers in my heart of a yearning to understand Gods word. It however seemed too over my head. When I thought of  reading the bible my mind instantly went to genealogy. Who the heck wants to read so and so begot so and so and on and on and on…

But I knew there was something in this book I needed. I just wasn’t sure what. I thought I knew the bible stories from growing up. Turns out I had no clue the parallels in my own life.

I started in the Psalms. And worked my way through almost half the bible in less than a month. If you would have told me this a month ago I would have laughed at you. But its true. I would sit down during my sons nap time and after he went to bed with the intent to find some wisdom and truth into life and would find myself completely undone by His word.

I found my life in the pages of a book written over two thousand years ago. I found my love story written on the pages of this book.

I began to realize this book had not only significance, but relevance for this day and age. I wept, and wept as I read the words on the page. My life, it was right there on the pages. How could this be? How could someone know EXACTLY what I was going through? How did someone know I was going to go through these things and then read these words at this exact moment in time? Thats God for you. Always surpassing any expectation I could ever have. I quickly learned to let go of expectations and just open my arms to receive whatever it was He had for me. I have become undone in reading His word because I know He will show up every time I ask.

I had been searching for answers in all the wrong places. Turns out there is a story, a psalm, a page for every situation in my life. I knew that in my head, but my heart never really believed that God could be that good. It wasn’t until I began reading MY STORY on the pages of this book that I understood His love for me. He KNEW, He KNEW ALL ALONG that I would one day crack open this book and begin to discover a mans love for me that I only dreamt of.

I would have never imagined I would ever write a blog post on why someone should read the bible but when you encounter the love, truth, wisdom, and hope that is in this book how could I not? If I suggest my favorite books I’ve read throughout the year I would be doing you a disservice to not share this book that has given me the most hope of them all.

It has reminded me that His desire towards me is ALWAYS greater than mine for Him. So much so that it took Him to the cross to reconcile me.

I discovered His truth truly is the most powerful one. It casts out fear, it saves, it restores, it redeems.