I never realized the benefits of reading the bible until I was stuck in what I call “The Quagmire of Indecision”. It is a slippery situation created by the inability to make a choice when at a crossroads.
I had been diligently pursuing a business venture for a while until the 8th month when I felt a strong nudge in my spirit to abandon the said pursuit. I was (and still am) convinced it was what God wanted. It didn’t make sense to do so at that time. Nonwithstanding, there was a looming decision I had to make; To let go in faith or hold on with willpower? Soon after, I began to question the goodness of God which worsened the situation. Then came the Resolution and it came following a bible reading session of a book in the Bible.
Is reading the bible beneficial? What are the benefits of reading the bible or Am I wasting my time reading the bible?
This blog article on bible reading benefits has been specially designed to elucidate the advantage people who read the bible have over those who do not.
If you need some reassurance, motivation, or even words to encourage others to read the bible, you have come to the right place.
Outstanding Benefits of Reading the Bible.
Here are 6 reasons why Reading the Bible is important for Christians
1. Lasting Mind Renewal.
Like every other word, the word of God reveals the mind and heart of God towards us. By reading the word of God, we can discern the acceptable, pleasing will of God. Knowing the right thing to do is one step in living a life that pleases God.
Our mind is renewed and transformed from bad to good when we no longer let our flesh think for us and start thinking in line with the mind of God.
2. Lush Nourishment for our Spirit.
Jesus after fasting for 40 days and night, was tempted to turn a stone into edible bread for the satisfaction of his hunger and nourishment of his body. His reply is unconventional. He said;
It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:4
In other words, Physical food only nourishes the human body and invigorates human life. But that’s not the only life there is. There exists the spiritual life, a superior life form, that earthly food can’t sustain. That is, Bread got nothing on it (1 Cor 8:8).
Do you not fast yet feel alive?
The word of God sustains our spiritual life here on earth and mediates spiritual maturity like the milk of a mother. By reading the word of God, we are taking care of the spiritual aspect of our overall well-being.
3. Strong and reinforced Convictions.
As the crisis progressed, I began to question the goodness of God asking;
Why would a good God ask me to give up a seemingly honest and harmless pursuit of financial freedom?
Why would I invest so much time, effort, and personal resources for it to amount to absolutely nothing? Why did he let me start in the first place? Does he not care about me? Is He good?
The questions went on and on and I oscillated back and forth between decisions until I remembered a prompt I had received earlier during the exodus of the problem:
Read the book of Job.
I eventually read it(not study) and I was convicted in the end. Convinced of God’s goodness, I gained clarity and finally found the strength to choose God’s path.
Your chance of overcoming a season of hardship depends greatly on the kind of convictions you build and how tight you hold onto them.
The word of God is both the source of Christian doctrine (commonly called The faith) and the fuel for our faith. When we read the bible, we rekindle our faith, burn impurities such as doubts and lies, and hold even tighter to the truth we believe.
Each time you read the bible, you become more convinced of what God has told or promised you. This produces, in you, a calm equanimous attitude and poise to life in an anxious and uncertain world.
4. Divine Access to Supernatural Leading.
I took Jesus’ hands as he took me out of the pit and steadied me on dry land. I walked on the path that he was leading me with a few other unresolved questions in my heart. But all the answers were further down that path.
Concerning that business pursuit, truthfully, I was struggling; my creativity was flat-lining and I was burning out. It turns out God was actually rescuing me and calling me into something better. I just didn’t realize it at the time.
Additionally, my hard work wasn’t wasted after all. The experience gained in those months was key in building Chieflings.com. If I had not obeyed the leading of God, you definitely wouldn’t be reading this particular article. And I probably wouldn’t be as happy as I am today.
Reading that passage of scripture gave me the clarity and wisdom I needed to take the next step in the right direction. Many people have taken wrong turns and remained lost simply because they do not read the bible daily. God wants to lead you through his word. Leading seeks you.
5. Accurate discovery of your true self.
The Bible might feature a plethora of characters across several books written by different people but make no mistake about this: IT IS ALL ABOUT GOD.
“How then is this beneficial to me?” you might ask.
Short answer: Because your true life is Hidden in Christ, the second person of the triune God.
Long answer: In the bible, across the Old and New Testament, is a message about God, His character, His Messiah, and the salvation plan for mankind. Jesus, God’s chosen messiah, knew the scriptures were about him and always pointed people to them (Luke 24:25-27) because the true identity of Jesus was only seen in the light of the scriptures. Similarly, it is in the Living Word of God that we discover who we truly are and are called to be. Our life is hidden in Him(Colossians 3:3).
Today, there is a proliferation of ungodly and unnatural ideologies concerning identity because anybody can have an opinion on matters such as this. However, the way God, our Creator, sees us is definitely the truest perspective of who we are.
I am who God says I am.
6. Gainful Head Knowledge.
While the Bible is more than just a book, it is still a book which means that you get to enjoy the added benefits of reading a book. One such benefit is head knowledge: gainful information that can be leveraged to tackle everyday problems and accomplish goals.
It may not be immediately obvious, but as you read the bible, there is a growing “knowledge bank of scriptures” in your brain that will inevitably start to influence your thinking and decision-making process on a daily basis.
One practical example is the creation of this blog article. Some of the supporting biblical references I mentioned are bible verses I once read attentively, in context, and understood their semantic meaning.
There is no telling what solutions the Holy Spirit can create in your mind using this knowledge bank.
Final word.
Such an invaluable gift God’s word is. How good God is!
We have seen the word of God as a source of nourishment, encouragement, clarity, etc and its associated benefits enjoyed when we read the bible.
It is acceptable to let these benefits fuel your drive to read the bible and read it on a consistent basis.
Now, you know where to turn to if you ever need a reminder of why you need to read the bible.
Place a high premium on the word of God and spend time in it. Stop making bible reading the alternative forgone.
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