Word of God

It’s almost impossible to overstate the importance of reading and studying the Bible. The Bible is no ordinary book—it is the actual word of God and inspired by the Holy Spirit! In Jesus’ great prayer in John 17, he says this to the Father: “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” The only ultimate truth in the universe comes to us from God, because He is the repository of all truth. The apostle Paul punctuated the importance of the word in Romans 10:17, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the word of God.” Faith grows only in proportion to our exposure to the Bible! Later, Paul describes the Bible as “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The bible breathes a sense of inspiration—that it is God’s holy word to us. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” The Bible pierces my soul and prompts me to action! 2 Peter 1:20-21 affirms the divine nature of the bible: “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human spoke from God as they were carried along by the Spirit.”

These are some of the reasons I am challenging you to read the Old Testament! I know it can be tough sledding, but when you begin to see the overarching message of the bible, you understand that this is the unfolding of God’s eternal plan for salvation. If you have started reading the Old Testament, keep reading! If not, start today by reading some material from Genesis. Nothing will kickstart your spiritual life like diving into the word of God—I promise!