The Bible stands as the one book God gave us to know Him and to live the way He wants us to live. It tells us how the world began and how we can know the true God of heaven. Now the question comes down to this: What should we do with this book?
God did not give us the Bible just to sit on a shelf. He gave it so we can learn about Him, obey Him, and find the way to eternal life.
Why We Should Study the Bible
First, we study the Bible because it is the only way to know what God wants from us. The secret things belong to the Lord, but He has shown us what we need to know. “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29).
Second, we study so we can please God and have no reason to be ashamed. Paul wrote, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). When we open the Bible each day, we show God that we want to be His approved worker. We learn how to handle His word correctly instead of twisting it or guessing at it.
Third, the Bible makes us ready for every good work. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It teaches us what is right, shows us when we are wrong, and tells us how to live right every day.
Fourth, we study the Bible because we love Jesus. He said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). And again, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14). Love is more than a feeling. Real love shows up in obedience. The more we read His word, the more we know what He asks of us.
Fifth, we study because loving the truth matters for our salvation. Paul warned that some people “received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:10). When we love the truth, God blesses us. When we turn away from it, we open the door to error. The Bible is not just another book. It is the message that saves us when we receive it with an honest heart.
Jesus Himself told the people of His day, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). The whole Bible points us to Christ and the life He offers.
How We Should Study the Bible
God gave us the Bible in many different kinds of writing. Some parts tell stories of real people and real events. Genesis and Acts are like that. They walk us through what happened step by step. Other parts give us poetry and wisdom, such as Psalms and Proverbs. Still others contain prophecy that looked ahead to the coming of Christ and the end of time. We must respect each kind of writing and read it the way God meant for us to read it.
The best way to begin is to read a whole book from start to finish. Most books in the Bible can be read in less than an hour. Do that a few times, and the message starts to come clear. Then ask some simple questions as you read:
- Who is speaking?
- To whom is he speaking?
- What is happening at this time?
- Why is this being said?
- What does it mean in its own setting?
When we keep the answers to these questions in mind, we stay on solid ground. We do not pull a verse out by itself and make it say whatever we want. Instead, we let the whole chapter and the whole book guide us.
The Bible never contradicts itself. If two verses seem to pull in different directions, we have not yet seen the full picture. We keep reading, keep praying, and keep thinking about the whole message. As the psalmist said, “The sum of thy word is truth” (Psalm 119:160 KJV).
Put on what one some call “first century glasses.” Ask what the words meant to the people who first heard them. Then look for the principle that still applies today. The Bible gives us “all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). Every page has something we need.
Putting It Into Practice
Start today. Open your Bible and read a book straight through. Write down the main points. Ask the who, what, when, where, and why questions. Then ask the Lord to help you live what you learn.
If you love Jesus, you will keep His words. That means daily obeying the Book He gave us. It means letting the truth shape every part of our lives. It means teaching it to our children and sharing it with our friends.
The Bible is not hard to understand when we read it with an honest heart and a desire to obey. God wants us to know Him. He wants us to walk in His light. He has given us everything we need in this wonderful book.
Pick it up today and understand what the psalmist wrote, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). What should we do with the Bible? We should read it, love it, obey it, and share it every day of our lives. That is the path that leads home.
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