Devotions: Why Read the Bible?

 

I will meditate on Your precepts
And regard Your ways.

Psalm 119:15 New American Standard Bible 1995

 

Meditation is mentioned often in scripture, but it does not have the same connotation as in Eastern religions. To meditate, biblically, means to ponder, study, or talk about. This passage is talking about how a person is to stay on the right path, God’s path. The answer is to study God’s Word. We should regularly think about and consider what God says, especially His commands, and do this often. It should fill our thoughts. The Bible has such depth that we cannot study too much. We could never exhaust a passage. Part of the proof of the Bible being the “living” word of God is that we find something new (to us) and profound upon each study, no matter how many times we’ve read that passage before. I heard once that we would have to read a verse 30 times in order to learn everything there is to know about it, but if that is spread out I think it would be more than that because we see things so differently depending on where we are in life and what we are going through when we read it.

The second part of this verse is that once we have studied God’s Word, we need to have regard for it, to respect and pay attention to it. No amount of study will benefit us if we do not respect what we study and work to apply it. Study on its own merely leads to head knowledge and arrogance. We must humbly approach scripture with the intent and desire to learn and to apply what has been learned. This is not some complicated, highly theological process either. It simply means that we view God as being greater than ourselves, and read the Bible with a desire to learn and obey. God will reveal what He wants us to know if we have the humility to listen. I know some who claim to have not learned anything new in 50 years and it saddens me because it means their pride has closed their hearts to learning. They think they know more, or at least as much as, God though they would never say that openly. Others don’t think they know more, but they don’t care about knowing more. They want to live their way no matter what the Bible says. May we always have the humility to learn and apply what God has to teach.

How do you approach the Bible: as a story book to entertain, as a duty to be checked off, or as a guide book to be treasured? Do you disregard what the Bible says or read lightly because you think you know enough, or because you don’t care to know at all? Ask God for the humility to honor Him and His word and to learn from what He says so that it influences your life and you become more like Him.

 

 

To view a video of this devo, visit my facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/evelynbray.author

To receive these devotions daily, like my page or subscribe to my blog by entering your email in the subscription box to the right!

 

Translations of Greek and Hebrew words taken from blueletterbible.org