WHY DO I STUDY GOD'S WORD (PART I)

As a young Christian, I was told to study God’s word and that it is very important to do so. Even now, I tell Christians that the study of God’s word is very important. 

Isaiah 40:8 reads, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” This verse probably already sums it all that as a result of the eternity of God’s word, there is a need to study it. However, it is needful for every individual Christian to reflect and understand for himself or herself the reasons for studying God’s Word. By understanding the reasons, a Christian will be encouraged to continue studying God’s Word and do so diligently and with purpose. Below are two reasons which I will bring up in the first part of the series, with the second part in March.

Getting to Know God and His Will

Often, people say that they want to “hear from the horse’s mouth”, that means they want to hear “from the person directly concerned or another authoritative source.” (Oxford Languages dictionary) How can one know about God and His Will? One has to “hear from the horse’s mouth” which is the Bible – the Word of God.

The first reason I study the Bible is to know God and His will. Proverbs 2:1-5 teaches that I can know about God through His Word. There are some who erroneously claim that God is not loving, unmerciful and uncaring because He sanctioned acts of judgment, such as killings, in the Old Testament. While the Bible accurately records that God allowed such to take place, it is important to understand His reasons for doing so and that is the destruction of the wicked and sinful. Without studying deeply, we risk misunderstanding God’s character.

Is it really God’s will that He wants people killed? No! God’s will is for all of mankind to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Throughout the Bible, He has revealed how mankind can obtain salvation. If I do not study the Bible carefully and in totality, I will wrongfully conclude that God is unmerciful but in actual fact, He is full of mercy. The apostle John recorded that whatever that is written about Christ and His miracles are sufficient for a person to have faith (John 20:30-31). Therefore, the Bible is sufficient for me to know about God’s nature, His will and to grow my faith.

If a family member or a stranger asks me about God and my faith, I definitely need to be prepared to answer. I have to teach myself first through studying God’s Word before I can teach others or even tell others about God and my faith. How can I tell others about this great Being whom I love and serve devotedly if I do not know Him well? When the Jewish Christians thought themselves more highly than the Gentile converts, Paul said that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). There is no one who is above others. Paul added “Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?” (Romans 2:21). If we don’t know God’s word, we can’t teach it to others. 

Guidance for Godly Living

Another reason I study the Bible is for guidance. All of us need a guide in life and the Bible provides just that. God’s Word is described as a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). Like a light, it guides us by showing us what must be done in order to stay on the correct path (Proverbs 3:5-6). When we trust and depend on God, we acknowledge Him and rely on His Word for guidance.

I study God’s Word because keeping His Word in my mind and practising it will keep me from sin (Psalm 119:9-11). God told Joshua about not letting the law depart from him, but to meditate on it always and do whatever that is recorded (Joshua 1:8). 

Paul called on the Ephesian Christians to walk circumspectly (Ephesians 5:15) and this can only be done if a person knows God’s Word. As our time on earth is limited, we need to redeem it in understanding what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:16-17). Understanding the word of God requires time, effort and discipline.

There are dangers of false confidence in knowing much about the Bible. The inspired James warned that hearing without doing is useless (James 1:22). A person will deceive himself or herself by thinking that knowing is enough to be saved.

There are many sources that offer guidance to live a godly life. The application here is to go to the correct source, which is the Bible. That is one of the reasons why I study it. Man’s wisdom is not reliable in providing guidance for righteous living, but God through His Word is. Paul admonished the Corinthian Christians not to let their faith stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). He was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ because it had power (Romans 1:16-17). Even when I try to convert/restore a person, it is difficult or even impossible if I do not go to the Bible and rely on my wisdom. 

God’s Word has the power and provides that guidance for godly living. Jeremiah 17:5-7 recorded:

“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.”

If my hope and trust is in the Lord, then I must want to understand more about Him, develop a closer relationship with Him, rely on Him and get guidance from Him through the studying of His Word.

As we move into a new week ahead, may we reflect on why we study God’s word. Let it not be for show, but for purposes which are meaningful and beneficial to us.

Ask Yourself:

1. How has my walk with God been through the study of His Word?

2. Do I know the purpose why I study the Bible?

Suggested Answers:

You may discuss this with the writer or brethren whom you are close with.