Why Reading God's Word Is a Big Deal.Sýnishorn

In relationships – sometimes we meet people and get to know them because we’re in difficult seasons, and we connect through feelings like trauma or loss – like support groups, for example. Or we bond through things like sports or events, or we seek out mentors or counselors to help us through things. We can do that with God through the Bible too! When we are in different life seasons and emotions, we can read scripture that might help us through that – loneliness, mourning, sadness, pain, joy, and celebration. We can read the Bible for wise counsel and guidance over things like relationships and parenting.

Sometimes, we might want to read for stories – like talking donkeys, or David killing giants, or things like sea monsters or God parting the water. And they say reading the Bible is boring. I mean, think about movies – stories captivate hearts. We connect with them, we feel through them, and we see adventure or mystery through them. Even Jesus taught mostly through stories because we relate to them, so reading the Bible for stories helps us to learn who God is.

Sometimes, we can read to remember and honor Jesus. Like, during easter – we read the testimonies of the cross as a reminder of why we celebrate that day and why it’s so important to continue sharing it with the world. It’s symbolic; it’s passing on to the next generation – it’s showing others what we believe in. Or, like Christmas, we read the stories on the birth of Jesus – to remember and remind ourselves and to teach our children the importance of why we celebrate our savior being born.

Sometimes, we can read to gain knowledge and learn about history. True story: my husband and I recently played world history trivia on a long car drive, and he only missed about 10 out of over 200 questions. That’s straight up crazy. Especially because he only memorized my birthday this year, after 16 years of marriage. The Bible is the ultimate historical encyclopedia – whether it’s tribes, people, geography, armies, battles, nations, movements, cities, or architecture.

All of these aspects of the Scriptures together reveal the character of God – who he is! So that we can have a deeper relationship with him. Just the phrase “I am the LORD” or “I am” is in the Bible over 300 times. God wants us to know who he is. Seek him, and you will find him.