Reading the Bible (alongside daily, continual prayer) is another crucial, daily practice to grow in a relationship with God, because it is His revealed Word to us and, as such, is not only the loving Truth of who He is, but also how that Truth should touch and be applied to every single part of our life.
With all the alluring noise and distraction in the world, it is easy to lose sight of why this practice is SO critical to growing into Christ’s actual likeness. Claiming to be a Christian and not spending time every day soaking in, reflecting inwardly on, and then applying God’s Word to our life is like claiming to be best friends with someone and never, or very rarely, talking to or spending time with them. While spending zero to little time learning what they like and/or don’t like, what makes them happy and/or sad, and what their convictions are, we can profess the title of best/close friend, but would saying that actually make it true? If we’re honest, when thinking of a “friend” we believe we understand but don’t spend much time getting to truly know (or just feeling we know them through the opinions of others), we usually impose our own ideas, opinions, and biases to fill in the actual details. By doing this we create a caricature of that person that doesn’t challenge or cause us to change our current values and beliefs in any way. If growing in a relationship with God through prayer and reading the Bible is supposed to change us more in to His likeness (and not His into ours), how can that happen if we don’t put in the everyday work to know who He actually is (and who we are in relation to that revelation of Truth)? If you are already in the habit of daily taking in His Word and letting it transform you more into His likeness, keep it up btw!!!
Here are some great quotes and verses reflecting on the function and importance of continually pouring over Scripture and applying it:
“If your God never disagrees with you, you might just be worshiping an idealized version of yourself.” -Timothy Keller
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” -Brennan Manning
“Anything that keeps me from my Bible is my enemy, however harmless it may appear to be.” – A. W. Tozer
“So, don’t tell me God is silent when your Bible is closed. I know that I’m far from perfect, but I wanna be close. Even on this broken road I know that God’s in control. I’m not where I wanna be, but I’m not where I was.
Yeah, so I don’t wanna over complicate it.
Your love doesn’t change; it made me who I am yeah.”
“Enough” by Social Club Misfits
“The Word of God I think of as a straight edge, which shows up our own crookedness. We can’t really tell how crooked our thinking is until we line it up with the straight edge of Scripture.” -Elisabeth Elliot
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
“The Bible is the book of my life. It’s the book I live with, the book I live by, the book I want to die by.” -N. T. Wright
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)
“Everything that’s in the Bible is not there to make your life miserable; it’s there to protect you. It’s there for your health. It’s there for your good. A loving God who knows more than you gave you the rules for life.” – Rick Warren
Please understand I am in no way saying we have to be perfect in our practice, but because growing a relationship with God is a journey, what matters is intentional, consistent, forward progress that will result in an ever deepening love for, and growing likeness of, Christ. I promise the investment is worth more than you can ever possibly know!! “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).
If you would like some more information about why the Bible itself can be trusted and some great tips on how to deepen your study and application of His word, check out these resources by Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace:
Five Reasons You Can Trust Your Bible
Tips for Studying the Bible
https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/tips-for-studying-the-bible/?fbclid=IwAR0PtzXc6paK-QAiaEdpiEtXEbMcZRPkg7hEV1_S8wG4q9PAa-iq5uQnQIY