I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name. – Psalm 138:2 NKJV
How important is the Bible to you? How important do you think it is to understand it? Is reading and studying the Bible a worthwhile endeavor for you? Is it worth your time?
I ask these questions because of a disturbing thing I have recently observed.
Too many people attending our churches spend almost zero time in the Bible. Some might read a 300 word on-line devotional, but even those people are the minority. What’s worse is many of these same people either grew up in a church or even attended a Christian college or university. They attend church (mostly) and enjoy worshiping on Sunday mornings. Yet they spend very little time in the Word.
My guess is most of those afore-mention church attendees would be highly offended if a pastor or church leader used curse words, especially if they were uttered from the platform. This verse of Psalm 138 is just one of many verses that tell us how important His Word is. It takes a higher position than even His own name.
One of the reasons why biblical illiteracy has occurred is the lack of church leaders pushing, encouraging and teaching their attendees about the importance of daily Bible reading/study. Or, even discouraging the practice of that spiritual discipline.
Recently I was reading from Christian blog site I often peruse and I found an article with a catchy title that I assumed as satirical. Sadly, it wasn’t. Here is just one of the quotes from the piece;
Christians are wasting precious time excessively “studying the Bible” in groups and feeling quite content that if they’re practicing the “spiritual disciplines” at home that they’ve done their duty and can call it a day. The modern-day church places a ridiculous amount of emphasis on studying the Bible.
What’s worse is the author is a pastor. He leads a very large church in a large city. At first I was mad at reading the article but quickly I became sad. There are literally thousands of people sitting under this man who are being taught that Bible study isn’t important. He further said;
It’s obvious, from historical observation alone, that one can be a sold-out, fully devout, willing to die a martyr’s death follower of Jesus and spend next to no time practicing the spiritual discipline of Bible study.
I would highly disagree with his statement. I don’t see how someone could be a “sold out…follower of Jesus” and not spend serious time in His Word.
This is Paul’s admonition to Timothy about what pastors are supposed to do with those they are leading;
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. – 2 Timothy 4:2-4 NKJV
Bible study is NEVER a waste of time. EVER. If you desire to be a follower of Jesus, if you want to have a “walk worthy of the LORD, fully pleasing Him” (Colossians 1:10), you must be in His Word. It is through His Word that we able to hear His voice. It is through His Word we are able to understand the world around us from a spiritual perspective. It is through His Word we are able to know of who we are and who God has called us to be.
God thinks highly of His Word – and so should we.
In His Service,
Jeff Millslagle
Short Bald Guy 