October 31: “The Benefit of Spending Time in Your Bible”

Today’s Bible Reading:

2 Kings 13
2 Timothy 3
Hosea 5-6
Psalms 119:145-176

Today’s Bible Verse(s):

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (CSB): “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Reflections on Today’s Bible Verse(s):

Is the time we spend reading God’s Word and studying it each day going to produce a benefit that is worth the time that we invest?

Great question! Our Verses for Today more than sufficiently answer that question!.

Let’s look at 2 Timothy 3:16-17 one phrase at a time:

“All Scripture is inspired by God”

Not only does this tell us that the Bible is God’s literal words, it also tells us that the Bible is a living book. The word “inspired” literally means “breathed out.” Just as God breathed into Adam and he became a living soul (Genesis 2:7), so God-breathed out the Scriptures. Friend, your Bible is not a dead, lifeless book. Instead, it is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12)!

“and is profitable”

This means that all of Scripture is beneficial to us. While all Scripture is not equally profitable (for instance – genealogies), every single thing that God put into His Word is for our benefit and our good. Sometimes, we just have to study and dig into the text a little more deeply to see its profitability.

“for teaching,”

The Bible tells us what to believe. It gives us hundreds and hundreds of truth-claims that we are to internalize and embrace. Doing so informs our worldview which affects our behavior, our attitude, and everything else.

“for rebuking,”

The Bible rebukes us when we are engaged in sin, whether that sin is in the realm of our thinking or behavior. The goal is not that we wallow in defeat and guilt but that we respond in confession and repentance, which results in restoration.

“for correcting,”

When we sin, how do we get back onto the path that will lead us to ever increasing degrees of Christlikeness? The Bible tells us how to make things right when we have been wrong in our beliefs or actions.

“for training in righteousness,”

The Bible tells us how to act so that we live a life that more and more reflections the glory of Jesus.

“so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

If we will get into our Bible so that our Bible gets into us, the Holy Spirit will use it to equip us to do and be anything God desires of us. If we are to live this one life in such a way that we hear Jesus say on the Day of Judgment, “Well done!,” then it will be because we were reading our Bibles and conforming to its teaching.

Friend, your Bible is indispensable to spiritual growth. You simply cannot be a Jesus-follower without spending much time in the Word. So, if you do not already have a Bible reading plan that gets you into the Bible each day, why not consider committing to that today.

But, don’t just quickly read your Bible. Reflect on it. Study it. Maybe even write about what you have read. To be honest, the reason I have committed to blogging virtually every day for the past few years as I reflected on my daily Bible reading was because I believed it would help God’s Word sink even deeper into my mind and heart. It was only secondary that I thought it could benefit others. Looking back over the intentionally reflective time that I have spent in God’s Word, reading and writing, I would wholeheartedly agree that it has helped me immensely to focus on my Bible reading and digest a verse or two each day.

Regardless of what steps you take to get God’s Word into you, it is well worth it, my friend!

* * * * * * * * * *

Lord Jesus, Your Book is like no other. The more time I spend in it, getting it into me, the more I will be equipped to live the life You have called me to live. So, as this year comes to an end and a new year begins in 2 months, I will commit to spending time in Your Word every single day. Holy Spirit, open my eyes to discover even more fascinating, helpful truth so that I’m motivated to study even more. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.