Why Do We Read Our Bible?

You're listening to the My Morning Devotional Podcast, episode 1566. Today's Devo is called Why Do We Read Our Bible?

Hey there, we're the Alessies, a ministry family working together in our church in Miami, Florida. And if you're like us, when days get busy and to-do lists get longer, it can be hard to find devotional time. That's why we've partnered with our friend Allison to produce a five-minute daily dose of heaven. This is the My Morning Devotional Podcast.

Good morning, everybody, and Stephanie Muina here. I am very excited to dive into this week of Devos because I this whole month we were gonna be approaching things more practically. I don't think there's ever really a practical way to do things when you're a Christian. So it's a mixture of both practical and spiritual. But I will be covering the topic of how do we read our Bibles, why do we read our Bibles, what are the do's, what are the don'ts, and everything in between. And I'm very excited to dive into it. I will also just give you a heads up. In the middle of the week, I will do one random devo that has nothing to do with how to read scripture, just to refresh you because some of us love these practical pointers, but I know some of us need that spiritual pick-me-up. So keep listening throughout the week and you're gonna be very encouraged. You will leave with a plethora of wisdom on how to read your Bible, but also uh a special word of encouragement for all of you. So let's dive into it. Why do we read our Bible? Before we get into how, I want to talk about why. Let's start off with Proverbs 4, 5 through 9 in the NIV version, which says, get wisdom, get understanding. Do not forget my words or turn away from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you. Love her and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding. Cherish her and she will exalt you. Embrace her and she will honor you. She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown. So, you know, a lot of times we may approach the Bible asking these questions. For any of us that don't know why we read our Bible, it's very normal to sometimes ask why read a book that is thousands of years old? Why read a book that people have blamed for sometimes causing division? I saw a celebrity post on a podcast about how Christianity can divide more than it unites. And that is a fallacy. We do not believe that. That is crazy. But a lot of people that are never reading their Bible may ask those questions. Sometimes we ask, why go back to scripture when I don't even understand it? And you know why? This is my greatest case against not reading your Bible. Every single day, you and I are making decisions. From the moment we wake up till the moment we go to bed at night, we are making decisions. And you are either making decisions to be grace-filled or impatient, to be loving or to be hateful, to be wise or to be foolish. Every single decision during your day is leading you to somewhere. And I know it's a small decision versus big decisions. Those small decisions about when, like, should I how should I do my hair this morning? That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about your interactions with others. What time should you show up to work today? If you are allowed to be late, if you're allowed to be early, um, how should you talk back to that person? How should you respond to that person? Those types of decisions, I believe, with every minor or major decision you're making, you are either walking towards God or you're walking away from him. And even if it's one small, foolish decision, a better way to say it is this even if it's one small decision towards foolishness, it's one small decision away from wisdom. And I don't know about you, but I do not want to live that way. Your life has too much value to live that way. I believe that because of scripture, you have joy. Because of wisdom, you have happiness, you have peace because of understanding. You are able to love others because you're getting it directly from its maker, which is God. And the only thing that is guiding me, the only voice that is pulling me towards God on a daily basis is his scripture. Another argument I can make is that this Bible is over 2,000 years old. The wisdom that it offers has outlasted kingdoms, it's outlasted governments, it's outlasted generations. It has truly stood the test of time. Now, I'm not saying that everything old is good, but I am saying that the decisions the Bible highlights, the godly choices that it preaches, have continued to lead people to happier lives. It's not just peace that it's preaching, it's godly peace. It's not just generosity, it's godly generosity. It's not just love, it's godly love. And nothing in the world teaches, rebukes, corrects, and equips you and I for our calling as God's people more than the Bible. And here is the best part: you are never reading it alone. You have the Holy Spirit next to you reading it every single day, which means you have the Holy Spirit opening your eyes to things that the human eye cannot see, opening your mind to things that the human mind cannot open to, opening your heart to things that our flesh cannot naturally open to. So, sure, it could be confusing at times. Let's be honest, it could be very hard to read, but you're not reading it alone. You have the great counselor, the great teacher right up alongside of you, inside of you, helping you read it along the way. He reveals the depth to you. He helps you walk it out, he shows you the connections and the truth. And when we pick up our Bible and we ask the Holy Spirit to walk it out with us, true transformation begins. So that's why we read our Bibles. Keep diving into it every single day. Don't allow anything to get in between you and Scripture because it's the only voice that is truly pushing us to become more like Jesus. Let's pray. Dear God, we thank you for this wonderful scripture that has stood the test of time. There is nothing wrong with it, God. It is absolutely perfect. And we thank you and we thank the Holy Spirit for coming alongside us and for guiding us in your truth. We don't have to live lives in falsehood. We do not have to live lives confused. Because of you, Jesus, because of you, Holy Spirit, we can walk in the clarity and the freedom of truth. And in Jesus' name we pray, amen.

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