JENILYN SWETT | GUEST

How did you usher in the new year? Perhaps with a midnight toast, watching the Rose Bowl parade in your pajamas, or eating some dumplings or black eyed peas. In addition to some of those festive activities, I spent time journaling and did some deep-cleaning to help give the year a fresh start. I also started back at the beginning of the Bible reading plan I followed (with a few stops, starts, and detours) last year. 

If you’ve gotten out of the habit of regular Bible reading – or if it’s a habit you’ve never developed, the new year can be a good time to start (or start again). The Bible is God’s Word, for us, so it is worth our time and attention. It’s worth treasuring because it’s how God makes himself known to us (Psalm 19). And just like any treasure is worth looking at over and over, the Bible is worth reading again. Here are a few reasons why I’m continuing the habit of regular Bible reading again this year, and why I hope you’ll consider doing so too.

Because We’re Forgetful

No matter how many times I’ve been told, no matter how many times I tell others, I still tend to forget some important things: God’s love for and delight in me, the ugly reality of my own sin, the significance of Jesus’s sacrifice, the hope we have in the resurrection. I need God’s Word to remind me. We have the Holy Spirit to help us remember what we’ve been taught, and one of the key ways he does that is through the living, active words of Scripture (John 14:26; Heb. 4:12).

Because We Need Help Praying

When I don’t have the words, when I’m not sure what to ask for, or when my heart is just struggling to pray, the words of Scripture are a great help. The Psalms and the writings of Paul are places I often turn (indeed, Jesus himself prayed from Psalm 22 as he hung on the cross). One of my favorite prayers to pray is based on 2 Thessalonians 3:5, “Lord, direct [my/our/their] hearts to the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ.”

Because We’re Part of a Family

One of the great blessings of the Christian life is being adopted into the family of God (Gal. 4:5-6). As his adopted daughters and sons, the Bible is our family history, the “house rules” for how to live as members of this family, and the guarantee of the security we have in this adoption (Eph. 1:13-14). Part of our life together in the family of God is sharing God’s Word with one another, so as I read, I’m often reading with others in mind (Col. 3:16). How does what I’m reading relate to conversations I’ve had with sisters and brothers who are wrestling with various decisions, sins, or conflicts? Is there a word of comfort, encouragement, and perhaps even gentle challenge, I could share?

Because We Want to be Prepared

When suffering comes, when godly wisdom is needed, when I’m asked a question about the Christian faith (whether by a fellow believer or someone other than a Christian), I want to be prepared (1 Peter 3:15). I want to be able to reach for a Scriptural truth just as easily as I pull the cinnamon off my spice rack or grab my favorite sweatshirt out of the closet when it gets chilly. I have learned that reading and meditating on God’s Word on the quiet, ordinary days helps to prepare me for the more challenging ones.[1]

Because We Need Our Vision Adjusted

It can be so easy to get tunnel vision: to focus on what’s happening in my own life, the lives of those around me, and in today’s 24-hour news cycle. But Scripture reminds me that there’s “nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:19). God’s people have always been well-acquainted with the spectrum of human emotion. They’ve known conflict, devastation, and the consequences of sin. They’ve asked hard questions of God, struggled with doubt, waited (sometimes impatiently), and begged for his presence and action.

Through it all, he has never broken a promise. His character remains unchanged, and he continues to pursue the hearts of his people. I need God’s Word to lift my eyes from my immediate circumstances to this bigger story, and ultimately to Jesus (Psalm 121; Lam. 3:21-25; Heb. 11:39-12:3).

Whether you’re reading the Bible for the first time or the fiftieth time this year, I pray that devoting the time and attention to God’s Word would help us all to more deeply know and embody “the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge” (Eph. 4:19).

[1] This was an insight I gleaned from Paige Benton Brown in her talk “The B-I-B-L-E… Can’t Be the Book For Me” (TGC Women’s Conference 2014). It’s a worthwhile listen if you need help remembering why reading the Bible matters!

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash