(1 Timothy 4:13)…..Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
(Hebrews 4:12)…..For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
These are two great verses that speak to the importance of God’s word. There is no substitute for the basics. When His word enters us through our eyes, ears, or our thinking, they impart life and faith. Even if we don’t understand everything, we are still receiving a deposit of life from the Word.
(John 6:63)…..It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
Many Christians are weak in their faith simply because they do not take in much of the Word of God. If you spend hours each day listening to, watching, and thinking about the news and views of the world, but you only listen (half-heartedly) to a twenty minute sermon on Sunday, you should not be surprised if your faith is weak and the influence of the world is great in your life. The choice is yours. Yes, you are busy, but you can, and do, make time for what you think is important. Fortunately, today there are many aids we can take advantage of. You can read the Bible online, and be reminded each day by an email, such as you are doing now. You can obtain recordings of Bible translations to listen to while you drive or exercise or work. “But what should I read? The Bible is so big.” All of the Bible is instructive and worthwhile. However, the New Testament, and specifically the letters to the Church, is written directly to us and is most applicable for us today. If you want to get acquainted with the Lord, read the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I would recommend starting with John or Mark, maybe even Romans or Ephesians. If you want to understand redemption and what has happened to you as a result of receiving Christ, and how to live in victory, then you need to read the letters in the New Testament, which are all the books except the Gospels I just mentioned, and the book of Revelation. But always remember that the Bible is faith food. So if you want your faith to be strong, you need to feed it on the Bible.