Daily Bible reading is a vital spiritual discipline that strengthens faith, provides divine wisdom for daily decisions, and offers comfort amid life’s challenges. It transforms thinking, aligns one’s life with God’s will, and serves as a, “lamp unto our feet,” protecting against temptation. Regular engagement builds a deeper, personal relationship with God, equipping believers for good works and spiritual maturity.
I recall during my early days as a believer I used to fellowship at a church where the pastor stood in the pulpit, commanded us to stand, and led us in the Bible pledge. We all lifted our voices and boldly proclaimed:
I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word. I will make it a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and I will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God.
Since that time, I admit that I have had to regularly renew my commitment to make God’s Word the center of my life. Although I have been a believer since my days at the university, I must conquer the same struggles that others face, including the temptation to get so busy that I unintentionally neglect the daily reading of my Bible. Time and again, I have spoken to my flesh, commanding it to get back in line, and I have deliberately renewed my commitment to make God’s Word the center of my existence.
I even find myself inwardly repeating the simple pledge I made as a young believer at that church. That pledge made such an impact on my soul that I still repeat it as I once again commit myself to the daily reading of the Bible. The words of that pledge remain deep inside me and continue to impact me even to this day.
What about you? Have you made a commitment to God to read your Bible every day? Is this an area in which you’ve been on again, off again? Would you like to become consistent and regular in reading God’s Word? If you’ll allow the Holy Spirit to help you, you can win this victory in your life. And even if you unintentionally skip your reading of the Bible for a few days, don’t let the devil condemn you. Ask for forgiveness and get back on schedule.
The truth is, there is nothing more powerful than the Word of God. It has the answer to every question you will ever ask, and it contains the power to meet every need in your life. The Word promises that if you will obey it, it will produce health for your body. In essence, it is the answer to every human need.
Consistent, daily interaction with the Bible is linked to significant lifestyle changes, including reduced feelings of loneliness, decreased anger, and a stronger desire to share one’s faith. It helps to “set the mind” on eternal matters rather than temporary, stressful, or worldly concerns.
Conversely, when you neglect God’s Word and fail to include it in your daily life, that neglect will eventually affect every part of your life. The regular absence of God’s Word from your life will jeopardize your faith, steal your joy, produce an intolerance of others, and create putrid attitudes that disgust not only God and others, but you as well! In fact, ignoring the daily reading of your Bible will affect your ability to be spiritually productive and eventually make you spiritually infertile.
Paul wrote, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). But today let’s look at the benefits of God’s Word that the apostle Paul listed in Second Timothy 3:16. Once you really understand what the Word of God does for you every day when you take time to read it, you will find yourself getting more and more passionate about protecting your Bible reading time.
Paul wrote that the Bible is “…profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Let’s look at each part of this verse so we can get the full benefit of what Paul was telling us. First, he stated that the Bible is “profitable for doctrine.” The word “profitable” is the Greek word opheilo. The meaning of this word includes the idea of something that is needful or obligatory, like a debt that is owed. It can be translated as the word indebted, and it refers to something that is mandatory, essential, or an absolute requirement. By using this word, Paul was telling us that God’s Word is not optional in our lives; it is mandatory, essential, and an absolute requirement for us.
We are the product of our doctrine. Therefore, it is mandatory, essential, obligatory, and an absolute requirement that our lives be based and built on the Bible and that we must see ourselves as indebted to it. It is also very important to point out that the word “profitable,” the Greek word opheilo, was originally a word used in connection with law.
Just as laws must be obeyed and we are obligated to live by them, we as believers must live our lives with the Bible as our guidebook and our law for life, obeying it absolutely to the best of our ability. If we take this approach, the power of God’s Word will be released in our lives, causing us to profit in every realm of our existence.
Next, Paul wrote that the Word of God produces “reproof ” in our lives. The word “reproof ” in Greek is elegmos and is found nowhere else in the New Testament. In the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, the word elegmos is used for conviction. When God’s Word shines into our lives, its glorious and brilliant light is so strong that it exposes every dark area that remains in our souls and minds. As the light of the Word shines on our darkness and works in our hearts and minds, we are reproved, convicted, or censured by the Holy Spirit. As a result, we don’t remain in darkness. We are changed as our minds are renewed to think correctly. What a benefit the Word of God is to us.
Paul went on to write that the Word of God brings “correction” into our lives. But wait — isn’t the word “reproof ” that is mentioned above the same as “correction”? What is the difference between these two words?
The word “correction” is actually very different from the word “reproof.” One reason it doesn’t seem so is that “correction” is a poor translation of the Greek word epanorthosis. This word is very difficult to translate, but the following is a serious attempt to convey its meaning.