The importance of studying God's Word has been drilled into my brain for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, I read God's Word with a checklist mentality for a long time, and I missed so much! But God is faithful and helped me see the error of my ways.
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“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you.” — Matthew 28:19—20a
The instructor of a biblical counseling class I took in 2019 quoted this verse and then asked us, “What did Jesus command?” Yikes! I could make some great guesses, but to be honest I wasn’t sure what was in God’s Word and what I had picked up from the world.
That day I knew things needed to change. Would you believe me if I told you from that day on I haven’t missed a single day of reading God’s Word? You shouldn’t, because I still fail on a day-to-day basis. I go through streaks and read daily and then there are stretches where I don’t even think of God’s Word. Although my consistency fails, God never does. When my heart is open to learning, God meets me there.
Since I know my consistency is lacking, I signed up for Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) this year to motivate me to study more. Ironically this year’s study is through the “boring” parts I didn’t use to read, but this has easily been one of my favorite studies! 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles were so hard to read before this study. It just seemed like kings doing evil in the eyes of the Lord over and over again…which it is, but God shows His patience, mercy, grace, and so many other characteristics I have always missed before.
I am thankful the Holy Spirit convicted my heart that day in 2019, because that is the day I learned that to follow the truth that never changes, I have to know the truth that never changes. That is why I have the Choosing Truth collection. I have plans to fill it with tools, journals, and study guides that will help anyone get into God's Word more consistently. You will never know God deeper if you never read His Word, because that is where He reveals Himself to us.