Hopefully you have made a commitment to read a portion of God’s Word. If you are looking for motivation to be reading God’s Word allow me to give ten benefits of reading God’s Word.
- You will receive INFORMATION about who God is and what God does. God’s Word reveals our God!
“My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver and search for her as hidden treasure; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.” – Proverbs 2:1-5
Of the many chapters and verses that help us to know God I suggest a review of two. Both are found in ghte Psalms. The first is Psalm 23 and the second is Psalm 145.
Psalm 23 will reveal to us who God is and what He does for us.
«A Psalm of David.» The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
Psalm 145 focuses a lot on who God is and then you see what God does.
I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, And Your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your power, To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glorious majesty of His kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever.
2. God’s Word will prompt you to offer ADORATION to God. You will find yourself praising God as you read who God is and what He has and is doing for you!
Psalm 145:1-3 says, “I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.”
A multitude of Psalms call for us to offer adoration to God – to bless His name. Here are but a few.
Psalms 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psalms 68:26 Bless God in the congregations, The Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
Psalms 96:2 Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Psalms 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Psalms 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
3. It will reveal INSTRUCTIONS to you regarding WHAT YOU BELIEVE and HOW TO BEHAVE.
2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”
As you look at 2 Timothy 3:16 look at it this way: All Scripture is God breathe and is profitable for doctrine (WHAT WE BELIEVE) and instruction in righteousness (HOW WE BEHAVE). As Christians we have doctrines that guide our belief. We are to know what we believe and why we believe what we believe. As Christan we are to learn what is right and what is wrong. God’s Word teaches us how to behave.
4. It provides PROTECTION from the evil one.
Psalm 119:11 says to hid God’s Word in our hearts that we might not sin against Him.
I John 2:14 says we have overcome the wicked one because the WORD of God abides in us.
As Jesus faced temptation from the devil He relied on what the Scriptures said to resist the temptations. He gave us the example of submitting to God and the devil then flees as we resist him. James 4:7
5. It gives to us DIRECTION.
Psalm 119:105 says it is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.
6. It is for PREPARATION for ministry and each of us has a ministry.
For instance, Joshua was told to be meditating on God’s Word in order to be successful.
Joshua 1:8 says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
2 Timothy 3:17 tells us that God’s Word equips us.
2 Timothy 3:17 says, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
7. It is for Spiritual EDIFICATION as it will bring about Spiritual Grow. God’s Word is soul food. It is milk and it is meat and it is honey.
1 Peter 2:2 “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,”
Matthew 4:4 “But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
1 Corinthians 3:2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,
Hebrews 5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
David compared the Word of God to honey in Psalm 19:10 saying, “More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”
Jeremiah spoke of God’s Word as something to eat and in doing so brought great joy to his life.
Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.
8. We read God’s Word for INSPIRATION. It will strengthen our faith to do what God has called us to do.
Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
9. As we read it and apply it to our lives it brings about TRANSFORMATION. Ultimately this is the goal of reading. We are not what we need to be. God’s Word is like a mirror revealing what we are not. As we read what we are to be and obey our lives are transformed.
Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
10. It is for AFFIRMATION regarding our faith.
God’s Word tells us about Jesus and how we can be saved by believing in Him.
John 20:31 says, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”
Then I asked how do I know that I know that I am saved?
1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God
God’s Word gives me the affirmation I need for my salvation.
Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
An Article written by our founder Dwayne Carson
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