May 30, 2023
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”
-Revelation 1:3
How do you quiet a group of bikers? It’s simple, you lay a map, yes, an actual ancient paper map, in front of them. I can promise they will quiet down and begin intently studying each road on the map as they find the best, most enjoyable route, from one location to another. Of course, once a route is found, a new discussion will begin about who has found the best ride between any two points on the map. One may choose the path with the most twists and turns, another may choose the path that takes you by the best hole-in-the-wall restaurant, but no one will choose the most direct route, that much I can promise you!
This ability to study a map, with such intensity, is inherent to sailors, pilots, and, yes, even bikers! It’s a skill we quickly develop as soon as we get that first motorcycle, because, more often than not, the direct path that we normally would take in an automobile is boring and uneventful. I’ve ridden over an hour just to get pizza. I’ve turned errands, to a store 5 miles away, into an 80 mile trek. We study maps, we share knowledge of roads with one another, and we find even greater joy in riding because of this.
Now, imagine if we picked up our Bibles and studied God’s Word so intently? Pretty powerful thought isn’t it? When we study the Words of the Bible, even if it starts out as just casual reading, we are transformed by the words because God is speaking to us, He is reaching out to us with his very own love letter to mankind. Every word reveals what God has done for us and what He expects of us. Paul tells us, in his letter to Rome:
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
-Romans 10:17
Our faith grows and is strengthened when we read the Bible, some may even encounter Christ for the first time when they read the Bible.
When we see the Bible as God’s Word, as God speaking to us and revealing His wisdom and truth, it changes the way we read. Hebrews 4:12 says:
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
-Hebrews 4:12
Approaching the Bible as “living and active” changes the game. The psalmist asks, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity...” (Psalm 119:9)? But, really this question could be anything: How do I keep my marriage pure? How do I love a difficult friend? How do I minister to those around me? The answer is the same, “By living according to your word” (Psalm 119:9).
Reading and memorizing Scripture changes us. It fills our hearts with wisdom, showing us how to respond to any situation
“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
-Psalm 119:11
It teaches us who we are as God’s children, so we can combat sin and temptation:
“With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth.”
-Psalm 119:13
And as God’s Word shapes us and changes us, our relationship with Him deepens.
Spending time in the Bible allows us to hear from God Himself — an experience that fills us with more joy and awe than just reading a book ever could
“In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.”
-Psalm 119:14-16
God’s Word is powerful. It is wisdom and truth, living and active, a place to go for comfort and joy. Spending time in the Bible is one way God speaks to us, and we get to experience His life-changing joy and power in our lives. What better map for our lives could we find than the words of the Bible?
