5 Compelling Reasons to Read the Bible Today

Are you looking for motivation to read your Bible today? There are many good reasons to do so; here are five. Any one of them should provide the inspiration you need to take action and follow through on your desire for some quality Bible-time.

Read the Bible today because . . .

1. The Bible is the authentic and authoritative Word of God.
Imagine if Jesus Christ knocked on your front door and offered to come inside and have a face-to-face conversation with you. Wouldn't that be incredible? When you read the Bible that is precisely what can happen. God Himself speaks to you. These are His words and He is oh so eager to share them with you. "All Scripture is breathed out by God" (2 Timothy 3:16).

2. The Bible teaches us how to grow spiritually.
Do you ever feel like you've reached a plateau on your spiritual journey? Are you stuck in neutral? The Christian life is meant to be a life of change, a never-ending process of increasing Christ-likeness. Sure, there are days when you take a step or two backwards, but overall, do you see growth over the past year, five years, ten years? If not, could it be due to a lack of spiritual food? Like a newbo
baby, Peter says, "crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation" (1 Peter 2:2).

3. The Bible gives us the power to overcome any sin.
We all have our weaknesses. There is always room for improvement. Is there a particular area of your life that you know needs to change? It could be a particular behavior or a bad attitude. Do you get angry too easily and overreact in certain situations? Whatever the problem, God's Word can provide the solution. This is why the psalmist could say "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:11).

4. The Bible prepares us to live successfully in this life.
God told Joshua that if he meditated day and night on "this Book", and then did everything written in it, he would "be prosperous and successful" (Joshua 1:8). Let's not go overboard here and take this promise as a blank check. Verses like this should be viewed more as a prescription than a prediction. Certainly spiritual success is in view – a life lived in the light of God's Word will lead to the love, joy and peace that only God can give, regardless of our circumstances.

5. The Bible provides the direction we need to get to heaven in the next life.
Surely this life is not all there is. And if the Bible is true and we will live forever somewhere, doesn't it make sense to devote much energy ensuring we know what happens to us when we die and where we will spend ete
ity? Forever is a very long time. How many of us have spent more time planning our summer vacations than our ete
al destiny? Have you ever wondered "What will happen to me when I die?" Read the Bible and find out. As Paul said "the Holy Scriptures . . . are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15).