What’s the first thing you reach for when you’re hungry?

Do you have a healthy appetite?

Christian, as one who “names the name of Christ” (see 2 Timothy 2:19), you need to develop a regular routine of reading God’s Word. If it isn’t one of your current holy habits, you’ve already noticed that you have little desire for it.

How can you develop a hunger for that which you have no desire? Honestly, it must begin with discipline. However, what you set as a disciplined habit will grow into a delightful desire. Your obedience to read and ingest the Bible into your soul will become a passion with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Christian, you need to establish yourself in the Word of God! Let me give you seven reasons from Scripture for you to establish your life on this solid foundation.

1. It leads to a blessed life
Psalm 1 perfectly illustrates this. A sharp contrast is portrayed between the blessed life and the ungodly life. The blessed life is only a blessed life because of how the individual responds to and interacts with God’s Word. He delights in it and meditates in it day and night. The result is a fruitful life of spiritual prosperity.

2. Abiding in God’s truths keeps Christ-followers free.
Whenever I meditate on why Christians should regularly read the Bible, the Spirit quickly brings John 8:31-32 back to my mind. Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

3. This establishment is key to maintaining a joy-filled life.
Jeremiah’s imagery is beautiful. “Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart…” (15:16). In a time of dejection, the Word of God restored joy to the heart of this weeping prophet.

4. God’s Word becomes a shield of trust to the believer.
Proverbs 30:5 tells us, “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.” This wisdom has proved itself trustworthy over and over again.

5. The Word of God is necessary to sustain your spiritual life.
Jesus teaches, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Don’t give in to Satan’s substitutes for the genuine manna that your soul needs. The Word of God is your bread of life.

6. You can’t behave what you don’t believe.
The greatest blessings in life come from obedience to the Word of God. In Luke 11:28, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” This is His response to someone that proclaimed how blessed Mary was. His point is that those who hear the Word of God and believingly obey it are more blessed than the Virgin Mary. Yet, you cannot obey what you have not heard. Therefore, believing faith for obedience comes from hearing the Word of God (see Romans 10:17).

7. God’s genuine path to success is only found in the Bible.
The Lord Himself told Joshua, “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” (1:8). Here is the key to spiritual success. The Bible must be first and foremost in your life if you would experience success as God defines it.

Before I could finish this piece, an old hymn appeared at my mind’s doorstep. The first verse ties in quite well.

“How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!”

I do better at devotionally reading Scripture when I use some sort of guide. My household has used Professor Grant Horner’s Bible Reading System. Click the link for the PDF to it. Before beginning, I suggest you read the opening materials and the final pages. They’ll give you some needed guidance before you commit to this plan.

Have you established yourself in the Bible?

Tell me about your current Bible reading plan.