Let’s go on a treasure hunt. A hypothetical treasure hunt. Just think with me for a moment. We are going on a treasure hunt, so let’s discuss details.
First of all, what treasure are you hunting? Nothing else matters in your planning if you don’t even know what you are looking for?
Where would you go to hunt for this treasure? It’s hard to plan unless you know where you are going? You much decide on a destination.
Lastly, let’s talk about what would you take with you? I would assume you would take with you a compass and a map to help guide you. Possibly extra clothes . I would assume you would want to wear good shoes for all the exploring you may do. Tools and supplies are very important in this treasure hunt.
Going on a treasure hunt would definitely be an adventure, especially if I knew I would find what I was looking for. The allure of a treasure hunt comes in the adventure of the hunt. Studying the Bible can be much like a treasure hunt. We know we will find valuable truths, but often surprising truths await us. However finding these treasures take discipline.
Why should we study the Bible? There is no command in the Bible to read and study it. So why should we? It’s simple really.
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12 NLT
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
We need it in order to live our lives to the glory of God, which is our purpose. It is necessary for our survival. His word exposes our sin so we can repent, it trains us in righteousness and equips us for good work. We need it! Our sin nature is too strong to attempt life without it.
When we do not make time for Gods Word in our daily schedule, we essentially starve ourselves spiritually. Time in the Word is as essential for the Christian as eating & sleeping. Just as we make time to keep ourselves nourished, hydrated and rested, we should also make time to study our Bible. It is how we grow in our knowledge, understanding and love for our Savior! The Bible is what tells us how to live. The Holy Spirit uses scripture to teach us and to guide us.
Psalm 119 is my favorite chapter in the Bible to teach me the treasures that await me.
“Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart.” Psalm 119:2
We are called blessed when we keep the testimonies of God and seek HIM with our whole heart. What does that mean? Simply put, we obey his commands. We do what it says to do. Our life is a living testimony to what the Bible teaches. And we seek God for direction with our whole heart. He is our life. We don’t live for anything else, but to please our Creator. The world will confuse us and lead us astray, but our God never will. He is our source of absolute truth.
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Psalm 119:34
He is the source of our understanding of Scripture. We can read commentaries and books to hear mans interpretation, but ultimately it is the Holy Spirit that gives us the understanding. Such treasures await us when we purpose ourselves to obey Gods law and keep his ways as our ways.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105
When we study our Bible, our next steps are more obvious. I’ll admit, there have been many times when I am searching for answers in my prayer life, asking the Lord to show me the way through a specific situation. Often my indecisiveness is a result of my lack of time in the Word.
So, I think I have established plenty evidence on the importance of reading and studying our Bible. And even though I know this, there are still days when I let the urgent over power the important in my day. Meaning, I let a busy schedule push out my time with the Lord. I’m guilty.
There are a few things I do that help me to maintain the habit of reading & studying my Bible.
Coffee & the Word first thing in the morning. It’s what I do first. I make my cup of coffee & go back to my bed or my chair in my room and read my Bible. Most often, I’m only reading or listening to it through an app. No underlining, no making notes, just reading and absorbing. I have a Bible plan I use to keep me on track.
When my children were very young and drinking coffee alone in the morning was a non-existent activity, I would have to be creative at times. I often studied at night after kids went to bed. Yes, I was exhausted, but my time in the Word was so important to me I felt my day wasn’t finished until I had spent time with my Bible.
Often my Bible reading & prayer was done while nursing a baby or holding a toddler in my lap. One of my favorite memories of this is when my little Sam came wandering in my room early one morning and found me sitting in my chair with my Bible. He crawled into my lap and I read some verses out loud to him and then I prayed. He began to pray in his little voice, telling God how much he loved him. Tears still flow when I think of that special time. I never wanted my kids to feel as though they were a bother or interruption during my quiet time. I wanted them to understand how important it was for them to spend time with God too.
If you are challenged in when to spend time in the Word, ask the Lord to show you when and how. He is so faithful and he loves when we value His words to us above all others. Knowing God more intimately comes as we draw near to him through his Word. We can experience him in ways we may not have before as we find treasures in His truths. When we are intentional about studying his Word to know him, we experience his transforming power in our lives. What a remarkable God he is to lavish us with such tremendous treasures!
Dana Bailey 