Spending consistent and daily time in the Word is vital for every believer. Daily time in the Word of God is the means through which we are transformed into the image of God. Paul states this in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, the Word is God-breathed and therefore it is profitable.  It is profitable for teaching, which leads to conviction, then produces correction and finally ongoing instruction in righteousness.  This is the process by which we are changed more and more into the image and likeness of our God and Savior. God wants to transform you through his Word!

It is also the means through which we are daily renewed so that we are able to endure the ups and downs of life. (2 Corinthians 4:16, Romans 12:2) The Word of God is powerful and capable of growing you in your relationship and walk with Christ. Do you regularly spend time in the Word? Are you being changed by the Word? By God’s grace, we can be.

One of the first steps in making certain you spend time in the Word of God is to make a plan.  Do you have a plan for spending time in the Word this year? We are almost a month into the New Year, how much of the Word have you read this year? If you have a plan, faithfully work it.  If you do not have a plan currently, go to our resources page and check out the twenty-six Bible reading plans there.

In December 2018, we started focusing on this need to make a plan.  Since then, many have come to me privately and even publicly spoken about the impact of reading the Word daily.  They talk about seeing truths and even the development of the plan of God throughout Scripture that they had never noticed before. Reading the Word is a joy and blessing for the people of God, as the testimony of individual believers demonstrates.

John says in his epistle, And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.^[1] If we demonstrate knowing him by obeying him, we need to know what God asks us to do. Obviously, obeying the Word of God occurs by the power of his Spirit applying the Word and God giving us grace to obey.  But it is through the Word that we learn more of who God is and thus have a greater understanding of how we can trust him and follow his will. The author of Psalm 119 reminds us of the value of the Word of God: Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.^[2]

May God give you grace to spend time with him in this New Year through engaging his Word!

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Jn 2:3.

^[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 119:24.