Eliana Tambunan Life’s pretty repetitive.
Wake up in the morning, hurry to get dressed and eat breakfast, and then hurry out the door to make your way to school. Growing up in a Christian family, regularly going to church, and reading devotions, whether morning or night, have always been like part of an expected everyday routine – sometimes even seeming like a chore. But then, sometimes, we see people who actually find delight in studying God’s Word for lengths of time and who seem to be more “spiritual” in their faith, although it may seem so hard for us to do.
So, why is bible study so important?
Quite some time ago, for Bible study, we read the book, Transformed by Truth (by Katherine Forester- I recommend reading it for yourself). The book was about the importance of reading the Bible especially as teens, and how to study the Bible in your personal time in practise.
The book mentioned that reading the Bible is like visiting a beautiful natural area, like. From inside the car, you can still see and enjoy the spectacular view; however, unless you go out of the car and experience it yourself, you’ll never fully enjoy the view.
And it’s the same with the Bible. The Bible is full of God’s instructions, commands and promises, but if we don’t understand it or meditate on His Word, the Bible becomes mere words on a page. Psalm 119:9 says, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.” The Bible gives God’s children instructions to guide us as we live as lights in this temporary world.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 adds, “ 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[a] may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
The Bible is like a lamp in this dark world full of temptations and snares, it guides us onto the right path.
Perhaps during a sermon or maybe you saw a quote about God, have you ever wondered whether it aligns with what the Bible says?
The best way to find out is by actually experiencing the Bible for yourself. Although other sources, such as books and commentaries, are helpful in growing in your faith, it is only by studying and experiencing the Bible yourself that allows you to discover God’s truth for yourself. So, how do we know what is true while reading God’s Word?
God reveals Himself through the Bible, however our eyes must first be opened.
As Christians, we are told to read the Bible regularly. The Bible is God’s way of communicating to us. It’s like building a relationship with someone – how can you become closer to someone if you don’t talk to them and get to know them better?
When we study the Bible, we grow in understanding of His character and promises. Throughout the Bible, we see God, everlasting and almighty, constant and the absolute standard of truth, good and beauty. When we grow in understanding of His character, we are able to truly worship and exalt the glory of God. As John Piper puts it, “The Bible itself shows that our ultimate goal in reading the Bible is that God’s infinite worth and beauty would be exalted in the everlasting, white-hot worship of the blood-bought bride of Christ from every people, language, tribe, and nation.”
It’s not easy
Personally, one of the hardest things to overcome when starting to study the Bible is the distractions.
Especially as teens, the world tells us “life’s too short – so just enjoy it!”
We’ve got enough text analyzing to do at school, so why should we study the Bible in our own time? We listen to pastors preaching God’s Word; that should be enough, right?
The Bible’s not just for pastors, it’s free for us to read and study for ourselves. We tend to take for granted the easy access we have to the Bible, with online versions available for free if you don’t have access to a physical Bible.
Priorities
Of course, it’s not easy. I, myself, admit that I don’t always prioritize studying God’s Word, compared to homework, assessments or my free time. However, by relying on God and having a heart willing to be taught by God, we can grow in our understanding of God’s word and find joy in reading the Bible, despite the world’s temptations. It doesn’t have to start big, like analyzing a whole book.
However, that doesn’t mean that it will be easy either, and that you’ll be able to understand the Bible all at once. As you study the Bible, we need to beg for God’s help and, only by relying on God’s strength and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can explore God’s Word for ourselves.
Eliana (Anju) Tambunan (14) is one of the writers for RE Generation-Z. She strives to share and spread God’s Word and what she has learned from it to other teens. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, drawing, sewing and attempting to bake new recipes.