Prioritizing God's Word

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We expend time, energy, attention, and other resources on a daily basis. What do we expend all these on? Our whole life is a collection of our daily life. It happens one day at a time and at the end of our life, can we look back and be satisfied with how we have spent it? As Christians, can we say that we made time with God's Word a priority? The Word of God is important to a Christian. It is normally "in your face", easily accessible on a daily basis. Yet often, it is most neglected, set aside for other pursuits and preoccupations.

In an interview, Rev. Billy Graham shared some regrets he had in his life. He said that he regretted not spending more time with God and His Word. He wished he had studied more and preached less. "People have pressured me into speaking to groups when I should have been studying and preparing," he said.

The Word of God is key to understanding the issues of life.

Psalm 119:30 says, "God’s word gives understanding to the simple." The truths we glean from God's Word is applicable to our daily lives. Scriptures are profitable for teaching and correction towards right living. Scriptures provide insight and helpful advice on handling relationships, finances, work, ministry and more. Rev. Billy Graham said, "I used to read five psalms every day - that teaches me how to get along with God. Then I read a chapter of Proverbs every day and that teaches me how to get along with my fellow man." These are just 2 books that give insight into relationships. There's a whole lot more verses we can scroll through. President Ronal Reagan truthfully said, “Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.” Charles Spurgeon once said, “A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t."

The Word of God is key to deeper, grounded faith.

Christ said that the Scriptures testify of Him. (John 5:39). All that we need to know about the Triune God is expressly revealed in Scriptures. President Abraham Lincoln said, “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good of the Savior of the world is communicated to us through the Book.” St. Jerome was right to say that "Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” We cannot stay confident in the validity of our faith and the credibility of our God if we don't know who He is. We must be acquainted with Him and His ways. We must get glimpses of His thoughts and sentiments. We must get insight into the manner of His dealings. To have all these mentioned, we need to open the Book and attentively find out its contents. And that should never be a boring thing to do. British broadcaster Malcolm Muggeridge was right on point to observe that, “People say that the Bible is a boring book…but they don’t say that about Shakespeare, because the people who teach Shakespeare are zealous for Shakespeare.”

The Word of God is key to understanding ourselves.

President Abraham Lincoln was a professed reader of the Bible. He said, “I am busily engaged in the study of the Bible. I believe it is God’s word because it finds me where I am.” President Woodrow Wilson was also a reader of Scriptures. He said, “When you have read the Bible, you know it is the word of God, because it is the key to your heart, your own happiness, and your own duty.” God's Word is more accurate in assessing the human heart than man himself. Jeremiah 17:9 says that our hearts can deceive us. We can't help but be subjective at times. We can't help but make wrong and premature

assumptions at times. That is the nature of man. But God's Word is forever consistent, it is forever accurate. From it we get insight into the mind of man, from it we understand the old nature and from it we understand the new nature. 

It is important to prioritize time with God's Word. Even famous personalities realize this so. But don't just take their word for it, know it to be true yourself.

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Sir Isaac Newton:

“We account the scriptures of God to be the most sublime philosophy. I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever.”

President Theodore Roosevelt:

“A thorough understanding of the Bible is better than a college education.”

Daniel Webster, American politician:

“Education is useless without the Bible.”

President Abraham Lincoln

“But for this book we could not know right from wrong.”