The Importance of Family Bible Reading

One of the greatest blessings God has given us is His Word, the Bible. The Bible truly is the inspired word of God. When you read the Bible, it's as if you are reading words that God's hand penned just for you.

The Bible is a roadmap with information pertaining to every aspect of life. Not only does it teach us how to be productive Disciples, but it teaches us how to be a successful spouse, a loving parent, a good employee, and much more. In addition, the Bible gives us examples as well as instructions to make it easier for those of us who are 'slow learners' (i.e., more stubborn than the rest).

The Bible is the most unique and most wonderful manual on how to live the human life that has ever been written. But if we don't read the Bible and study it, we will never discover the inestimable riches it contains. Nor will we learn how to live as we were designed to live.

Family Bible reading offers a number of benefits. It's a tremendous way for families to bond together by reading, discussing and learning what scripture says about all facets of life. It's also essential for living a Christian life, for developing and growing your faith and for molding your beliefs. There is a multitude of stories and parables for building character and teaching morals, and lessons for living.

If you've ever been in church, you've certainly heard stories from the Bible. But the only way to know if those stories are true and really happened as the minister described is to read the stories for yourself. Knowing what the Bible really says makes us more faithful and powerful witnesses to God's grace in our lives. And it has a much stronger impact on non-believers we might hope to convince of the Truth of the scriptures.

The ability to direct others to verses of scripture that will encourage them or help them get through the trials of life only comes through our personal knowledge of God's Word. As does the ability to explain why Christians believe as we do. Both of these are important to a fruitful, successful Christian life.

Has anyone ever asked what Easter is all about? Or who Jesus claimed to be? Or why we think Jesus really is God's Son? The answer to these and many other questions about creation, honesty, integrity, marriage, parenthood and so much more can be found in the words. But you have to read those words to know that—and to be able to share them.

With the abundance of Bible reading guides and Bible study tools available, anyone can study and understand the Bible. Maybe you would enjoy keeping a journal or as you study the Word. That way, when you find a verse that speaks to your heart, you can make not of it and find it again, or share it with someone else who could use the same encouragement.

While some people say the language of the Bible is hard to read, that doesn't have to be the case any more. There are many wonderful, scholarly translations that can be trusted for their authenticity and that are much easier to read and understand than the traditional King James version.

There are even Bibles geared specifically to children that make it easy for them to understand the Word as well. And it's never too early to start reading the Bible to your child and teaching her to read it for herself. In fact, starting young makes it much easier to make daily Bible reading a habit that will last a lifetime. Teach your child principles of biblical living and how God wants them to live will give them strength to stand against false teachings and better discern what is true and false as they grow.

The adage that "knowledge is power" is a true one, and it applies very much to Bible reading. The more knowledge you and your family has about God's Word, the more strength and power you have to stand firm on what you believe, regardless of what situations you may face.

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Second-grader listens closely to story of David and Goliath

Enjoy this guest post from author Greg Miller and contact him to let him know you saw him on the Christian Daily Blog!

Duncan, a second-grader, asked Mrs. Daniels, his Sunday school teacher, to once again share the story of David and Goliath.

Duncan never grew tired of the stories of Moses, Joshua, King Saul and David, and all his other Old Testament heroes. “They’re not just stories,” he said. “These characters are among the most important people who actually lived, and we need to learn the lessons that their lives teach us.”

Mrs. Daniels began the story… “David’s brothers were in the army, and he went to check on them and take some food to them.

“When David left home, he had no idea he would be engaged in the battle of his life. He was a shepherd and had killed a lion and a bear that had attacked the sheep, but he had never faced a foe like Goliath. When the time came to battle this enemy of the people of God, David took his sling and selected five smooth stones from the brook and put them in a shepherd’s bag.”

Mrs. Daniels told Duncan and the other children, “The Bible tells us that Goliath taunted David because he was ‘but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.’

“According to the Word of God,” Mrs. Daniels continued, “Goliath cursed David by his gods and told him, ‘Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.’

“Then David told Goliath, ‘Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.’”

Mrs. Daniels continued with the story. “David told Goliath, ‘This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.’”

Mrs. Daniels wanted to see how closely Duncan and the other children were listening to the story. She said, “Later, David told his brothers, ‘I threw the rock with my sling, but the Lord directed my aim. And when the Sovereign Lord takes aim at a target, he never misses. He never even has to take target practice!’”

“Did David really say that?” inquired Duncan. “I’ve heard the story before, and I don’t remember that part of it.”

“No, I don’t think he actually made that statement,” said Mrs. Daniels. “But he could have… and he would have been telling the truth!”

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To contact the writer of this column about preaching and other speaking engagements, or puppet ministry, please e-mail kidcool4jesus@yahoo.com.

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Bible Reading Challenge

Last night at church, the pastor mentioned a man who had been reading the Bible all the way through every single month. He spoke of how, if we would spend just one hour a day, we could read the Bible through three to four times a year, and if we spend just one half hour a day, we could read it throug over two times every year!

This really made me wonder...

Why don't we do that?

What is wrong with us as Christians that we are so afraid to spend time in God's Word?

Are we afraid of the illuminating power of the Word?

I don't have all the answers, but I want to challenge you—and myself!—to begin reading the Bible a minimum of 15 minutes every single day. Starting today! And if you can spend an hour, or a half hour, do it. But 15 minutes. Surely we can spare that much for our Savior?

I've already begun. Won't you join me?

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