Have you ever taken note of what the Bible says about itself? I did a little word study on that once, and here’s a brief snapshot of how the authors of Scripture describe it:
Your Word is flawless, more precious than gold, sweeter than honey; it’s my delight, my counselor, my comfort; it’s eternal, boundless, trustworthy, true, and right it’s a lamp for my feet and a light for my path; it’s like a fire in my heart; it’s alive and active, sharper than a double-edged sword, it penetrates to the soul and judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart; it is God-breathed and useful for teaching training in righteousness; it is truth; it sanctifies us; it’s the joy of my heart; it’s the way to life.
Wow. This is quite the book we hold in our hands. It is a reflection of the amazing God who wrote it for us, through the human authors. And His Spirit goes with His Word and empowers it.
The ancient rabbis taught that kavanah was necessary in four facets of life: prayerfulness, studying Scripture to know God, loving others, and doing your life’s work as an act of worship.
Pray, study, love, live.
They held that to really honor God, we must pray, study, love and live with intentionality—paired with an expectancy that God is here and that he will work.
To know God himself
Ultimately, the best reason to study Scripture to know God. The Bible is an essential, incredible part of the life of a Christ-follower’s life. It’s in Scripture that we get to know God’s heart and see how he’s acted on behalf of his people and his name throughout history. In it we glean wisdom and learn God’s will. Of course, ultimately, we get to know God Himself, and that profoundly shapes every other area of our lives. And the more we know Him, the more we love Him, which is the most important of all (Mark 12:28-30).
We pray that today, you’ll open your Bible with fresh eyes. Approach God’s word with kavanah: with intentionality and commitment, but also with an awed expectancy that the power of the Most High is at work in its pages and wants to be at work in your life because of it. We pray that you not only read it, but you study it, love it, learn it, and live it. It’s in keeping it that there is great reward.