Bible: How eager are you to study it?
What an amazing thing it is to see the different levels of interest there are in people for studying the Bible! There have been times in America when you’d find a Bible that was read in many homes across the nation. Even now search engines on the web tell us that between 85% and 98% of the homes in America contain Bibles. But how many of those Bibles are being studied or even just read from time to time? Have the numbers been increasing? The web tells us that now Christianity, the largest “religion” in the United States, experienced a 20th-century high of 91% of the total population in 1976. This declined to 73.7% by 2016 and to 64% in 2022. Where do you and your family fit into these numbers? Is the end of this decline in sight? Most importantly, where should you and your family be on this issue? Is Bible study a priority in your home? Aren’t we as believers commanded to be diligent in our study of it?
2 Timothy 2:15
15 Study [SPOUDAZO = be diligent] to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [Emphasis added]
Doesn’t the apostle Peter say pretty much the same thing in other words?
2 Peter 3:18
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. [Emphasis added]
Peter even tells us we’re to give priority to the teachings of the apostle Paul. He even tells us that the reason for the delay in Christ’s return to Earth is related to all this.
2 Peter 3:15-17
15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
Peter even gives us a stern warning about doing otherwise.
17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. [Emphasis added]
Both of these two great men had essentially the same thing to say to us in their last written words. Doesn’t that tell us something important about the priority we should give to studying our Bibles?
Even in Old Testament times, Moses had similar things to say to God’s people. They were not only to know and live by His word but pass that knowledge on from generation to generation. Aren’t we to do this?
Deuteronomy 4:8-10
8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;
10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children. [Emphasis added]
In both the so-called Old and New Testament, we read these words—
Deuteronomy 8:3
3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. [Emphasis added]
Our Lord even quoted this verse to Satan in the time of His earthly ministry.
Matthew 4:4
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. [Emphasis added]
Do people today value their intake of God’s word over the value of their meals?
In Israel the people would meet at the gates of the cities to hear the reading of and to study the Scriptures. This was to be a habit for them.
Proverbs 8:33-35
33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching DAILY at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord. [Emphasis added]
I recall years ago when occasionally we’d travel many miles to attend Bible conferences at a church in Houston, Texas where people would gather early at the doors to get a good seat to hear Bible study. Today we see this sort of thing only at things like ball games and theaters where people will come early and even pay large amounts of money to get the best seats. Where do we see that today where people assemble in such a way for sound teaching of Scripture? Today we see people logging many hours of screen time on their cell phones, but the majority of it isn’t for Bible study, is it? Such is just not a priority for most people. There’s a “thirst” for many things, but not for the “water” of God’s Word.
If you ever watched the movie—Patton with George C. Scott, you may recall his reading of one of the Psalms at a low point in his career. I marked it in my Bible many years ago as one of my favorite passages of Scripture. This Davidic psalm makes some important statements about the subject of this article.
Psalm 63:1-11
1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
4 Thus will I bless [BARAK = bless, salute or show respect for] thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10 They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped. [Emphasis added]
What a powerful statement made by this truly great man!
A verse that deals with this but is typically misunderstood is this next one I’ll now cite—
Matthew 6:13
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. [Emphasis added]
We shouldn’t now be looking for or expecting a physical kingdom to be set up on the Earth as this verse states it. In our time we’re to be looking for Christ to come in the air for us on the occasion known as the Rapture. It is that which is our blessed hope, not Christ’s second Coming to the Earth to set up His earthly kingdom.
Titus 2:13
13 Looking for [eagerly anticipating] that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; [Emphasis added]
You’ll find articles about this event we’re to be eagerly anticipating on this website. Here are links to several of them—
Rapture: What is the meaning of this term?
Rapture: Is there anything about it in The Four Gospels?
Rapture: How is this different from The Second Coming?
Our Lord even states a wonderful parable teaching about how different people will be in how they respond and how much they do or don’t appreciate His words to us.
Matthew 13:3-8
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. [Emphasis added]
What kind of “ground” are you? How receptive are you to the “seed” of God’s Word and how productive have you been with it? I assure you this isn’t about one’s ability to do this; it is about one’s desire and one’s willingness to do this. Yes, where there’s “a will” there will be “a way.”
One of the greatest lessons on this in your Bible is the story of a woman called the Queen of Sheba. She will always stand in memorial to this principle. Notice what we’re told about this wonderful lady—
1 Kings 10:1-3
1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions.
She took the initiative and the time to travel many miles across difficult terrain in Africa to hear the truth about God from this man. Today, most church-goers won’t even drive across town in an air-conditioned comfortable car for it.
2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. [Emphasis added]
What a statement! What questions do you have? Don’t you think the Bible could give correct answers to the many important questions people have about life? You’ll find a lot more information about this wonderful woman in one of my books. You’ll find it available through this website—
Discovering God’s Rich Blessings in Times of Suffering
As I often mention, it is rare indeed for people to search for these truths. It just isn’t a priority for them. In the apostle Paul’s day, it was people like the Bereans who stood out as an exception to this. Every generation has a few such people. I hope you’ll be one of them.
Acts 17:10-12
10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. [Emphasis added]
Would Paul have considered you such a standout? More importantly, what does our Lord think about you regarding this? I hope you’ll do everything you can to someday get to hear such words as these from Him—
Matthew 25:21
21 His lord said unto him, WELL DONE, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. [Emphasis added]
