Loving the Word
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Would you rather read an entire book or skim the plot summary? It depends on the book, right? What about the Bible, though?
The truth is, every single word in Scripture is worth reading. Yep, even the lengthy genealogies and Levitical laws.
I get it, it’s tempting to skim the Word of God as we do any other textbook, online recipe, or blog. But the Bible isn’t meant to be skimmed; it’s meant to be studied—not just for the purpose of knowing its contents, but for truly knowing the Author: God!
As 2 Timothy 3:16 states, “All Scripture is God-breathed. . .” This word, “God-breathed,” indicates the contents were inspired by our trustworthy God, who sovereignly involved people to write down His holy words.
The Bible, God’s capital T-Truth, is “useful for teaching” (2 Timothy 3:16). Scripture instructs us to know who God is, who we are, our purpose, and how we can have a right relationship with God. And if we’re seeking to teach others, the Bible makes for the greatest, most valuable, Truth-filled curriculum.
Scripture is also useful for rebuking and correcting. Like a mirror, the Word of God reveals the deepest parts of our hearts and shows us areas for growth. The Bible is a powerful tool that God uses to convict us of our sin and lead us to repentance, by His Spirit, and to help others walk in God’s Truth.
The Word of God is also useful for training in righteousness. God’s loving standards for humanity are clearly communicated through the pages of Scripture, helping us discern right from wrong. With the Word of God and the Spirit of God, we can be “thoroughly equipped for every good work” that God has planned for us (2 Timothy 3:17).
Clearly, the Bible is valuable! It is God’s unchanging standard for Truth—worth studying and worth teaching to the next generation that they may know and love the one true God.
Friend, may we be people who instill a love and passion for God and His Word into this next generation as Psalm 78:2-8 urges:
2 I will open my mouth with a parable;
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
3 things we have heard and known,
things our ancestors have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their descendants;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
5 He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.
8 They would not be like their ancestors—
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.
Pause & Reflect:
- If you don’t already do this, intentionally carve out 15 minutes each day to talk to God and get to know Him more deeply by reading His Word. If you aren’t sure where to begin, open the book of John to discover who Jesus is and His heart for humanity.
- Consider how you can memorize one verse per week with you and the girl in your life. You may want to begin with our A to Z Who God Is memory verse guide.
- Check out this Girls in the Word (365 Days) to get you and your girl knee-deep in the life-giving scriptures.
- You can ask God to give you the desire to study His Word, to help you understand it, and to apply it in your life.
Let’s pray:
Dear God, thank You for the gift of Your Word. Help us to love, learn, and live it out. Would you please use us to instill a passion for Scripture in the next generation so that they may tell the generations to come? In Jesus’s name, amen.