Words. Sometimes it can seem that they're nothing more than just that - just words. But words can have more weight depending on who's speaking to us. The words a friend or family member says to us will bear more gravity than that of an acquaintance.
In the same way because our relationship with God is of highest importance to us as followers of Christ, we must take into greater consideration His words spoken to us. The primary way that God speaks to us is through the Bible. Bible reading is one of the most important spiritual disciplines that we must grow in and to miss out on it could prove to be more dangerous for us than convenient.
Here are five dangers we face when we do not make an effort to know scriptures more and more.
Not knowing Jesus
The whole point of the Bible is Christ. It's been said that every story, poem, prophecy and epistle points us to Jesus. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." To know God's Word is to know Jesus more and more which is the whole point of Christianity. We're not called to build a religion, but a relationship with Jesus and God's Word is foundational to doing that.
Becoming hard-hearted
The biggest problem we sinners have is not our mislead actions, but our misleading hearts. Every heart has been hardened by sin and we need it to be softened. That's what God's Word does. Ezekiel 36:26 says, "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."
Falling into sin
If we want to stay away from sin, we need to know God's commands and God's commands are all written in His Word. Psalm 119:11 says, "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." While being a list of dos and donts is not the main purpose of God's Word, it still is God's directive to us.
Missing out on the promise
God's covenant promises come to us based not on what we do but on who God is. We know God best by reading about Him through His Word, and while there is no understanding God in His entirety we can definitely get closer to understanding Him more today by reading His word.
Lack of fruit
Reading God's Word promises success - or 'fruitfulness'. It's full of principles and timeless truths that are a strong basis of our purpose and how we can fulfill it. Joshua 1:8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."
