Why You Should Read the Bible- Entering His Rest

Reading the Bible is an important part of the Christian life. There are many reasons Christians should read the Bible, one of them being that reading the Bible helps you rest in God. 

If you've been around these parts for a while, you've seen that every year one of my goals is to get into God's word more. I want to make sure I'm asking the right questions when I read the Bible and I want to make sure I'm using tools to help me understand the Bible as I read. I usually fail. Big time. I want to be spending way more time then I do with God, but I always prioritize less important things instead. And lets be honest: nothing is more important than God, so anything we prioritize over Him is putting something less important in His place.

There are many important reasons why Christians should read the Bible, but one of them is that by meeting with God in the Bible, we enter his rest in a sense. We are able to see him for who he is, gain more trust in him, and rest in him and his sovereignty for our lives and our circumstances. That is a beautiful type of rest.

I have been working towards doing better with this, and I feel that I've made tiny improvements. But tiny isn't enough for me. And apparently, tiny isn't enough for Ally of The Speckled Goat either!

Ally has created the Blogging Through the Bible link-up. It's all about getting in God's word, staying accountable, and forming community. So, for at least through the month of February (possibly longer), every Friday I will post a devotional-style post on a verse or passage from my book of choice: Hebrews.

If you caught my post on my phrase of the year, then you know how much I've been enjoying the Hebrews women's bible study I've been attending, and I'm excited to share what I've been learning.

So today, sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and enjoy as I share why it's important to stay in God's word throughout the year.

"So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from His works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall into the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two -edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:9-13 (ESV)

According to this passage, entering God's rest is so important. And while Christians will one day enter God's ultimate rest (Heaven), we can also find rest while we are here on earth. 

But resting on earth- real rest- has nothing to do with a good book, Netflix, a bubble bath, or any other self-care act you could add to that list. Because even though those things are good in moderation, the only true rest we find on earth is in the presence of Jesus. 

Communion with God

God's rest is the only thing that is sufficient and it's the only thing that will give us joy, peace, or hope when we feel like we just can't catch a break, or when we feel like the world just won't slow down so that we can finish all that needs doing in a day.

God's rest is found in coming to him, talking to him, and gazing at him through his word. And when we do that, our focus shifts and we can face the day- the crazy, zooming, task-filled day- with a renewed perspective.

The word of God is just that: God's words to us. When we read it, we are communing with God, and I feel like that's probably the biggest benefit of spending time in scripture. But the passage also suggests that there are other benefits to reading the Bible.

Testing and Changing

When the passage talks about being able to pierce through joints and marrow, or soul and spirit, and that it's sharper than any two-edged sword, what it's saying is that it has the power to change us, to break through our toughest areas, and transform us from the inside out.

God will use his word to test our motives, to point out whats wrong in our lives, and to challenge us to do better. However, I'd like to mention (and we will talk more about this in the next post), that if you jump down to verse 16 of the chapter, we find that we can come to God in confidence, through Jesus, and he will give us grace and mercy. That is such a comfort, because I know my own sinful heart, and I know that there's a lot that could stand to be corrected. Praise God for his grace!

My hope today is that you will join me in entering into God's rest here on earth. We may not have made it to the ultimate rest yet, but we have the opportunity to retreat to God's rest, and that is a privilege. We need to take advantage of it!