I was a Christian for many years before I began to read my Bible on a regular basis.  When I finally opened it up, boy was I blessed.  And the truth is, I had been missing out on all those blessings for all those years.  Because of all the blessings in God’s word, I try to read at least a little every day.  Sometimes in the course of conversations with other Christians, I find out that they are just as lax on reading the Bible as I used to be.  Every now and then someone will be honest enough to ask me if it really matters.  “Do I really have to read the Bible?” they want to know.  My response is usually something along the lines of, “You don’t HAVE to read the Bible…you GET to read the Bible!”  There really are blessings to be found in God’s word.  Paul said it like this in 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17:

2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

We are so blessed to have access to God’s word!  As Paul reminds us, God’s word provides information, instruction, and training in righteousness.  The Bible is not just some collection of wise sayings written by spiritually minded men designed to help us live a good life.  The Holy Scriptures are inspired by God.  The word Paul used in the Greek that we translate “inspired” is “theopneustos.”  That word is more accurately translated by the NIV translation which says, “All scripture is God-breathed.”  That means that all of the words in the Bible emanated from God.  When the men who wrote the various books of the Bible picked up a pen to write, they were writing at the direction and inspiration of God.  When we read the Bible we may see different styles of writing and different personalities of those who wrote, but whatever passage we read, we are seeing words from one author.  We are reading the words of the Living God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, the Creator of the Universe, the words of Him who called all things into existence.  God has given us words of information and instruction that will equip us to do what He has called us to do!  He has told us how to live and love in a way that brings Him honor and glory!  Not only does the Bible provide us instruction but it also provides us encouragement and hope.  Paul said in Romans 15:4

Rom 15:4  For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

You can gain encouragement and hope from spending time in God’s word.  With the struggles present in our world today, we need hope.  The hope available in God’s word ought to be reason enough to read it on a regular basis.  Sometimes people say, “I wish God would speak to me.”  My response is, “He has!”  He has given you His word!”  Pick up His book!  It’s the #1 best seller of all time!  He has something to say to you.  Whatever your situation is, God will speak to you about it.  Any problem, any obstacle, any hindrance or fear you may have has already been addressed by God in this book.  My 5 year old granddaughter Avery sings a song, “The B-I-B-L-E… that’s the book for me!  I stand alone on the word of God, the B-I-B-L-E!”  The words of Holy Scripture, the words in the Bible come from God.   The question is not “Should I read the Bible” but rather “When will I read the Bible?”