“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God.” – Matthew 4:4
You may have heard that in 2024, Bible sales rose by 22% over the previous year. That is certainly very encouraging! At our “Hope for America” livestream event, we gave away 40 Bibles. There definitely seems to be a growing hunger for God’s Word.
Pastor Charles Ryrie once said,“The Bible is the greatest of all books; to study it is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.”
Why is it such a noble pursuit?
I recently read an article by Lifeway Research that gave some insights. Back in 2009, the Center for Bible Engagement surveyed 40,000 people about their Bible reading habits. The survey revealed intriguing results. When people read their Bibles one to three times per week, they experienced negligible benefits. But when people read their Bibles four or more times per week, they experienced significant results. Here are some examples of the benefits.
- Feeling lonely drops 30%
- Anger issues drop 32%
- Bitterness in relationships drops 40%
- Alcoholism drops 57%
- Sex outside of marriage drops 68%
- Feeling spiritually stagnant drops 60%
- Viewing pornography drops 61%
- Sharing your faith jumps 200%
- Discipling others jumps 230%
Without a doubt, those are incredible benefits from reading God’s Word!
Life-changing Benefits For You
As we start a new year, it is often a time when Christians recommit to reading God’s Word. The above results show the amazing benefits of doing that. However, the Bible gives numerous other reasons why we should be in the Word.
- The Bible Reveals Jesus Christ. — “And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” — Luke 24:27
- The Bible Sustains Life. — “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” — Psalm 19:7
- The Bible Sanctifies Us. — “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” — Psalm 119:11
- The Bible Gives us Joy. — “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” — Psalm 119:103
- The Bible Guides us to Correct Understanding. — “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” — Psalm 119:105
To sum up, my new year encouragement to you is to be in the Word daily. Not because you should, but because it will benefit you. Always be hungry for the Word!
Grab one of the pastors (or staff) at church if you need a Bible. Also, here are some Bible reading plans.
Posted in A Word from the Pastor