Reason 2: It is for OUR Good!

And now, O Israel [21st Century person as well], what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD'S commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

Like the teenager who thinks their parents live to make them miserable, that everything they tell and require of (force) them is old-fashioned, unnecessary and foolish, the all-too-common (conscious or subconscious) thought of many (most?) “religious” people is that the Bible (indeed what we are told in church, etc.) is old-fashioned, unnecessary and much of it foolish so the less we know probably the better.

A great challenge, in reading the Bible, would be to find any such “dos or don'ts” – there is not a single do or don’t in the Bible that is there to please God while requiring a sacrifice on our part.  God is the perfect parent on steroids – good parents try to always do exactly what is best for their kids, but sometimes they make mistakes.  God never makes mistakes in His instructions and guidance for us!

The “modern” approach of parsing right and wrong based on “it doesn't hurt anyone else so it is OK” or “it is legal . . .” would have been considered dumb before the mid to late 20th Century – and they are!  Every significant action we take is going to hurt or help someone, even if just ourselves.

But, the knowledge that everything in the Bible is given for OUR good will only be gained in reading the Bible itself, not in anyone telling us.

Good Reasons to read the Bible:

• God has written the Bible so that it is understandable by everyone who wants His help and guidance.
• It Works!  “The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power” is a key and consistent theme of the Bible – the Bible works!

It is for OUR Good! Everything we are told, taught and shown in the Bible is for our good and, as such, we are blessed when we read, find and apply God’s truths while we forfeit these potential blessings when we do not take advantage of God’s Word – All of the Bible is for our good.