You don’t have to read the Bible. On the face of it, plenty of people seem to get by without it. With so much to do, so many demands, reading an ancient book doesn’t feel pressing enough. But the question is, is “getting by” really the aim here? Jesus didn’t live, die, and rise again so we could coast through life, catching a snippet of Scripture here and there, hoping it’s enough. He came so we would have life—and have it abundantly. And that life, He tells us, depends on God’s Word.
The Vitality of God’s Word and True Fulfilment
In Matthew 4:4, as Jesus faces Satan’s temptations, He responds, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” These words cut straight to the heart of why we need the Bible. Jesus isn’t merely talking about a religious activity or a habit to develop; He’s talking about life itself. Just as our physical bodies rely on food, our souls rely on the sustenance that only God’s words provide.
If we think we can thrive without it, we’re deceiving ourselves. Jesus, the Son of God, shows us that in the darkest moments of temptation and testing, what held Him was not simply His divine nature, but the Word of God. If He needed it, depended on it, and honoured it in times of great emotional and spiritual challenge, how much more do we? Satan’s temptations were powerful and seductive; if Jesus had fallen, the impact would have been enormous, eternally affecting millions, even billions of people. Yet each time, He parried temptation with “it is written.”
Jesus’ Example in Defeating Temptation with Scripture
The Bible is not just a collection of wise sayings or moral guidance—it is, as Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16, “breathed out by God” and “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Think about that phrase—“breathed out by God.” Scripture is the very breath of God moving through the pages, a holy exhale that brings life and truth into the world. Unlike even the most compelling book, biography, or textbook, when we open the Bible, we are not merely reading words on a page; we are encountering the voice of God—His own breath, His heart for humanity laid bare, unfolding the great, awesome story of His redemptive plan for mankind. If we believe this, if we are truly convinced that the Bible is the voice of God reaching out to us, then why would we settle for rarely reading it?
God’s Living Breath in the Bible as More Than Words
There is so much to read in the Bible, yet each page speaks life, hope, and challenge to us. The longest psalm in the Bible—Psalm 119—is essentially a love letter from God’s Word, with the psalmist crying out, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). I mention this very long psalm intentionally—notice how personal it is. It’s not “a” lamp, but “your” lamp. Traditionally, Psalm 119 is attributed to David, though it’s not certain. For the psalmist, God’s Word isn’t some abstract truth; it’s a lifeline, a guide, an intimate light that shows him where to go—and where not to go. He’s saying, “God, without Your Word, I’m in the dark. I don’t know where I’m going.” How often do we feel that way—lost, uncertain, grasping for direction? The Bible is God’s provision of light in the darkness, a light that pierces through and directs us on His path that leads us to life.
In a world where everyone is often encouraged to embrace their own “truth,” Scripture constantly asserts and assures us that God’s words are not just true; they are trustworthy. They are truth itself and the benchmark against which all other so-called “truths” are measured—something the Bereans in Acts 17:11 were convinced of as they “examined the Scriptures daily” to test what they heard.
When God speaks, He emphatically, unambiguously means every single word. Numbers 23:19 declares, “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfil it?” God is not careless or flippant with His words. He’s not making things up as He goes, nor is He prone to exaggeration. Every promise, every truth, every instruction in Scripture flows from His unfailing character. The Bible is reliable not only because of what it says but because of who says it. His Word is as dependable as He is, unchanging and steady through every circumstance.
The Creative and Transformative Power of God’s Word
The Bible isn’t only reliable—it’s alive. No other book or religious writing can claim this truth. Hebrews 4:12 describes Scripture as “the word of God [that] 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.” Simply put, the Bible pulses with the energy and life of God. This isn’t dead language; it’s living truth that interacts with us, cutting clean through our defences and reaching deep into our lives. It’s a Word that doesn’t just inform but radically transforms—revealing what we hide, bringing light to what we keep in darkness, and reshaping our hearts from the inside out. It’s formidable; we don’t merely read the Bible—it reads us, leaving us desiring more.
The Bible’s life-transforming power isn’t theoretical; we see it from the very beginning. In Genesis, God speaks, and creation responds: “Let there be light,” and there is light. “Let the waters gather,” and they gather. His words don’t simply describe reality—they create it. To blind eyes, He says, “See!”—and they see (Mark 10:52). To a paralysed man, “Rise!”—and he rises (John 5:8-9). To a storm, “Peace, be still!”—and it obeys (Mark 4:39). This same creative power is woven into the pages of Scripture. When we read it, when we take it to heart, we invite God to create something new in us. His Word renews us, reshapes our thoughts, and redirects our desires, drawing us closer to the image of Christ.
I’ve quoted Jesus speaking and immediate change follows—and with good reason: Jesus Himself is called “the Word” (John 1:1). The Bible isn’t simply a book about Jesus; it’s His own voice, His own story woven throughout. When we read it, we encounter Jesus—the Word made flesh—who lived, died, and rose again so that we might be reconciled to God. Every book of the Bible whispers His name, from Genesis to Revelation; at times, that whisper becomes the sound of thunder.
Encountering Jesus Through Scripture as an Invitation to Intimacy
Jesus personally is the Word that brings life, and in the Scriptures, He offers Himself to us again and again. Like a captivating story, He draws us in—challenging our preconceptions, our biases, and our worldview. We don’t just see His teachings, His wisdom, or His miracles; we see His heart. We see a Saviour who walked in our shoes, who faced temptation without falling, who wept with the broken, and who ultimately bore our sins so that we might be free. It’s the story of God, but also of the Hero of heroes and Champion of champions—yet also our friend. To skip the Bible is to miss Jesus Himself, to miss an intimate encounter with the One who knows us fully and loves us completely.
If you’re struggling to trust the Bible, let Scripture stand in the dock of your judgment and let it speak for itself. The defence brings a witness statement: “The sum of your word is truth,” the psalmist says in Psalm 119:160, “and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.” God’s Word is true not just in part, but in its entirety—all of it, even if you don’t agree with or believe it. Every promise, every command, every story holds a piece of His unchanging truth. And this truth isn’t bound to cultural shifts or human opinion—it endures forever, literally. In a world where opinions change and “truth” seems to shift with each generation or persuasion, the Bible stands firm. It’s a rock in the shifting sands, a solid, immovable foundation we can trust no matter what storms come our way.
At times, it may feel as though nothing is ‘going in’ as you read, but don’t be fooled. The words you read are finding their place; like grains of sand, they slowly and imperceptibly fill you. The next four sentences are profoundly important:
When we turn to Scripture, we’re not just reading to learn; we’re listening to the God who loves us, who knows us, who desires to make us whole, and who longs for intimacy with us. We are His, and He is ours. Paul understood this when he wrote, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). If we want to grow in faith, if we want to draw closer to God, we must hear Him, and the place He speaks most clearly and intimately is through His Word. Faith doesn’t come from effort alone; it comes from the Word that feeds, sustains, and builds it.
Here’s the staggering reality: God didn’t have to reveal Himself—He really didn’t. He owes us nothing. He could have remained silent, hidden, distant. Yet in His love and mercy, He chose to speak. He gave us His Word so we wouldn’t be left to blindly guess at who He is or what He desires. Through the Bible, we come to know God not as a distant deity, but as a Father, a Redeemer, a Shepherd who leads, protects, and loves.
So, no, you don’t have to read the Bible. You don’t need to fill out a checklist or meet a quota. God isn’t watching to see how many pages you’ve covered today. But—and it is a big ‘but’—when you turn to His Word, you are turning to the God who invites you into life, peace, and purpose. The Bible is not a task to accomplish; it’s a treasure to uncover.
Digging down into those treasures can be hard work, but when you find those nuggets of pure gold, they are worth it. The Bible that you don’t have to read is God’s own heart poured out in words that draw us closer to Him. So if you’re hungry, come and be filled. If you’re weary, come and find rest. And if you’re searching, come and meet the God who has been calling you all along, who speaks through His Word to bring you life, hope, and joy.
