- To be throughly furnished [meaning well prepared to meet every experience in life].
- To prepare ourselves to become the person God wants us to be.
- To accomplish the purpose for which He created us.
By comparison, all other goals in life are insignificant.
To the extent that we neglect reading through the Bible we become powerless against satanic deceptions. That is why God has said: Put on the whole armor of God...which is the Word of God [Ephesians 6:11-17]. God gives the reason for Israel's defeat by the Assyrians in Hosea 4:6: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you...seeing you have forgotten the Law of your God, I will also forget your children. In fact, when we ignore His Word, even our prayers shall be abomination [offensive to God] [Proverbs 28:9]
Jesus said: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God [Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3]. Every word means all of His Word, from Genesis through Revelation.
As we read the Bible, we need to sincerely pray: Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law [Psalms 119:18]. Jesus promised: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you [John 15:7].
As a reminder of the importance of knowing God's Word, the Apostle John also wrote: Whatever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight [I John 3:22]. We can't keep His commandments or do what is pleasing in His sight if we fail to read His instructions. The all-wise God of the universe has inspired only one Book to provide solutions to every experience in life. The Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth [John 16:13], as we read all truth!
Many are prone to assume that they can please God using their own good judgment, overlooking the fact that He said: Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes [Proverbs 3:5-7]. To think we can choose what parts of the Bible to read or not to read is to substitute our opinion for the intelligence of our Creator who said: All Scripture...is profitable [II Timothy 3:16]. We need to give God credit for being as wise as the average author who would expect the reader to begin reading his book in chapter one and continue, chapter by chapter, through to the end in order to understand his full intent for writing.
It was revealed to Joshua that to conquer the Canaanites he was to meditate upon the Word of God in order to do according to all that is written in it [Joshua 1:8]. The key to a successful life is discovered as we read all the Bible and do according to all that is written in it. The consequences of failing to read the Creator's Guide to Life are most severe and irrevocable.
See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command you this day to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments ... that you may live. ... Therefore choose life. ... The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. My son, attend to my words; incline your ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life unto those that find them [Deuteronomy 30:15-16,19; Proverbs 4:19-22].
Think how tragic it would be to fail to fulfill God's perfect will for your life ... wasting our few short years achieving material, social, and financial goals for self-gratification -- but failing to achieve the purpose for which He created us. Think too of the joy of hearing Him welcome us home to Heaven with His words: Well done, good and faithful servant [Matthew 25:21].
