If you’ve been a reader of mine for any length of time, then you know just how extremely high I hold and regard the Scriptures—the written Word of God. After all, with a name like Perfect Word Ministries, it is our explicit purpose to maintain that the Scriptures are God’s perfect Word, written down by divinely-inspired hands for mankind’s benefit and direction, and that the Scriptures alone are wholly sufficient and supreme in their guidance and wisdom. Indeed, how could I ever not cling to and champion the singular belief that only by bearing the standard of Scripture may we find, fix upon, and follow our Master—the Messiah Yeshua?

So with that in mind, here are four reasons why, above all else, you need God’s Word.

1. You don’t know everything. What could the Bible possibly tell you that you don’t already know? Well just for starters, the Scriptures contain an abundantly detailed record of who God is—His character, His accomplishments, His abilities, the way He interacts with humanity, how He holds all things and causes all things to work together—not to mention the breadth, length, depth and height of His love for you. Indeed, because of the Scriptures, you can hold in your hands a clear, straightforward explanation of who you truly are—the person God designed and called you to be—and how that identity in Messiah is supposed to affect all your relationships and define everything you do. And let’s not forget the answer to the universal, age-old question, “What is the meaning of life?” Yep. That’s literally in there, too (see Deuteronomy 30:19-20).
2. What God wants from you is relevant to your daily life. When you crack open the Book to find out what God expects of you, you will find that it overwhelmingly has a direct bearing on your daily life as a disciple of Messiah. For example, it is wholly relevant to you that the Scriptures contain an abundance of clear instructions that establish your values, determine your beliefs, and—perhaps most relevant of all—dictate what are the acceptable boundaries of your behavior. The Bible also gives ample specifics regarding how to relate to God and treat other people; it offers us hope and encouragement in times of despair; it shows us both examples and warnings of those who succeeded and those who failed in their faith; and it even gives us a precise, simple prescription for how to be saved from death and then live forever! I’d say that’s all pretty relevant.
3. God knows way better than you. I mean, seriously… He’s God, ok? If you think about it, you’ll admit to yourself that the One who invented an entire universe out of nothing knows the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, moral and immoral, or righteous and unrighteous. Case in point: anyone who’s ever been around children knows that they are just not naturally good—they need rules, and they need to be taught or shown how to think and behave. Being wrapped in the flesh—as you are—you have unceasing wants, needs, desires and lusts; and they are hardly under your complete control. Rather, you need an objective, immovable authority that can’t be swayed by your emotions, subjected to your self-interests, or rationalized away by your opinions—you need an authority that will always reliably guide you back to the truth.
4. Being submitted to the Scriptures is better than being lost and tossed about by life. True freedom lies not in your license to think and act in any way that lowers the daily resistance of life, but in your deliverance from being enslaved to sin and the flesh. Being bound by what God says you can and can’t do may feel to your flesh like bondage, but in reality, it guarantees that you’re living your best life now—not to mention where you’ll go when you die. It’s a far worse thing to wander aimlessly searching for happiness, floundering back and forth from one crisis or low point to the other, than to rely on the Scriptures to provide you a perceptible place of focus, the light of hope, and sound guidance with which to make much, much more of your life than it presently is.

Do not be led astray by the temptation to go it alone. Put your life in the hands and the light of God’s Word!

What do you think? Share your thoughts below.