Early this morning I was preparing a lecture on Church History for a class I’m teaching at BIA. I was researching two men that lived a little over one-hundred years before Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the Whittenberg Church door in 1517. The name of the first was John Wycliffe. He is most famous for translating the Bible into English so the common man could read the Bible for himself. We take this for granted, but at the time the Roman Catholic Church taught only the priests to read the Bible, not the laity. Had he not been protected by John of Gault, a very powerful friend, he would have been killed because of his beliefs and for his translation of the Bible into English. The second man was Jan Huss. He was influenced greatly by Wycliffe. He taught that Christians didn’t need to have a priest make intercession for them. Christians have access to God through the Lord Jesus’ work on the cross. He was burned at the stake. He didn’t have any powerful friends. Both these, along with a myriad of others, believed the Bible to be God’s letter to man. It was to be reverenced because it came from God and was to be read for instruction.

Years ago, I heard this little funny about a family that had invited the preacher to come over for Sunday dinner after the morning service. It was a delicious meal and everyone went into the living room to talk a little. The lady of the house began talking about how much she loved the church, the preacher, and his family, but most of all she loved the “good book.” With a smile on her face she told her little girl to “go get that book that mama loves so much. The one she reads & looks at every day” The daughter went into the back of the house and returned with a J.C. Penney catalog. That little humor contains a whole lot of truth. Why is studying the Bible a big deal? Because it is God’s letter to you and me. I have even heard it described as God’s love letter to us. In the Bible we find many things we need for the journey. Quite some time ago, I came across a quote in an old cookbook that fascinated me. It was a quote from a pioneer man. He and his family were traveling West by covered wagon to make their fortune in California. I’ll paraphrase the quote since I don’t have the cookbook in front of me. “I don’t hardly know how we’d have made it except for two things we had with us. We had an old cast-iron Dutch oven to cook our food and a 1611 King James Bible.” Great value was placed on his copy of the Word of God.

I won’t develop these at this time but let me just give you six things you can get from reading and studying your Bible.
1. Assurance of your salvation. Do you have trouble with doubt? Get in the Book. I John 5:13.
2. Cleansing of your soul from sin. Sin is a killer. How many times a day do we hear about washing our hands? Our lives need cleansing more so. John 15:3.
3. Success in your life. We have the promise of “good success.” Read Joshua 1:8.
4. Strength for the journey. We all that name the Lord’s name are pilgrims passing through on the way to a better place. I get tired sometimes just like you do. But it amazes me that when I get into the Bible, my soul is refreshed, and my strength is restored. I John 2:14.
5. A better prayer Life. I’ve heard Dr. Elmer Towns speak often about praying the Bible. It is as if we mention the promises of God and we are confident because we know God doesn’t lie. He cannot lie. It is against His nature. The praying of the Bible does more for us than God. He already knows the words, He wrote them. John 15:7
6. Guidance in our decisions and choices. If there is an area that Christians need help, it is in this area. I’m amazed at the ignorant decisions God’s people often make. Psalm 119:105 is a great verse.

We are in a slowed time. We are being advised to stay home except for the essentials like food and medicines. You have free time, so why not use it to help your Christian walk. Build your relationship with the Lord by getting into His Book. I’ll close with a little poem. It was penned by a person who was a member of a Baptist church in Indiana. It answers our opening question well.

The young—to learn how to live; the old—to know how to die
The ignorant—for wisdom; the learned—for humility
The rich—for compassion; the poor—for comfort
The dreamer—for enchantment; the practical—for counsel
The weak—for strength; the strong—for direction
The haughty—for warning; the humble—for exaltation
The troubled—for peace; the sinner—for salvation
The doubting—for assurance; all Christians—for guidance