It is important to read and know the Bible because if we do not know what the Bible says, how will we recognise our sin? If we do not read it how will we receive the encouragement it offers? If we do not learn what it says, how will we grow? Store up the God’s Word in your heart that you might not sin against him.
John Bunyan wrote, “He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day.” Likewise, if we do not come to God in prayer and study his word in the morning, surely we will cease to come to him at all. John Bunyan saw the Bible as the flawless Word of God. In his book, Grace Abounding, he quotes many verses.
Because Bunyan was convinced of the Truth of the Gospel and he was deeply affected by what he read in the Bible, verses either brought him joy, hope and encouragement, or fear, sorrow and despair. As he says, “I went on quite a while in the light and encouragement of these words…” The Bible was precious to him.
Continuing on, Bunyan says that verses “were especially a comfort to me when I thought that the Lord Jesus has spoken them on purpose for my sake.” When Bunyan looked at scripture verses out of context they made him discouraged. It was only much later when he looked at their context that he understood what they meant. When he saw this he was hopeful again.
He knew scripture well; often he records how verses came to his mind. Bunyan thought it profitable for Christians to be often recalling how God began his work of grace within them. Bunyan quotes Bible verses in Grace Abounding more than 100 times and even when he does not quote verses he often alludes to Bible passages and shows parallels between his life and stories and people in the Bible.
Bunyan learnt the importance and value of God’s Word. How well do you know your Bible? Have you stored up the treasure of God’s Word in your heart? Are you living in the freedom it brings? Do you meditate on its message in the night? As Bunyan said, “Remember also the Word – The Word, I say, upon which the Lord has caused you to hope.”
