What Changes When I Read the Bible?
The Transformative Power of God's Word: What Changes When We Read the Bible?
In an age of constant digital noise and competing voices claiming to offer truth, there's a quiet revolution happening. Young people, particularly young men, are rediscovering an ancient text that has shaped civilizations and transformed countless lives. Recent surveys show that 42% of Americans now regularly engage with the Bible weekly—a remarkable 12% increase from previous years. Yet here's the sobering reality: only 36% of Bible readers believe it to be totally accurate, and among self-identified Christians, barely half read Scripture on a weekly basis.
This raises a profound question: What actually changes when we read the Bible?
The Uncomfortable Truth: Three Possible Outcomes
When we engage with Scripture, three distinct outcomes emerge—and not all of them are positive.
Nothing Changes
The first possibility is stark: nothing changes at all. Jesus himself illustrated this in the parable of the sower, where seed falls on the path and birds immediately devour it. Some people hear God's Word, but it never penetrates. It enters one ear and exits the other, making no impact whatsoever.
This happens when we become hearers only, not doers. James compares this to someone who looks in a mirror, sees their reflection, then immediately forgets what they look like. We might read a passage, feel momentarily convicted, but turn away unchanged. The Word becomes background noise in our busy lives, competing unsuccessfully with our schedules, distractions, and preconceptions.
Something Changes (But Not for Long)
The second outcome is perhaps even more frustrating: something changes, but it doesn't last. Like seed falling on rocky ground that springs up quickly but withers under the sun, some people respond to Scripture with initial enthusiasm that quickly fades.
This is the "New Year's resolution" approach to Bible reading—starting strong on January 1st, only to abandon the effort by January 4th. Life gets busy. The readings seem boring or confusing. Other priorities crowd out the commitment. What began with genuine intention ends in quiet abandonment.
The Sobering Consequences
When nothing changes or when changes prove fleeting, Scripture warns of serious consequences.
The prophet Zechariah records God's judgment: "They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts sent by his spirit through the former prophets. Therefore, great wrath came from the Lord of hosts." Ignoring God's Word exposes us to divine wrath.
Even more haunting is the warning in Amos 8:11—the possibility of a famine, "not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord." Imagine wanting God's Word but being unable to access it. This judgment falls on those who neglect Scripture when it's readily available.
Perhaps most convicting is Psalm 81:11-12: "But my people did not listen to my voice, and Israel did not obey me. So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart to walk in their own devices." When we persistently ignore God's Word, our hearts grow calloused. Eventually, God may turn us over to our own stubborn desires—a terrifying prospect echoed in Romans 1 regarding sexual sin.
Everything Changes: The Life-Giving Power of Scripture
But there's a third outcome, the one God intends: everything changes.
The Word Creates Life
Scripture doesn't merely inform—it transforms. First Peter 1:23 declares: "For you have been born again, not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is through the living and enduring word of God." The Bible isn't just a book about life; it generates spiritual life itself.
Paul reminded Timothy that "from childhood you have known the sacred writings, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus." Even the Old Testament—written before Christ's earthly ministry—contains the power to lead people to saving faith in Jesus.
When Jesus' teachings drove many disciples away, Peter captured this life-giving essence perfectly: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life."
The Word Revives Life
Beyond creating new life, Scripture sustains and refreshes existing spiritual vitality. Psalm 119 repeatedly returns to this theme:
"My soul cleaves to the dust; revive me according to your word" (v. 25).
"I am exceedingly afflicted; revive me, O Lord, according to your word" (v. 107).
"Plead my cause and redeem me; revive me according to your word" (v. 154).
When our spirits are crushed, when we feel too depleted to lift ourselves up by our bootstraps, God's Word provides the revival we desperately need. It refreshes, restores, and renews us when nothing else can.
The Word Guides Life
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). In a world of confusion and competing voices, Scripture illuminates the way forward. It reveals God's will, clarifies our purpose, and directs our steps through life's darkest valleys.
The Word Guards Life
"How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to your word... Your word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against you" (Psalm 119:9, 11).
The best defense against sin is Scripture hidden in our hearts. When temptation strikes, when false teaching seduces, when the culture contradicts God's design, only those grounded in biblical truth can stand firm.
The Word Reveals Truth
Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth" (John 17:17). In an age of TikTok lies and Instagram deceptions, where truth itself is contested and redefined, Scripture provides an unchanging standard.
The only way to recognize a lie is to know the truth. That's why Ephesians 6, in describing spiritual warfare, begins with this instruction: "Stand firm, therefore, having girded your loins with truth." Before taking up any other spiritual weapon, we must first wrap ourselves in biblical truth.
Meeting God in His Word
First Samuel 3:21 contains a remarkable statement: "And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh because the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord."
How did God reveal himself to Samuel? Through His Word.
If we want to know who God is, we don't need mystical visions or supernatural experiences. God has revealed himself in Scripture. When we open the Bible, we meet the living God on its pages.
What to Expect
If you commit to regular Bible reading, expect opposition. The enemy doesn't want you in God's Word. You'll suddenly become "too busy." Distractions will multiply. Excuses will seem reasonable.
Expect to be shocked. The Bible doesn't sanitize human depravity or God's judgment. You'll encounter disturbing accounts that reveal both humanity's darkness and God's holiness.
Expect confusion. Some passages are difficult. Peter acknowledged that even Paul wrote things "hard to understand." That's okay. Scripture interprets Scripture, and over time, the Holy Spirit illuminates what initially seems obscure.
But most importantly, expect transformation. Expect to meet God. Expect your identity to be defined by truth rather than cultural lies. Expect freedom, clarity, and life abundant.
The Challenge
The Word of God does not change, but it will change you—if you let it.
The question isn't whether Scripture has power. The question is whether we'll position ourselves to receive that power. Will we be the hard path where seed never takes root? The rocky ground where enthusiasm quickly withers? Or the good soil where God's Word produces a harvest of transformation?
In a world desperate for truth, the answer has been available all along, waiting on our nightstands and smartphones, ready to create, revive, guide, guard, and reveal.
The only question remaining is: Will we read it?
In Christ's love,
In an age of constant digital noise and competing voices claiming to offer truth, there's a quiet revolution happening. Young people, particularly young men, are rediscovering an ancient text that has shaped civilizations and transformed countless lives. Recent surveys show that 42% of Americans now regularly engage with the Bible weekly—a remarkable 12% increase from previous years. Yet here's the sobering reality: only 36% of Bible readers believe it to be totally accurate, and among self-identified Christians, barely half read Scripture on a weekly basis.
This raises a profound question: What actually changes when we read the Bible?
The Uncomfortable Truth: Three Possible Outcomes
When we engage with Scripture, three distinct outcomes emerge—and not all of them are positive.
Nothing Changes
The first possibility is stark: nothing changes at all. Jesus himself illustrated this in the parable of the sower, where seed falls on the path and birds immediately devour it. Some people hear God's Word, but it never penetrates. It enters one ear and exits the other, making no impact whatsoever.
This happens when we become hearers only, not doers. James compares this to someone who looks in a mirror, sees their reflection, then immediately forgets what they look like. We might read a passage, feel momentarily convicted, but turn away unchanged. The Word becomes background noise in our busy lives, competing unsuccessfully with our schedules, distractions, and preconceptions.
Something Changes (But Not for Long)
The second outcome is perhaps even more frustrating: something changes, but it doesn't last. Like seed falling on rocky ground that springs up quickly but withers under the sun, some people respond to Scripture with initial enthusiasm that quickly fades.
This is the "New Year's resolution" approach to Bible reading—starting strong on January 1st, only to abandon the effort by January 4th. Life gets busy. The readings seem boring or confusing. Other priorities crowd out the commitment. What began with genuine intention ends in quiet abandonment.
The Sobering Consequences
When nothing changes or when changes prove fleeting, Scripture warns of serious consequences.
The prophet Zechariah records God's judgment: "They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts sent by his spirit through the former prophets. Therefore, great wrath came from the Lord of hosts." Ignoring God's Word exposes us to divine wrath.
Even more haunting is the warning in Amos 8:11—the possibility of a famine, "not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord." Imagine wanting God's Word but being unable to access it. This judgment falls on those who neglect Scripture when it's readily available.
Perhaps most convicting is Psalm 81:11-12: "But my people did not listen to my voice, and Israel did not obey me. So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart to walk in their own devices." When we persistently ignore God's Word, our hearts grow calloused. Eventually, God may turn us over to our own stubborn desires—a terrifying prospect echoed in Romans 1 regarding sexual sin.
Everything Changes: The Life-Giving Power of Scripture
But there's a third outcome, the one God intends: everything changes.
The Word Creates Life
Scripture doesn't merely inform—it transforms. First Peter 1:23 declares: "For you have been born again, not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is through the living and enduring word of God." The Bible isn't just a book about life; it generates spiritual life itself.
Paul reminded Timothy that "from childhood you have known the sacred writings, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus." Even the Old Testament—written before Christ's earthly ministry—contains the power to lead people to saving faith in Jesus.
When Jesus' teachings drove many disciples away, Peter captured this life-giving essence perfectly: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life."
The Word Revives Life
Beyond creating new life, Scripture sustains and refreshes existing spiritual vitality. Psalm 119 repeatedly returns to this theme:
"My soul cleaves to the dust; revive me according to your word" (v. 25).
"I am exceedingly afflicted; revive me, O Lord, according to your word" (v. 107).
"Plead my cause and redeem me; revive me according to your word" (v. 154).
When our spirits are crushed, when we feel too depleted to lift ourselves up by our bootstraps, God's Word provides the revival we desperately need. It refreshes, restores, and renews us when nothing else can.
The Word Guides Life
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). In a world of confusion and competing voices, Scripture illuminates the way forward. It reveals God's will, clarifies our purpose, and directs our steps through life's darkest valleys.
The Word Guards Life
"How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to your word... Your word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against you" (Psalm 119:9, 11).
The best defense against sin is Scripture hidden in our hearts. When temptation strikes, when false teaching seduces, when the culture contradicts God's design, only those grounded in biblical truth can stand firm.
The Word Reveals Truth
Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth" (John 17:17). In an age of TikTok lies and Instagram deceptions, where truth itself is contested and redefined, Scripture provides an unchanging standard.
The only way to recognize a lie is to know the truth. That's why Ephesians 6, in describing spiritual warfare, begins with this instruction: "Stand firm, therefore, having girded your loins with truth." Before taking up any other spiritual weapon, we must first wrap ourselves in biblical truth.
Meeting God in His Word
First Samuel 3:21 contains a remarkable statement: "And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh because the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord."
How did God reveal himself to Samuel? Through His Word.
If we want to know who God is, we don't need mystical visions or supernatural experiences. God has revealed himself in Scripture. When we open the Bible, we meet the living God on its pages.
What to Expect
If you commit to regular Bible reading, expect opposition. The enemy doesn't want you in God's Word. You'll suddenly become "too busy." Distractions will multiply. Excuses will seem reasonable.
Expect to be shocked. The Bible doesn't sanitize human depravity or God's judgment. You'll encounter disturbing accounts that reveal both humanity's darkness and God's holiness.
Expect confusion. Some passages are difficult. Peter acknowledged that even Paul wrote things "hard to understand." That's okay. Scripture interprets Scripture, and over time, the Holy Spirit illuminates what initially seems obscure.
But most importantly, expect transformation. Expect to meet God. Expect your identity to be defined by truth rather than cultural lies. Expect freedom, clarity, and life abundant.
The Challenge
The Word of God does not change, but it will change you—if you let it.
The question isn't whether Scripture has power. The question is whether we'll position ourselves to receive that power. Will we be the hard path where seed never takes root? The rocky ground where enthusiasm quickly withers? Or the good soil where God's Word produces a harvest of transformation?
In a world desperate for truth, the answer has been available all along, waiting on our nightstands and smartphones, ready to create, revive, guide, guard, and reveal.
The only question remaining is: Will we read it?
In Christ's love,
Pastor Kirk Flaa
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