Our culture is constantly calling out for us to follow the crowds and go after the next best thing. Whether it is the new trend of simplifying our lives in three easy steps or listening to the new album that will immediately change our world, we are pulled, prodded, and pleaded with to make a decision dependent on what is the new thing.
Thankfully, there is something that will always be new, fresh, and relevant, and it is something we should follow—God’s Word. Just because the Bible has been around for more than 2000 years does not mean it is mundane, or that we cannot learn from it. In fact, by reading this rescue story (Ephesians 2) each day, we will grow in ways we never could without God’s Word. There are many reasons that we should be reading God’s Word, but there are three main reasons that we should always consider Scripture the next best thing:
God’s Word Is Alive
Yes, the stories are from thousands of years ago, but within the scriptures is the promise of newness in Christ:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
To understand this newness, we need to know that we did absolutely nothing to deserve this, and we could not recreate ourselves even if we desired to. God does not just clean up our old nature; he creates someone entirely new. God’s Word holds the promise of this beautiful newness that is ours in Christ alone. In him, our purposes, feelings, and desires are new. Because of these new desires, we see God’s Word differently. We may have read the Bible before, but there is a beauty about it which we never saw previously.
God’s Word Is Fresh
We need to remember that God’s Word is alive. It is a fresh message each time we read it.
For the word of God is living and active. (Hebrew 4:12)
Just like God himself, his Word is full of life and is always doing something. We can come to every passage with a sense of anticipation that God will show us himself and work through it. No matter what we are going through on any particular day, God’s Word will be a fresh word of encouragement, challenge, truth, or life-giving peace. That doesn’t mean we will necessarily finish our Bible reading with intense spiritual feelings or a complete change of heart, but it does mean the assurance that, no matter what we read on a given day, his Word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11). God will use what we have read!
God’s Word Is Relevant
Relevant is a word that seems to be popping up more and more. Presidential candidates try to be relevant. Youth pastors try to be relevant. Companies spend billions of dollars in marketing trying to be the most relevant in their field. Yet, at the end of the day, what is relevant today will be what is “old school” tomorrow. God’s Word is not like that. God’s Word will always be relevant.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrew 13:8)
Jesus Christ will never change, and God’s Word of his amazing grace will never change. Earthly seasons will change, with the grass withering and storms coming. In the same way, our life seasons will change with differing jobs, children growing up, and family members dealing with health issues—so many things that cause our lives to look different from year to year, and even from day to day. But God’s Word is consistent and relevant to what we are experiencing today. His promises are true forever.
The most relevant word is the one of his saving grace. The Bible is the story God gave us about who he is and what he has done to rescue humanity. The reality of our separation from God by sin, and God’s restoration of our broken relationship with him through the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross is a story that will continue through all ages. Our need for redemption does not change; neither does God’s desire to reconcile us to himself. God’s Word will proclaim this gospel through eternity and will always be the relevant message of hope for all generations.
God’s Word is alive, fresh, and relevant to all. May we read his message of hope and find comfort in the fact that God’s Word will never change, but it will change our hearts more and more each day.
What other reasons can you think of for God’s Word always being the next best thing?
