But My people do not know the requirements of the LORD. 

How can you say, "We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD",

when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?

Jeremiah 8:7-8, NIV 

 

As you contemplate whether or not you should study the Bible, you may wonder what difference does it make? You may have bought into the lie that no one can really understand the Bible. You may have bought into the lies of the most popular religious movements of the day. You may have even bought into the lie of the way that seems most comfortable to you.

 

And, again, you might just wonder what difference it makes anyway. But the answer is contained in the passage above, when God clearly stated, "My people do not know the requirements of the LORD." Note that after He said this, God did not follow up that statement with, "What difference does it make?" Instead, He asked how can you say that you are wise when the law that you have has been falsely handled by liars.

 

At this point, a wise person will step back and rethink the notion that it doesn't help to study God's Word. In fact, should we continue to read in this very passage, we will see that accepting the lies of the religious leaders of the day is equivalent to rejecting the law of God.

 

In other words, no matter how much we would like to just ignore the Bible and listen to the religious persuasions that tickle our fancies, we will still be held accountable by God in the exact same way as we would had we knowingly rejected His word.

 

This is why we must study the Word of God for ourselves. Our eternity depends on it!

 

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Proverbs 14:12, NIV 

 

Today is day 11 of the 30 day challenge to read through the Old Testament books of the prophets of God, with Jeremiah 8-14 being the reading for today. May God richly bless you as you seek His will directly from His Word!