What’s So Wonderful About the Word?

 “What’s so wonderful about God’s Word?”

I’ve tried to ponder this question as if someone, fresh latte in hand, had asked me across a table at Starbucks. As I reflected, I did what any sane person would: I made a list. And while I will not claim that it’s perfect or exhaustive, what I want to share with you today is my list. My why for studying God’s Word. 

By God’s grace I start nearly every morning in the Word with my coffee and toast (always with peanut butter!). Why go to all that trouble? Why not just sleep in? Why spend time writing week in and week out about God’s Word? Why spend so much time memorizing it? Is it really worth it? 

Here is my answer. My why. 

The Bible Reveals God 

Whether in the beautiful fall colors, a serene sunset, a powerful thunderstorm, the miraculous transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly, or the nightscape of more stars than you can count, creation declares the glory and majesty of God at every turn. His nature, in innumerable ways, is put on display by the natural world. 

However, saying that you “know God” just by looking at nature would be like claiming to know LeBron James just by watching him play basketball. Yes, his incredible talent—and even some of his personality—is put on display on the court. But we all know that getting to know a person requires much more than observation of the “glory” of their talent. 

If you truly want to know God—a pursuit that will never be fully complete—you must dive into the Book He has given to reveal Himself to us: His Word. Before we talk about anything else pertaining to Scripture, we must remember that the Bible is amazing because it reveals the person, nature, and character of God. 

He didn’t have to make Himself known to His creation. He could have remained hidden and mysterious. He didn’t have to make a way for His fallen, finite, feeble creatures to get to know Him—the Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign of the universe. But He did. That’s something truly remarkable, and it makes the Book that reveals His nature worth every moment we spend studying it.

The Bible Is Sufficient

I feel old even saying this, but I remember the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? craze. I watched along as Regis dramatically asked the contestant in the hot seat, “Is that your final answer?” Then, after an excruciating pause (or maybe insanely long commercial break), we would find out whether the response was correct. Of course, the contestant also had three lifelines: 50/50, Ask the Audience, and the all-powerful Phone-a-Friend. 

Like you, I tried to think of who I would have on my list of potential “friends” to call. I don’t know how many are allowed on that list, but I imagine you’d try to put people with different strengths on there: science geeks, pop-culture savants, history buffs, etc. But what if you had only one person? What if you had to pick the single most well-rounded genius in your life? 

Forgive the crude and terribly inadequate analogy, but in a small way, the Bible is sort of like that one friend who could help you with anything. Before going any farther, I need to make clear that the Bible is not an answer manual nor a search engine into which you type your query and it pops up with an encyclopedic answer. No, the Bible is one cohesive story, containing historical narrative, prophecy, poetry, parables, and epistles. God gave it to us in literary genres for a reason. 

However, like having just one super-smart friend on your “Phone-a-Friend” list, the Bible is sufficient. We need no other lifeline.No matter our “life or godliness” problem, God’s Word has the answer. We don’t need any other source to tell us how to live, how to think, what people need most, or what happens after death. 

This doesn’t mean that we can’t read other books or get anyone else’s opinion. But it does mean that if we didn’t have any commentaries, study Bibles, podcasts, YouTube videos, or psychology but we still had the Word of God, we’d have enough. The precious sufficiency of Scripture keeps me coming back to learn more.

The Bible Exposes My Heart

Like a mirror, God’s Word exposes issues in my life. But like an ultrasound, it can see inside my heart. And, like a scalpel, it cuts away at the unnecessary surface blubber and gets to the real root of the matter. Because the Word of God is living and active, it interacts with my heart in a unique way. No other book can claim to penetrate the “thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12), but Scripture can. 

God’s Word brings my idolatry to light, exposes my selfish motives, uncovers my private anxieties, and reveals sins that I didn’t even know I had committed. Uncomfortable and even painful at times, Scripture’s ability to expose my heart helps conform me to the image of Christ. And though sometimes I’m not really a big fan of the process, the end result is worth it every time. 

The Bible Is a Plumbline of Truth

I’ve never sat on a jury, but I figure I’d be a pretty terrible juror. Would I believe whoever had the warmest smile or whitest teeth? Would I fall for a sob story? Would I be able to discern between the truth and lies? I hope I’d be able to, but I’m not so sure. And, I’d have no way of knowing if the other members and I got it right. 

Without a sure measuring stick, navigating the sea of information every day can be like trying to act as a discerning juror every minute of every day: 

Is that right?
Can I believe this?
What about that?
This person says this is true, but that person says it’s false. Who do I believe? 

It’s enough to make your head spin and smoke pour out of your ears. 

But we don’t have to do that. Scripture is a sure standard. We can compare anything we hear or see to the plumbline of truth—the Bible. I can rest assured that I “got it right” by holding up a claim to Scripture and assessing whether it lines up. Without such a reliable criterion, I’m left with nothing but my own highly unreliable instincts. 

The Bible Renews My Mind

Sometimes after a few busy days of school and activities, the counters in my house get cluttered with unopened junk mail, returned homework, and half-completed coloring pages. When I get a few minutes, I sort the piles, throw away the garbage, and put the art in a safe place. In other words, I “renew” my counters.

Like my counters, my mind often gets cluttered and distracted by the voices of the world. My heart deceives me, the enemy deceives me, and the world deceives me. Without Scripture to renew my mind and recalibrate my thinking, I’m prone to let my feelings leap into my mental driver’s seat and take me for a ride on the crazy train. Spending time with the reliable, sufficient, veracious Word of God helps me dwell on truth, take my sinful thoughts captive, and live with my eyes fixed on Christ. 

Here’s My Answer

What’s so wonderful about the Word? It reveals God, renews my mind, gives me all I need for life and godliness, exposes my heart, and provides a reliable standard for truth. That’s my answer. 

What’s yours?