2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The prophets came and went.  The great kings of Israel came and went.  Even Jesus came and ascended back to heaven.  But God left His Word with us.  He gave us a book—not a picture book, not a rule book, not a fiction book, but His truth.  It is His story and therefore our story, as well.  And we have to study it.  It compels us to linger in His presence, to take time, to put effort and mental energy into it so we can know it and know Him.  And then we can please God.  We’ll know what He wants us to do so we can do it and serve Him and obey Him and honor Him.

Knowing what God says is true is vital to our lives.  It is what allows us to live in freedom in Christ instead of remaining in the bondage of sin because His Word tells us our faith in Christ gives that to us.  It allows us to know that He loves us, and that transforms our hearts.  It exposes the vast grace and mercy of God that He pours upon us, and that allows us to trust Him and turn to Him and depend on Him.  He gives us His commandments so we can follow His way.  He gives us His perspective so we can see beyond ourselves and our world to what comes next.

And it is a living Word.  It has creative power.  It has saving power.  It has illuminating power.  It has transforming power.  Indeed, when we spend time studying that Word, we can’t help but be changed.  We can’t help but see things differently.  It works in us and builds and rebuilds.  It replaces wrong ideas.  It challenges us.   It draws us into the very heart of God.  Because wasn’t Jesus the Word?  And so it is full of grace and truth, like He was.  It is life.  It is light.  It is love.  It is bread.  It is salvation.  It is hope.

We are not all preachers like Paul and Timothy were.  We are not all missionaries or evangelists.  But as believers in Christ, it is important that we all know God’s Word, His truth.  And that takes time.  It takes effort.  And we can ignore it and set it aside and only give it a cursory glance every now and then.  But we are missing out when we do that.  If we want to truly fulfill our calling, if we truly desire to live for God and please Him, we have to study the book He gave us.