
1. God's Word is important because it gives and sustains our life as Christians.
Peter said, “You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23–25). “The words that I have spoken to you,” Jesus said, “are spirit and life” (John 6:63). “These are written,” John wrote, “so that you may . . . have life in his name” (John 20:31). Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
2. Because the word is necessary for authentic worship.
Remember when the Israelites worshipped the golden calf?
Exodus 32:4-5 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.”
It is apparent from the verses that the people thought they were worshipping the real God, when in fact they made a god according to their own desires. It might seem stupid but this actually happens up this day. Many people claim to be worshipping God but are actually worshipping a god of their own making.
Jesus told the Samaritan woman: "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). Worshipping in truth means we should worship the true God. How do we know the truth and how do we know the God we are worshipping is true? Jesus prayed: "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth" (John 17:17). The answer then to know the true God is to know the truth through the word.
The reason many people are falling prey to the prosperity gospel is because they have created a god or a "Jesus" in their minds who always wants to make them wealthy and healthy, and who will fulfill whatever they want as long as they have faith (and give to some false teacher). Like the Israelites before the golden calf, the god they are worshipping is not the god of the bible!
This is why it is important to read the bible. Know the truth about God to know God. Knowing the true God is necessary for worship. Don't fall into the trap of worshipping a god you have created! The real God is the God of the bible! Make sure the Jesus you know is the One that the scriptures are testifying about.
The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.
Psalms 119:160
3. God's words help us achieve victory over the devil.
The aim of the devil has always been to deceive, destroy and bring death. He does this by blinding people from God's words so that the message of the scriptures will be folly to them. Even to those who believe, the devil twists the words of God in order to deceive. He did this in the garden of Eden, when he talked to Eve to cast doubt on what God said.
The devil is described as "a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him” (John 8:44). Since there is no truth in the devil, the way to overcome him is by truth. And as we discussed in #2, we find truth in the word of God. The devil cannot withstand God's words. When he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus relied on and quoted scripture in order to defeat the devil (Matthew 4). Jesus triumphed over the devil with God's word. We should do the same.
“I write to you, young men,” John said, “because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one” (1 John 2:14). The word of God is the power that overcomes the devil.
Fighting the devil is a battle that we do not win by our flesh. It is a spiritual battle. And when the powers of darkness are against us it is useful to have the sword of the Spirit by our side (Ephesians 6:17). Read and study the word of God because it is your precious ally in times of battles.