If you had to leave your home in haste, not knowing if you would ever return, and you could only take one thing, what would it be? Virtually all Christians would give the same answer: “My Bible.” Why is the Bible so important to us? Because the Bible is the Word of God.

God spoke during the centuries when the Bible was being written, and He speaks to us today through the Bible. The Bible is living because the Holy Spirit is present as we read the Scriptures. Thus, a passage can have a different meaning to us at different times—not because the Word changes, but because we change.

Because God Himself is present in the Word, it is spiritual food. Jesus said, “I am the living bread, which came down from Heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:51). God declares, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3).

We Christians read the word of God because we love Him, and because the Scriptures demonstrate His love for us. We cannot say that we love God and ignore His Word. The Bible is God’s “will” to us, and apart from the reading and claiming of the provisions of that will, we do not inherit the promises.

Many men and women find success in this life and in the life to come through their diligent study of God’s Word and application of its truths to their lives.

For example, Dr. Howard A. Kelly, the most famous medical practitioner in this country in the first half of the 20th century said the secret of whatever success he had was this: “I rise regularly at six and, after dressing, give all of my time until our eight o’clock breakfast to the study of God’s Word. I find time for brief studies during the day and again in the evening. I make it a general rule to touch nothing but the Bible after the evening meal.”

George Washington, the great founder of this nation, arose regularly and spent the time from five until six in the morning on his knees before a chair on which lay an open Bible. He retired every evening at nine o’clock to the same study, to the same chair, to the same open Bible.

Arthur S. DeMoss was a friend of mine and a great businessman. He earned hundreds of millions of dollars, but his great desire was to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That desire grew out of his daily time spent in the Word of God. He and his wife Nancy had seven children. They had a rule in their family. It was very simple: “No Bible, no breakfast.” The children learned early on what was the first priority of their day.

The Bible is the active, living Word of God. We neglect it only at our peril.