Consider me biblically illiterate for the most part until I reached the age of 25. Aside from the usual Noah’s Ark, Daniel and the Lions, and David and Goliath stories, the Bible was so unknown to me that when I received my first copy, it baffled me to see lots of numbers! Why were there chapters, verses, and even an entire book that was actually called thus? Also, there were lots of names, dates, and events that sounded archaic and irrelevant!

Thankfully, my friends who took notice of my confusion started introducing me to materials that would help me understand and appreciate God’s Word better and faster. Above all, God himself was faithful to tell me how His Word isn’t only for people of the yester-years, but also for us who live in the here and now.

Here are two things that God wants to tell us through His Word:

“I know you.”

One lazy morning, I was trying to recall a verse I had just read days before. I was only weeks into reading the Bible at that time, and I kept thinking of the verse that said something like, “God knows me better than I know myself.”

I flipped through the pages to find it, but was not able to do so. So, I decided to leave it be. I hopped on my stationary bike to exercise, put my Bible in front of me, and started to read the page assigned for the day. (I was then using the pink women’s devotional Bible.)

Surprisingly, the verse highlighted was exactly the one I was looking for,

Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

• Psalm 139:4

He really did know the word before I could even speak my mind, and He was telling me powerfully through the Bible. Since then, it’s been ten years of trusting this holy book for every single thing in my life. And I can honestly say that not only has it proven true and wise, but many times, the Bible has powerfully saved my sanity, my spirit, and my life!

“My Word is for everyone.”

The truth is, the Bible has plenty to say about ourselves and our modern-day problems; God’s Word provides wisdom for everyday matters of life. Here are a few thoughts from a few of our movement’s pastors and lay leaders about how God’s Word is so relevant to our lives:

Did you know that the Bible has so much to say about loss and mourning? In his blog entry titled “Death and Hope,” Pastor Dennis Sy, Victory Greenhills senior pastor, writes, “God placed me in my family for a reason and just like any meaningful relationship; I need to fight for it.” Written about the recent loss of his mother, Pastor Dennis, in his grief and hope, added, “it is no wonder why the last verse in the Old Testament before Jesus came talks about God restoring families. That is how important family is. Love, encourage, express while they are still with us.”

Pastor Joey Bonifacio’s enlightening post on work, as seen in the Bible, can inspire us to be diligent and hardworking at everything we are tasked do for the season, whether we’re at home or in school. He writes, “…there is dignity and blessing in labor. Our God Himself worked and took delight in His work (Gen. 1; 2:2-3). When God made man, He gave him work to do (Gen. 2:15).”

Randell Tiongson, a follower of Jesus and an expert on money matters, writes, “did you know that there are 2,350 verses in the Bible about money and possessions?” He adds, “people are asking me why I often quote scripture whenever I talk about personal finance and now you know why.” Randell has several entries about savings, investment, and diversification that he surprisingly links back to the Bible.

The Bible can teach us a thing or two about being a believer and a dutiful citizen. “It’s not wrong to love your country,” says Adam Mabry, lead pastor of Aleithia Church, our Every Nation church in Boston, “because you and I are commanded to love our neighbor. We shouldn’t love it blindly, nor should we hate it blindly.” This quote is from a John 17:16-inspired blog entry on patriotism that Adam, who maintains a blog primarily for an American audience, wrote.

The Word is tantamount to life, and it can teach or remind us that there are dangers when we ignore it. Think of this way: because God is faithful, He gave us a sacred text to enable us to live life to the full. Every Nation president and Victory founding pastor Steve Murrell reminds us, “We don’t listen to or obey the Word, yet we expect some magical prayer to fix our problems that result from ignoring the Word…And we wonder why our prayers aren’t answered.”

So go and be faithful to consume and be consumed by this God-breathed book! And if you don’t know where to start, download Pastor Paolo Punzalan’s guide to memorizing 53 verses for this year!