The Bible describes God's Word as alive and powerful: "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword" (Hebrews 4:12). It is permanent, "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven" (Psalm 119:89), and it is trustworthy, "Every word of God is pure" (Proverbs 30:5). Above all, Jesus said the Scriptures "testify of me" (John 5:39).
Every January, millions of people resolve to read the Bible more. It helps to know what you are reading. The Bible does not present itself as a collection of religious advice. It claims to be the Word of God: living, pure, unbreakable, and able to change the people who read it. The King James Version uses the exact phrase word of God about fifty times, and Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible at 176 verses, praises God's word in almost every line. These twelve KJV verses explain what the Word is, what it does in us, and how God's people have loved it, from Ezra reading aloud for a whole morning to Jeremiah, who said God's words were his joy. Use them to start a reading plan, to encourage a Bible study group or to stir your own hunger for Scripture. For practical help, see Bible verses about studying, and for a fresh start, see Bible verses about the New Year.
What God's Word is: living, pure and forever
1. Hebrews 4:12
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
In the KJV, quick means alive. God's Word is not a dead text; it is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword. A sword that cuts on both edges goes deep, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. That is why reading Scripture can feel uncomfortable. It reads us as we read it, as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The goal is not to wound but to heal, the way a surgeon's knife does.
2. Psalms 119:89
"For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven."
Psalm 119 is an acrostic: 22 sections of eight verses, each section starting with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This verse opens the section for the letter lamed: For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Settled means fixed and established. Opinions, trends and even scientific theories shift over time, but God's word does not need updating. Jesus said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35).
3. Proverbs 30:5
"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him."
Agur, the writer of Proverbs 30, starts by admitting how little he understands (Proverbs 30:2-4). Then he states what he does know: Every word of God is pure. Not most words; every word. And he connects it to trust: God is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. The next verse warns, Add thou not unto his words (Proverbs 30:6). We do not need to improve God's Word. We need to believe it and take shelter in the God who speaks it.
4. Psalms 12:6
"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times."
David compares God's words to silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times. In the Bible, seven often signals completeness, so the picture is of something completely pure, with no impurity left. The psalm begins with complaints about people who lie and flatter (Psalm 12:2). Human words can be empty or deceptive. God's words are the opposite: The words of the LORD are pure words. When everything else feels uncertain, you can stand on what He has said.
What the Word does in us
5. Psalms 119:104
"Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way."
Through thy precepts I get understanding. Precepts are God's specific instructions. The psalmist did not gain wisdom by guessing or by following the crowd but by soaking in what God had said. The result was clarity: therefore I hate every false way. The more you know the real thing, the easier it is to spot a counterfeit. The same psalm says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105). A little light each day is enough for the next step.
6. Jeremiah 23:29
"Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"
Jeremiah was surrounded by false prophets who told people only what they wanted to hear (Jeremiah 23:16-17). God answered with two pictures: Is not my word like as a fire? and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? Fire warms and purifies; a hammer breaks what is hard. God's Word can comfort a grieving heart and break open a stubborn one. If a passage unsettles you, that may be the hammer at work, making room for something better.
7. John 15:3
"Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."
On the night before the cross, Jesus told His disciples, Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. In the same passage He describes Himself as the vine and His Father as the gardener who prunes the branches (John 15:1-2). His word is part of that pruning and cleansing. Reading Scripture regularly is like washing: you may not notice the difference after one day, but over time it keeps your heart clean.
8. Luke 8:15
"But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."
In the parable of the sower, The seed is the word of God (Luke 8:11). Some seed is snatched away, some withers and some is choked by worries. But some falls on good ground: people who, in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. Notice the last two words. Fruit takes time. If you have been reading the Bible and do not feel changed yet, keep going. Patient hearts produce a harvest.
Loving and reading the Word
9. Nehemiah 8:3
"And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law."
After the exiles returned to Jerusalem, Ezra stood on a wooden platform at the Water Gate and read the law aloud from the morning until midday. Men, women and all who could understand listened, and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. The people even wept when they heard it (Nehemiah 8:9). It is a beautiful picture of a whole community hungry for God's Word, and a good model for family or church Bible reading.
10. Jeremiah 15:16
"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts."
Jeremiah had a hard life as a prophet, but he could say, Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart. To eat God's words is to take them in deeply, until they become part of you. Reading the Bible can feel like a duty at first. Over time, many believers discover what Jeremiah did: it becomes a joy, the place they go first when life is hard.
11. Job 23:12
"Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."
Job had lost his children, his health and his wealth, and he could not understand why. Yet he said, I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. Necessary food means daily bread, the meals you cannot skip. Jesus said the same thing in the wilderness: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). Job held on to God's words when he had nothing else.
12. John 5:39
"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."
Jesus told religious leaders who knew the Scriptures well, Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. It is possible to study the Bible and miss its main subject. The whole book points to Jesus. After the resurrection He explained to two disciples in all the scriptures the things concerning himself (Luke 24:27). Read the Bible looking for Him, and it comes alive.
A short prayer
Lord, thank You for Your Word, living and powerful, pure and settled forever in heaven. Give me a fresh hunger for it, more than for my daily food. Let its light come in and drive out my darkness. Where my heart is hard, let it be a hammer; where I am cold, let it be a fire. Help me read honestly, keep what I hear and bear fruit with patience. Most of all, as I read, show me Jesus. In His name, Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Track your reading with our free Bible reading tracker printable · Go deeper in the Word with the SOAP Bible Study Journal · Start the year in Scripture with the Starter Bundle
Frequently asked questions
What does the Bible say about itself?
It says it comes from God: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" (2 Timothy 3:16). It says it lasts: "the word of our God shall stand for ever" (Isaiah 40:8). And it says it is pure, living and powerful, as the verses above show. See Bible verses about truth.
Why is Jesus called the Word of God?
Because He is God's fullest message to us. John's Gospel begins, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1), and adds, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). At Christmas we celebrate the Word becoming a baby. Revelation also says of the returning Christ, "his name is called The Word of God" (Revelation 19:13).
How can I read the Bible in a year?
The Protestant Bible has 1,189 chapters, so reading about three to four chapters a day takes you through in a year. A plan helps, and so does a set time and a simple way to track progress. If you miss a day, pick up where you left off rather than quitting. Try our one-year Bible reading plan or browse more Bible reading plans.
What is a good verse to memorize about God's Word?
Psalm 119:11 is a classic: "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." (Psalm 119:11). Psalm 119:105, Hebrews 4:12 and Isaiah 40:8 are also short and easy to remember. Write one on a card, read it morning and evening for a week, and say it aloud before you check your phone. See Bible verses about wisdom.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Studying · Truth · Wisdom · New Year · Light · Knowledge · Holy Spirit · I Am
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