“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV).
A person who seeks to “rightly divide the word of truth” knows that the Biblical Scriptures offer guidance and direction for everyday life. That guidance provides us with a foundation for our economic choices, moral decisions, family and interpersonal relationships, and our views about the future, just to name a few.
Even in those areas where the Bible does not provide specific direction, we can often discover good Biblical principles for use in daily life. Those teachings and principles appear in the order and frequency that God has ordained throughout the Scriptures and are freely available to anyone who is willing to take the time to discover them.
For instance, these precepts may take the form of a warning or insight gleaned from a Biblical event. They might be expressed in an example from the life of a Biblical personality. Or we may find an answer that pertains to a circumstance or situation we have encountered in a seemingly unrelated Biblical passage.
Therefore, it should not be surprising to find that the Old Testament book of Proverbs encourages us to consider the value of reading God’s Word…
“…the Lord grants wisdom! His every word is a treasure of knowledge and understanding. He grants good sense to the godly—his saints. He is their shield, protecting them and guarding their pathway. He shows how to distinguish right from wrong, how to find the right decision every time” (Proverbs 2:6-9 TLB).
The book of Psalms also reiterates this idea…
“Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps, a light that shows the path I should take (Psalm 119:105 ERV).
In light of this, we can say that every man or woman of God should seek to become someone who knows and applies the “ word of truth.” Those who are diligent to read and learn from the Scriptures will then be well-positioned to “…present yourself to God as someone worthy of his approval” (CJB). One commentary provides us with a valuable observation on this important subject…
“Because God will examine what kind of workers we have been for him, we should build our lives on his Word and build his Word into our lives. It alone tells us how to live for him and serve him. Believers who ignore the Bible will certainly be ashamed at the judgment. Consistent and diligent study of God’s Word is vital; otherwise we will be lulled into neglecting God and our true purpose for living.” (1)
(1) Life Application Study Bible [2 Timothy 2:15] Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2004 by Tyndale House Publishers Inc., all rights reserved.