A key part of the Christian life is the study of Scripture. But God doesn’t just want us to read it; He wants us to be engrossed and embedded in it in such a way that we apply it to our lives on an everyday basis. When we do more than just read the Bible, and we also obey what it says, then we not only model its life application to the people around us — we gain credibility to teach others to do the same.

We all start out in the “shallow end” of spiritual maturity when we first accept Christ as the Lord of our lives. But eventually we have to swim out into the deeper waters of discipleship as we read His Word, seek His will, apply His truth, and grow deeper in our relationship with Him.

Wisdom is more than just knowing the truth — it requires applying that truth in a way that brings life transformation. Having knowledge about the truth of Scripture doesn’t mean anything unless we’re also applying it to our lives. When God makes Himself known to us through His Word and we choose to act on what He says, a discernible transformation occurs that’s visible to others and that reveals His glory to them.

Reading the Bible is one thing. Applying it is something else altogether. No amount of reading, knowledge, or study of Scripture is enough to change us. We will never be able to experience the full measure of the peace God has for us until we take the next step and apply His Word to our lives.