Athlete, you have an advantage. You know the value of preparation, from the weight room to the classroom to the practice field or court. You know that without preparation you will probably be creamed by the competition.

It is tough to walk out the door in the morning and live for Christ without being prepared.

The surveys are alarming. Most Americans own a Bible, but only half ever read it. Forty percent of churchgoers only read the Bible one or two times a month. Who could even compete in their sport with that level of preparation?

There are some key words in today’s verse – “diligent” means to toil or labor at spending time in the Bible. In other words, work up a sweat! “A workman” refers to a laborer, a hard-working person.

“Handling accurately” implies that each word is important to understand. Each verse must be kept in context with the paragraph and the book.

The Bible is the Word of truth. It will rightly correct us, encourage us and guide us. We can hear from the God of the universe within its pages. We can expect our time in the Bible to prepare us to respond to daily situations in ways that will please Him.

A young NFL quarterback stopped me after a late night Bible study at training camp. Anxiously facing roster cuts, he was desperate to get his hands on some hope-filled Bible verses.

The verses were helpful, but he recognized that his teammates who spent time daily in the Scriptures were far more confident in the God who wrote them.

As an athlete, you have an advantage in walking with God – you know preparation. Imagine what will happen in your walk with God when you are as consistent in spending time with God as you are in preparing for a competition.