In the Word

This is friendly reminder that any devotion or book is not a substitute for being in God’s Word.

I get it, life is busy. But interacting with Scripture needs to be our first line of defense against satan’s wiley schemes.

Speed reading probably isn’t the way to go here — I suggest a good soak.

I just heard a podcast today and a suggestion was to pick a short book or a couple of chapters (about 15 minutes of reading) and read the same thing for 30 days. If you think that might be a little much, you can change up the translations for an interesting twist.

But, whether you do that or go through the Bible in a year or three — it doesn’t matter.

God brings His Word to life as we breathe and read and hear it. Sure, having some explanations is great on occasion, but you can trust God to enlighten you in a variety of ways.

Being IN the Word will help your stand ON the Word. It will be in your heart — on your mind — and that is where God does His work — on each one of us.

Don’t worry about getting it all right and all the best practices. God created you in an amazing way. How you connect with His Word can look differently from those around you. If you want to listen, do that. Read? That’s great. Write it out? Ooh, that connection between reading or hearing and writing is so good for retention.

He invites us to join Him in Scripture. Let’s accept that opportunity and grow in it!

PrayerPoints ~ Wednesday, March 2nd

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Today’s PrayerPoint ~ Psalm 46

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear; even though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” Psalm 46: 1-3

The imagery in the verses above…wow! it sounds like utter devastation! And, unfortunately, we have some days, weeks, months, and years like that. When you are in trouble, lean into His strength!

There is no telling what you are in the middle of at this very moment in your life but I have a great imagination. You probably do, too. I think it is both a blessing and a curse. If you are anything like me, when you hear some “bad news” you can imagine the worst case scenario in about 3 seconds flat. But, the potential positive to that “quick thinking” is being able to empathize with others and pray for them as they walk through a challenging time even if I haven’t experienced the same situation myself. When I hear about people who are struggling with something, I immediately think about the needs, the emotions, the fears, or the “what is next?” kinds of things and I cover them in prayer. And the times I have absolutely no idea about their situation but I know there is a need? I honestly leave it up to God to fill in the blanks. At one time or another, everyone struggles with:

faith
finances
fears
relationships
jobs
education/training
health

So it is a safe bet that I can pray over each of those categories for anyone and God, who knows it all anyway, hears my pleas.

It’s hard to watch someone struggle through a difficult season. There are times we can only pray and wait. We can’t jump in to fix or solve the problem, but we must hand it over to God, trusting in His work. Sharing God’s Word can bring refreshment to weary bones. God’s Word is always in season, but certainly a source of strength during an anxious and fearful time in life.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

A special thank you to my friend, Kristin, who has taken these great verses and put them in such a nice setting!

PrayerPoints ~ Friday, February 26th

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Today’s PrayerPoint ~ Psalm 31

“Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.” Psalm 31:16

David sure knows how to write with passion! As I read through Psalm 31, sometimes it is a huge stretch for me to think about where he has been and what he is writing about because I haven’t experienced his life. But others times, it seems like I have been where he has been–at least that is how it feels when I read his words. David gives so many examples of the incredible highs and desperate lows that come with life and yet he consistently encourages us to take refuge in and trust the Lord.

Whether you are in that incredible high or desperate low, God is there! May your intentional time in His Word give you His instruction and grant you His peace!