Growing up in a Christian home, I believed in Jesus at a young age and was saved. I had convictions, prayed regularly, but it wasn’t until I was 24 that I fed my faith. What I mean by that is I viewed the Bible as a historical book with rules, stories and encouraging verses (usually taken out of context) for when I was going through a breakup. I’d always valued the Bible but didn’t appreciate it. It wasn’t until the past year, being in community and taking classes to deepen my faith, that I realized scripture truly is nourishment for the soul. I understood that reading the Bible would help me to better understand God, but I never looked at it as a tool for communication between us. We pray to God, He speaks to us through his Word. I remember when I was younger I would pick up my Bible, close my eyes, flip through the pages and whatever my finger landed on would be what I would read. More times than not I would be confused and it would do nothing for me. Well that's because I wasn’t intentional with my reading and instead hoped it would be like in Hocus Pocus when Book opens to the exact page Winifred would need. You know what I’m talking about.
In community and Equipped Disciple I’ve learned to get in the right mindset before doing my reading. I usually have a companion study to guide me and I pray that God speaks to me through the passages I read.
I can honestly state, I have never once done those things and not gotten something amazing out of it. There are times I’m even open with God and straight up say “I really don't want to do this right now” and He lovingly reveals to me the truth to something I may not have thought I needed.
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.”
-Jeremiah 15:15
I think we forget that although man was the tool God used to write the Bible, he still wrote the Bible! These are his words as a gift to us. The more I read His Word, the more I thirst for it. I feel my spirit getting stronger and stronger the more I read it and when I miss it I feel dissatisfied and discontent. I know this because lately with the holiday season I’ve been overwhelmed and have skipped spending time with God, which affects my day, how I handle situations and my interaction with others. Much like eating healthy and working out for your body, reading the Bible is what you need in order to have a healthy and strong relationship with God.
“And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”
- Deuteronomy 8:3
“like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”
- 1 Peter 2:2-3
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