"For he satisfies the longing soul and the thirsty soul he fills with good things." Psalm 107:9
Lately I have felt like I am in a constant state of hunger. With a baby on my hip and lists of dreams and to-do's around my house, I've realized how hungry I am both spiritually and physically. In the craziness of being a momma, wife, and entrepreneur, I've struggled to stay full each day. The time to eat from God's Word and the time to eat at my kitchen table seem to be lacking. The funny thing about busyness is that we often forfeit the most important things for the sake of getting things done. When life gets hectic, often the first thing to go is our time in God's Word. However, this is the most important thing we need to not only survive the busy seasons, but also to thrive! Martin Luther once said "I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer." Busyness should not replace our time in the Word, but rather enhance it and nudge us closer and closer to the throne of grace.
Reading the Word of God is vital to our life. Like oxygen is necessary for us to live, so is breathing in God's truth necessary for us to grow spiritually. We need Jesus. We need time in God's Word. But every season of life doesn't allow us to spend countless hours alone in the secret place with the Lord. Right now, I constantly have a newborn by my side, including during my time in the Word. This new season of being a momma has revealed my insufficiencies and highlighted God's all sufficiency for my every need. Knowing Jesus through Scripture is a sweet privilege that we have because of the cross. We should crave Him more than our daily bread.
Here are a few reasons why I read God's Word each day -
- Without time in the Word, I am a different person. The other day I woke up late after being up with Nolan a lot during the night and started my day without opening the Word. Everything seemed to go wrong that day. My attitude was poor, my joy was lacking, and my purpose was misplaced in the wrong things. At the end of the day, the Lord reminded me of the importance of meeting with Him each day! Through meeting with Him we become more like Jesus and reflect Him.
- God tells us to know Him. God is perfectly good and perfectly loving. What He says in the Bible is trustworthy and beneficial to our lives to know and live by. In Deuteronomy 7:9 and Psalm 119:10-11 we see that we are to know God through the Word and live by every commandment and promise.
- If I want to know Jesus, I must meet Him in the Word because He is the Word (John 1:1).
- I need the gospel every single day. It is my hope and my joy.
- I need reminders of my purpose every day. My purpose is to know God and make Him known.
- What I value is what I spend my time thinking about, and I want my thoughts to revolve around Christ.
- The Bible is not just a guidebook or list of directions, it is the entire map. The Bible is our source of hope in this life. Through the Word, the Holy Spirit guides me and directs me.
- Without Jesus, I have no joy. Jesus is joy. The gospel is the wellspring of abundant life in our hearts! Through reading the Bible every day, I am reminded of this truth and filled with the joy of the Lord.
The Word of God is our breath, our life, and our sustenance in the midst of this dry world. God is ready to fill your cup to overflow each day. All you need to do is show up with an open heart and a hungry soul and He will satisfy you in more ways than you could ever imagine!
Gretchen Saffles
|
