I Thirst, He Satisfies {Run to Him Psalm 63}

March 2, 2012 by Teri Lynne Underwood 9 Comments

Scott was gone to youth camp, I was home with a sick little girl. She’d had a stomach bug and still wasn’t 100%. She woke up one morning sobbing about how bad she felt. “Please, Mommy, just take me to the hospital. Please.” When your child, who has seen her Daddy in ICU, begs to be taken to the hospital because she feels so bad, you do it.

I loaded her up and called Scott from the car to tell him what we were doing. We got to the ER and within a few moments, my nine-year-old had an IV with a bag of fluids pouring into her. About halfway through that first bag, she started asking for popsicles which the nurses kept bringing – grape, orange, cherry, whatever she wanted. By the end of that first bag of fluids, her color was back and so was her cheerful personality.

She had completely dehydrated. But there was a simple solution.

Have you ever been dehydrated spiritually?

Worn out from the push and pull of life, overextended by the demands on time and energy?

We need that Living Water Jesus offered to the Samaritan woman at the well. Our souls thirst for the fullness of Christ in us. David speaks to this insatiable longing in Psalm 63:

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;

My soul thirsts for you;

My flesh faints for you,

As in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (v. 1)

**We thirst for Him. We were created to thirst for Him.**

Desperate for His presence in our lives. Longing for His power in our circumstances. Pleading for His provision in our need.

And He, this God who sees us, He satisfies. Completely. Abundantly. Fully.

His love is steadfast. (v. 3)

His provision is certain. (v. 5)

His help is constant. (v. 7)

His protection sure. (v.9)

He upholds us with His mighty right hand. (v. 8)

And He reigns. (v. 11)

So often we languish in our deserts, wandering in a dryness that is not intended for us.

Just as my sweet girl needed to be hooked up to the IV and receive the fluids that would revive her body and restore her spirit, so we believers in the Living God need to be connected to the Word and the Word-Made-Flesh.

As we allow His living water to pour through our lives, we are revived in body, restored in spirit, and find our satisfaction – full and complete – in Him.

How have you found yourself wandering in that desert-place lately? What prompts you to run to Him when you are dry? Is this your first thought? How can you retrain your mind and your heart to live in the truth that His love is truly better than life?

7 Ways to Interact with Scripture

February 1, 2012 by Teri Lynne Underwood 15 Comments

Sometimes, if I’m honest, my quiet time gets stale. My passion for the Word wanes and I find myself reading but not hungering for Scripture.

Image Credit

Maybe I’m alone, maybe I’m not. But, I have discovered that one of the best ways to jump start my quiet times is to interact with the Bible in a different way.

For most of us, our quiet time involves sitting quietly and reading our Bibles, taking notes as we go or journalling our insights. But reading quietly to ourselves is not the only way to embrace God’s Word.

Today, I want to encourage you to consider interacting with Scripture in a different way. Why? Because in my experience, using one of these techniques can help you immerse yourself deeper in the Word and they can also help you with embedding the Bible into your heart.

Read your Bible aloud. This is one of my favorites! I love to hear the Word and when I read it aloud I find that I interject more expression and thought into what I’m reading than when I read silently.
Read the same passage several times throughout the day. I have found that the same passage often speaks a different word of encouragement to me at different points in the day.
Personalize a prayer based on Scripture. Using Scripture as the foundation of my prayers has become one of my spiritual disciplines. I often use Psalm 139 as a guide for praying.
Describe a scene in the Bible. This one might appeal to the more creative among us. Read a passage and write a description of the events. I have found this to be a great way to explore the life of Christ.
Write out a passage. Once when my quiet time was especially dry, I began writing out the words of Isaiah … when God was speaking of His disgust with the Israelite’s rituals and calling them back into communion with Him. Writing out those words helped me understand their application to my own life.
Draw a representation of a passage. Similar to creating a written description of a biblical scene, illustrating a section of Scripture can help us see deeper into the message.
Act it out. This one is a great one to use with your kids! Read a passage and then act it out.

There are so many ways to interact and connect with God’s Word … I encourage you to be willing to stretch yourself and explore God’s Word in new ways. {You might also want to read 10 tips for a great quiet time for more encouragement in establishing this important habit of daily time in God’s Word.}
What are some ways you interact with Scripture?

What’s on Your Heart?

January 4, 2012 by Teri Lynne Underwood 7 Comments

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you shall be on your heart. ~ Deuteronomy 6:4-6

new years resolutions, Deuteronomy 4:4-6 — source: Microsoft Clip Art

What are you thinking about, focusing on, as this new year begins?

Resolutions made and plans for seriously following through this year.

Plans for losing weight, exercising more, or finally decluttering the junk drawer in the kitchen.

Maybe you’ve determined to read the Bible through this year or be more consistent in Scripture memorization.

But what’s on your heart?

Is it fear of failure or worry about finances? Maybe your heart is heavy with concern for loved ones fighting illness or children who have chosen a wayward path. Perhaps you are fighting an internal battle with insecurity.

Far too often, I believe we end up letting go of the resolutions and goals and dreams because we’ve allowed the wrong things to settle deep in our hearts.

We live in fear though we have been given a spirit of power. 2 Timothy 1:7

We battle with insecurity though we are created in the image of the One True God. Genesis 1:27

We wrestle with worry though we are promised peace beyond understanding. Philippians 4:6-7

As this year begins, my desire is that the Word of God be settled deep on my heart. That my first response to life will be to seek His truth. That my response to others will be rooted in Scripture’s clear example. That I will speak words of life and hope and truth into the hearts and lives of others.

My earnest prayer is this:

Lord, may my heart be stayed on Thee, daily seeking Thy clear Word

Ever trusting in Thy steady hand.

Lord, may my heart be found in Thee, wrestling not with sinful deed

Rather walking by Thy faithful plan.

Amen

What’s on your heart?

Serve, Give, Tell … This Is Why He Came

December 12, 2011 by Teri Lynne Underwood Leave a Comment

But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28, emphasis added

Jesus came for specific reasons and in this passage, we find two of the most significant.

To Serve and To Give His Life as a Ransom

Jesus came to show us how to live and to give us the opportunity for eternal life.

When we serve, we look like Him. When we give generously and sacrificially, we look like Him.

And, best of all, when we acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord, we become co-heirs with Him for eternity {Romans 8:17}.

How does this look in daily life? How do we live out the example He has given us?

We serve. In our homes, in our churches, in our workplaces, in our communities, around the world. Sometimes our service seems small – wiping babies’ faces or picking up toys for the hundredth time today. But when we serve with a pure heart, no service is small.

We give. In a world where top television shows celebrate hoarding and getting more and bigger, the life of one who gives stands out. There are countless ways to give from providing a goat to family across the world to taking cookies to thank a police officer across the street … opportunities to give are limitless. We are called, commanded, to be a people who give generously, sacrificially, willingly.

We tell. Too many believers are afraid to share their faith. But we have been given a spirit of power {2 Timothy 1:7} and we are called to share the gospel as we go {Matthew 28:19-20}. Telling others about the ransom Christ paid for our sin should be a part of our daily conversation. We must be unafraid to share the truth … we must tell.

Today, every day, will you live in the example of Christ and serve and give and tell?

A Big, Big Life

December 9, 2011 by Teri Lynne Underwood 2 Comments

When we moved to Alabama this summer, I was given a new set of dishes. I love them! They are part of the LIFE collection from Day Spring. One of my favorite verses is inscribed on them …

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

Life … zoe. One of my lexical aids described this life as “the very life of God, of which believers are made partakers.”

We are partakers of the very life of God!

And not only that, He offers us this life to the full.

Abundantly … over and above, more than enough.

Friends, Jesus came so that we would be able to live the fullest, most abundant, crazy over and above, more than enough lives!

What does this big life involve?

Relationship with Him … We are invited into the very life of God, intimacy with the Creator and Sustainer of everything. That’s big!

Relationships with others … We are offered community, fellowship, and interaction with fellow believers in order to strengthen and support one another. We are given the opportunity to sow into the lives of unbelievers in order to point them to the Giver of all life.

Receiving blessing now … Isn’t God good? He gives us gifts innumerable and blessings unimaginable – every. single. day.

But the best part is,

Redemption for eternity … In all of life, there is no greater gift than THE Gift – the gift of salvation and the promise of eternal life.

Jesus came to give us abundant life – now and forever!

How have you experienced life to the full?

{image from Dayspring}

Before He Came, He Came

November 16, 2011 by Teri Lynne Underwood 5 Comments

A moment of honesty here: When Stephanie assigned me the topic “The theophanies of Christ” as my post for this series on Christ in the Old Testament, I felt really dumb. I had never heard the word theophanies before and I had no idea what it meant.

So, I did what all good researchers do, I Googled it! And with a lot of help from Bible.org, I discovered that I did know what theophanies are.

Theophanies are “the preincarnate appearances of God the Son in angelic or human form.”

There are many examples of these preincarnate appearances in the Old Testament. Here are a few of the people who experienced theophanies (now that I know this word, I’m sure I’ll be using it as often as possible!):

Abraham – Genesis 22:11-8, 24:7, 40
Jacob – Genesis 31:11, 48:15-16
Moses – Exodus 3:2, 13:21, 14:19
Balaam – Numbers 22:22-35
Gideon – Judges 6:11-24

This is certainly not an exhaustive list but it gives you a sampling of these experiences.

Theophanies of Christ, Jesus in Old Testament, Hagar and the Angel of God — Image Credit

Today, though, I want to focus on what we can learn from the first recorded theophany. Generally speaking, theophanies reference “The Angel of Jehovah.” We find the first use of this term in Genesis 16:7:

The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.

Hagar … Abraham’s concubine … was the first one to encounter the preincarnate Christ.

And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. Genesis 16:8

He found her. Alone and afraid, Hagar had fled from her abusive mistress. And the angel of the Lord sought her.

In the rest of this passage (Genesis 16:9-13) we find Hagar received comfort and assurance from the Angel. He told her of her pregnancy and prophesied about her son.

And her response? She was the first one to give God a name. El Roi, the God who sees me.

Isn’t that one of the most beautiful attributes of Christ in the New Testament – He saw people. The woman caught in adultery, the Samaritan woman at the well, Zaccheus hiding in the tree, shaggy fishermen and arrogant tax collectors … Jesus saw people.

This angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar again in Genesis 21:17 – 19.

God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

Exiled by her son’s father at the command of Sarah, Hagar was, again, in the wilderness. This time, though, she was not alone. She had her son Ishmael with her and she was watching her own son die.

And once again, this God she had encountered, saw her. Speaking words of encouragement and prophecy, He encouraged Hagar not to give up. He met her needs – emotional and physical.

Just as He met Hagar’s needs, Christ met the needs of those He encountered during His earthly ministry. He reached out to the lonely, rejected, and outcast … lepers and lame, blind and broken, He healed them … body and spirit.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Before He came to dwell, He revealed Himself … hints of the fullness of what was to come.

How does reading Hagar’s story encourage you about God’s presence in your own life?

Jehovah Rohi :: The Lord Is My Shepherd

October 31, 2011 by Teri Lynne Underwood 3 Comments

{First, a sincere apology for posting this a day later than expected. I spent last weekend at a conference and Monday was spent trying to catch up on sleep and laundry and life with the family I missed terribly during my five days away. Thank you for grace!}

When fear regarding the cares of this world sets in, we must remember God’s promise to care for us. ~ Elizabeth George

Do you get afraid? Or lonely? Or intimidated? Or uncertain? Yeah, me too. I find myself wandering through life wondering if I’ll ever be enough, have enough, do enough. Some days I look at all the things I’ve done – from dishes to laundry to car pool to blog posts – and I think, “I’ll have to do every single one of those things again tomorrow.” And I wonder, “Does it matter?” But really, deep inside, I’m really asking God, “Do I matter?”

Maybe you can relate. I imagine at some level we all have known that feeling. We may know in our heads that we have a God who sees us (El Roi) but we feel in our hearts that we remain unseen. We know in our heads that our God provides (Jehovah Jireh) but we look around and feel so very needy. We know in our heads that God is there (Jehovah Shammah) but we still feel so very alone.

The Lord is my shepherd.

Psalm 23:1

These words have brought comfort to mourning families for centuries … but they offer us hope and truth as well. These five words, “The Lord is my shepherd,” come from two Hebrew words: Jehovah Rohi.

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and I am known by My own” (John 10:14).

Jesus, our shepherd, is Jehovah Rohi, our Lord.

He feeds us … literally and spiritually.
He leads us … through still waters and through dark valleys … but He is with us each step.
He warns us … by His rod and staff we are guided and disciplined … because we are loved.

Today, will you slow down and read Psalm 23? Cherish the promises of care and protection, provision and love, so freely offered to us. What a great gift we have been given … to know Jehovah Rohi, the Lord is my shepherd.

How have you experienced the feeding, leading, and warning of the Lord in your life?

Jehovah Rophe: The LORD Heals

October 19, 2011 by Teri Lynne Underwood 2 Comments

When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there He tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in His eyes, and give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”

Exodus 15:23-26

Bitter water. Doesn’t sound appealing at all, does it?

The Israelites had been freed from the bondage of slavery and now they were faced with bitter water. Does your life ever feel that way? One huge situation is finally resolved and then comes another … it can leave us overwhelmed and broken.

Elizabeth George writes:

What an object lesson this encounter with Jehovah-Rophe, the Lord who heals, must have been for the Israelites (and for us)! God’s people were dying of thirst with only bitter, poisonous water on hand. And God took their physical need and turned it into a spiritual issue. Out of a bitter experience God revealed Himself in yet another sweet, comforting way, as “Jehovah heals.”

Jehovah Rophe, the LORD heals. What a precious truth … and promise.

God’s healing is not just physical. He also reaches down offers total healing … in all areas of our lives.

Consider these three ways God heals and examples of women in Scripture who were the recipients of His total healing.

1. Physical Healing. Remember the woman with the issue of blood? Her story is told in Matthew 9. She had been sick for years and used every bit of money she had to seek healing. When Jesus passed by, she reached out and touched the hem of His garment. I love this story! She was healed immediately and completely! Why? Jesus said, “Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.” (Matthew 9:22) I am so thankful for a God who heals us physically.

2. Emotional Healing. Hannah. The broken woman longing for a child, praying so fervently that the priest thought she was drunk. Can you imagine her brokenness? God heard the heart-felt prayers of a wounded woman. And He answered them. I think though the most beautiful part of this story is the change we see in Hannah … from a woman desperate to have a child to a woman willing to give her son back to the God who gave him to her. That, my friends, is the power of God to heal us emotionally. {You can read Hannah’s story in 1 Samuel 1 – 2.}

3. Spiritual Healing. The most profound healing God ever does in any of our lives is spiritual. That moment when He moves us from death into life, when we become new creations, the old gone and the new in its place (2 Corinthians 5:17). Mary Magdalene’s story is such a beautiful example of that total renewal, total healing. From a woman possessed by seven demons (Luke 8:2) to the woman who first saw Christ after His resurrection (John 20:15) … Mary Magdalene offers us a poignant and powerful image of the full spiritual healing offered to each of us by Jehovah Rophe.

Are you in need of healing? Are there some bitter waters in your life? Will you call upon the God who heals and trust Him to mend the brokenness?

Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:1,3

Today, right now, Jehovah Rophe is offering you the gift of healing. Will you embrace it? And praise Him for this amazing gift?

~~~~~~~~~
The quote above is from this book by Elizabeth George. I highly recommend it for either personal study or for a group.

What’s in a Name?

October 10, 2011 by Teri Lynne Underwood 3 Comments

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be exploring several of the names of God we find in Scripture. We hope you will join us in learning more about the character and nature of God during this study.

What is your favorite name of God?

Understanding What Matters Most

October 7, 2011 by Teri Lynne Underwood 6 Comments

Today we have very exciting news. Our sweet Stephanie’s Bible study on Ecclesiastes is available! We are incredibly proud of her and thrilled to share the details of this six-week study with our readers. {By the way, thank you for your encouraging response to our format change … we have the best readers ever!}

Understanding What Matters Most by Stephanie Shott

Do you sense the need to live for eternity but find yourself living like this life is all there is? Do you long to make your life count for more than a vapor but can’t seem to escape the dailies of each day?

Stephanie’s new Bible study on Ecclesiastes, Understanding What Matters Most, will help you sift through the gamut of life experiences and learn to make everyday decision based on what truly matters most.

Understanding What Matters Most will:

Help you define your life by what matters most
Bring clarity to your circumstances
Give you insight to make your eternity intentional

Join Stephanie on a six week adventure through this often avoided and misunderstood book of the Bible. Learn why she calls it a “Heavenly Sieve” and how you find significance to these days you are given under the sun.

Will you join us in congratulating our friend on her first published Bible study?

Steph, we are so proud of you! And thankful that you share your wisdom and insight with us here at Scripture Dig!

Purchase your copy of Understanding What Matters Most at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christian Book Distributors, or Books-A-Million.

An Announcement

October 5, 2011 by Teri Lynne Underwood 11 Comments

Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine. Robert C. Gallagher

18 months.

342 posts.

20 themes.

It’s been fun, hasn’t it?

Scripture Dig has been a blessing in our lives as writers and we hope in your lives as well. But the last 18 months have brought some big changes in the lives of us as writers as well. As we look ahead, we want to make sure we continue to encourage, equip, and empower you to dig into God’s Word … as we manage the demands of our own families, ministries, and lives.

So, we’re changing things up here at Scripture Dig just a bit. Rather than posting Monday through Friday, we’ll only post three times a week- Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We’ve heard from some of our readers that it is challenging to keep up with five posts a week from us … and we want to make it easier for you to dig with us into the treasure of Scripture.

The length and substance of our posts will not change, just the frequency.

Can we just say, from the bottom of our hearts, how much you all have been an encouragement to each of us? We are thankful for you, each of you. For sharing a portion of your days with us, thank you!

Come back Friday as we share about the newest resource available by a Scripture Dig writer! Here’s a hint … her initials are SS and we are so proud of her.

Happy Wednesday!!

Proverbs 31 Wrap Up

October 4, 2011 by Teri Lynne Underwood Leave a Comment

We’ve reached the end of our study of Mrs. P31 … and we hope you are with us in declaring:

Over the past few weeks we’ve identified thirteen characteristics of the Proverbs 31 woman … and we hope you have been encouraged by what we’ve learned. Here is a recap of those qualities:

We have been overwhelmed by the response to this series! Thank you!! We appreciate all the comments and shares and tweets … you have truly blessed us by your involvement. We’re looking forward to kicking off our next series, The Names of God, on Monday.

Oh, and speaking of wrapping up … I realized that we never announced the winner of Savoring Living Water! Natalie, it’s you!! I’m emailing you with details and hope you enjoy the ebook.

Come back tomorrow for some important news from our team and on Friday we’ll be sharing an exciting new resource available from our own Stephanie Shott!!

Her Children What??

September 29, 2011 by Teri Lynne Underwood 1 Comment

Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” ~ Proverbs 31:28-29

I love these two verses! For me, they are among the most encouraging in Scripture … because they hold such a promise. On the days when laundry is piled high, dishes are never ending, chaos is overwhelming, noise is deafening, and life is simply too much, I find myself thinking of these verses and knowing that it’s all worth it.

The exhaustion of parenting and the sacrifice of marriage are blessings.

I have a plaque with these verses on it. It sits atop my bookshelf with all the parenting books I love. Why there? Because I need that perspective! I need to be reminded that today isn’t always … that this season of life will end and a new season will bring new challenges and new joys. I believe Mrs. P31 understood that.

When we consider that Proverbs 31:10-31 are not a daily “To Do List” but instead a retrospective of a life lived well, the promise of this blessing become even more precious. Why did her children rise up and call her blessed? And her husband? I believe, based on all we’ve learned about Mrs. P31 so far, it is because she grasped this one truth:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

We end Proverbs with an example of the life lived by the truths shared at the beginning of Proverbs. A woman – a busy woman – who was wise and blessed because she knew the Lord and lived in obedience to His calling on her life.

She juggled all the tasks of the days and years not in her own strength and abilities but in fear of the Lord. Awe of Him, service to Him, love for Him. She cared for those in her home and those outside it. She used her abilities to bless her family and others. She spoke with kindness and lived wisely.

Her life declared one simple truth: She was rare and of great value – to her family, to her community, and to the Lord. That, dear friends, is a life worthy of blessing.

She’s a Worker, That Girl

September 22, 2011 by Teri Lynne Underwood 9 Comments

I grew up primarily in rural Oklahoma communities. People valued family, God, and hard work. These were farmers and ranchers, small business owners and teachers, and they knew the value of being a person who worked diligently and competently. I can remember hearing older people make the comment, “She’s a worker, that girl” about women I knew and, even as a young child, realizing it was the highest compliment they gave.

I imagine our Mrs. P31 would have received that praise.

She rises while it is still yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchants.

She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Proverbs 31:15-16, 24, 27

Today, we have so many ways to squander our time … so many opportunities to “eat the bread of idleness.” From the internet to the hundreds of channels on TV, we can spend our days in front of screens and never accomplish one thing of purpose.

This trait of industriousness is a key factor in developing the character of Mrs. P31. After all, she stayed so busy she didn’t have time to waste on meaningless things like gossip. I’m certainly not advocating that we all are expected to become businesswomen and manage companies or home businesses … but I do believe we are all called to the very high privilege of “looking well to the ways of our households.”

Today, will you choose to be industrious over idle? Will you use your time well to bless your family?

You Don’t Scare Me!

September 14, 2011 by Teri Lynne Underwood 9 Comments

Possibly the most intimidating woman in all of Scripture is Mrs. Proverbs 31. She gets up early and stays up late. She cooks, she sews, she shops. She manages her home, her business, and her family. Her children “rise up and call her blessed” … that alone qualifies her for the “rare” distinction she’s given in verse 10.

However, we don’t think her inclusion in Scripture is merely to create insecurity and hopelessness in the hearts of godly women everywhere. In fact, we have quite the opposite impression:

We believe Mrs. P31 offers us an example of characteristics that please the heart of God … not a “to do” list of daily activities.

As we examine those traits and attitudes, we believe you’ll be joining us in saying, “You don’t scare me!” but will instead be celebrating the example she provides of a heart and life that please the Lord.

Join us for the next three weeks as we dig in to Proverbs 31:10 -31 and we believe you’ll be encouraged and challenged!

Share with us … What is your impression of the Proverbs 31 Woman?

{Resource Review} Savoring Living Water

September 13, 2011 by Teri Lynne Underwood 9 Comments

Before we share a great resource for you, we need to share something with you. Our friend Kristi will no longer be writing here at Scripture Dig. She’s been offered the opportunity to serve in a much larger way in her local church and in order to give that the attention it will demand, she will be stepping down from Scripture Dig. She’s written more about this decision on her blog. We will miss her presence here but know that God is at work in the ministry He has laid before her. We invite you to join us in praying for her as she endeavors to follow God’s direction in her life … and she’s promised to come back and visit here at Scripture Dig. We’ll hold her to that!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sometimes a resource comes along that meshes perfectly with our vision to “Encourage, equip, and empower others to dig into God’s Word” … Savoring Living Water: How to Have an Effective Quiet Time fits the bill perfectly.

One of the very first themes we covered here at Scripture Dig was Daily Time in the Word. We’ve shared what our own Quiet Times look like and invited others to share about theirs in the My Time to Dig posts. We believe wholeheartedly that that of the main tools we have to grow spiritually is consistent, quality time spent engaging with the Bible.

That’s where Savoring Living Water comes in. In seven concise, yet full, chapters, Katie Orr and Lara Williams offer solid information and suggestions for developing a vibrant personal time with the Lord. Covering topics from what time of day to what kind of resources, Savoring Living Water is a resource for both the new believer and those of us who are “more seasoned” in our faith walk.

With five appendices and a companion journal added to the end of the book, Katie and Lara give us not just the “Why” and the “How” but tools to help us get started and put into practice the principles they teach.

Perhaps, though, the key component that drives this book, is the heart from which is it written. From the first words, the passion Katie and Lara have for this topic are evident but equally revealed is their desire to be an encouragement to others.

It is a joy for us at Scripture Dig to recommend Savoring Living Water: How to Have an Effective Quiet Time to our readers. Savoring Living Water is available on Amazon for the Kindle and Barnes & Noble for the Nook as well as a PDF version. For each copy of Savoring Living Water purchased, the authors are donating $2 to One Verse, a translation company that seeks to provide the Scriptures in as many languages as possible.

We are happy to be giving away a copy of this ebook to one of our readers. Your answer in the comments to the following question is your entry:

What is the biggest hindrance in your life to having a consistent, effective quiet time?

{You can read more about Savoring Living Water on their website and we encourage you to like their Facebook page for ongoing encouragement. And please check out the One Verse website to learn more about the amazing work this organization is doing!}