Do you know God is jealous for you; that He sings over you…or that He yearns for you? Do you know He loves you with an everlasting love and He has given you precious promises that are yours because you’re His? Do you know God has anointed you to do something specific on planet earth? All of these wonderful nuggets of truth are unearthed when we begin our personal dig in the Word of God.
God’s Word is the life-changing source of faith, salvation, wisdom, power, purpose, peace, direction, protection, comfort, forgiveness, redemption, deliverance and direction. Our time in the Word is not something we have to do, it’s something we need!
But, if your day is anything like mine, your plate runneth over and you’re overwhelmed. So much to do, so little time and at times the Word of God sits on the table eager to be read, longing to find its proper place of prominence in your life.
Perhaps you’ve had seasons of structured, consistent time in the Word when you basked in the wonder of His presence and heard the echo of His still small voice. Or maybe you’ve never really known where to begin when it comes to reading the Bible. Wherever you are in your journey, one thing holds true…there is no substitute for time in the Word.
When I find myself drifting from the norm and struggling with my schedule, I sometimes end up neglecting my time in the Word. It’s not that I don’t want to spend time reading the Bible, it’s just hard to put the pieces of my scattered life back together in such a way that my priorities are in order. This I know…when my life is unorganized, my time in the Word tends to be the same way.
I once heard that if you aim for nothing, you will hit it every time. That’s true in life. That’s equally true in our approach to Scripture. To avoid those seasons of half-hearted, haphazard time in the Word we have to have a plan; we have to step back and reevaluate our lives and set things in their proper order.
If you’re not sure where to begin, there are Scripture reading plans readily available. In fact, Kathy Howard has a great chronological Bible reading plan on her website under “Discipleship Tools.” Another Bible reading plan can be found at Christiananswers.net.
If a “through the Bible in a year” plan is more than you can handle right now, there are other plans available. Or you can choose to tackle a specific book or group of books of the BIble. Whatever you do, be sure to set goals. Even if it’s a chapter a day…shoot for the target of time in the Word. Not for the sake of saying you did it or because you want to put a check on your reading schedule, but for your own spiritual growth, to strengthen your faith and to give you the tools and ammunition you need as you face each day.
If we’re going to prioritize our priorities then there are some changes we’ll need to make. But change is absolutely necessary if we’re going to be the women of God we long to be. And like everything else, it’s all about the choices we make.
Whenever we realign our lives to put God first and to spend time in the Word, there’s some juggling we may have to do and some choices we’ll have to make. Let’s look at the list below and begin making our way to the place where His Word takes its rightful place in our day and in our life.
QUESTIONS TO ASK MYSELF:
CHOOSE A TIME – When is the best time of the day to get alone with God? Do I have to wake up earlier?
CHOOSE A PLACE – Where is the best place to get alone with God?
CHOOSE A PLAN – What is a realistic reading plan for me during this season of my life?
CHOOSE YOUR TOOLS – What is the best way to take notes of how God speaks to my heart, directs my life and answers my prayers?
CHOOSE YOUR TEAM – Who can I talk to about God’s Word that will encourage and challenge me?
CHOOSE YOUR CHOICE – Just do it! Stay committed to the choice I make…even when I feel like I’m going through the motions, even when I’m not sure I’m getting it…I’ve got to keep reading…I’ve got to stay in the Word and continue to seek His face.
There is no substitute for the Word of God. Nothing else can change you from the inside out like the Word of the Living God. Nothing else can give you faith, strength, wisdom and courage like the Bible. So get ready to start digging…there’s nothing like it!
What helps you stay in the Word? Share your struggles or advice?
Great post! you are an amazing woman of encouragement….linked over from the MOB society and had to tell you how much I needed that post about praying for the parents of my (4) boys’ future wives. It reminded me of how God loves the prayers of His people and how they are used to accomplish His will on Earth.
Thanks again! *Blessings*
Thank you so much, Lib! It was my privilege to write for the MOB Society. I’m glad that my encouragement to pray was meaningful to you. And we are glad you are visiting us here at Scripture Dig too!!
Teri Lynne
Psalm 19:14
Hi Lib,
So glad to see you joining us today for our daily dig in the Word! And you’re so right…Teri Lynne is a huge blessing to us all!
Eternally His,
Steph
Phil 3:7-14
Stephanie, thanks for your encouraging words of testimony today about the power of God’s Word and the priority it has in your life!
Great words of encouragement and challenge, Steph! What a joy it is to walk this journey with friends who love the Word!!
Thanks so much for this post, Stephanie – I definitely have “dry” times when I struggle to find time for the Word – such a red flag that my priorities are out of whack! Thank you for the gentle encouragement. :)
Kathy, Terri Lynne & Kristi,
I’m so glad our hearts beat with similar passions for the Lord, His Word and ministering to the hearts of women! So honored and glad to be part of this cyberspace ministry with you girls!
These are great questions to consider so that we make our time with the Lord happen. How quickly it shows when we let that valuable time go, and since our “plate runneth over” ;) most of the time, we have to keep asking and adjusting to each season of life. Thanks so much for the encouragement, Stephanie.
Funny how we always need to get back to the basics of prioritizing our lives and make choices about what’s important to us. Glad we’re digging together! ;-)
Our plate always seems to be “runneth-ing over” too, Julie. I spent several years planning for the “normal” routine to come back around … it never has. And so I’ve learned to look at life in smaller seasons – sometimes even just a week – and make ongoing adjustments.
Great post of encouragement to get serious about my “quiet time” again. I have been struggling to get back into a routine after I married and moved from TX to AZ back in October of last year. I’m still getting used to new husband, step-daughter ( I never had children of my own until now), settling into new house and adjusting to telecommuting from home instead of driving into an office and finding a new church home. MANY changes.:)
I had a really good routine back in TX but was single and living by myself so it was a lot easier. My “Quiet Time” over the past several months has been sporatic. I really appreciate the post and encouragement to just DO It.
Marita, You’ve really been going through some major changes! When we moved back to the states from the mission field, I had the hardest time finding “a place” where I could spend time alone with God and not feel like I was going to be interrupted. I finally made my oldest (now married) son’s room my office and began having my quiet time there.
Unfortunately, things began getting crazy and my office became the catch-all. Needless to say that I quit having my quiet time in that room for almost a year. I’ve been feeling like a quiet-time nomad, but writing this post has really prompted me to get that room cleaned out and once again make it my own personal refuge where I meet with the Living God.
I look forward to hearing from you about how you’re able to “settle in” in your new world. Keep me posted and I’ll keep you posted as well.
Girls Growing Together in Grace,
Stephanie
Phil 3:7-14
Thank you for a great post!!!
CHOOSE YOUR CHOICE – Just do it! Stay committed to the choice I make…even when I feel like I’m going through the motions, even when I’m not sure I’m getting it…I’ve got to keep reading…I’ve got to stay in the Word and continue to seek His face.
Somehow I hit enter and I wasn’t done. This statement is a great reminder for me…even though I may not feel like spending time in the Word, God will honor that I made the effort and no matter how I am feeling….JUST DO IT!!!!
Thank you for a great site!!!!
Alexis, Thanks for joining the dig! Isn’t it funny how we can love the Word and spending time in it, yet sometimes find ourselves going through the motions. You are so right…if we just do it, God will honor our obedience. We need to be like Nike and JUST DO IT!! :-)
Stephanie, I often say that the key is “Just do it!” also. If you miss a day, just do it the next day. If you miss a week, just do it the next day. If you miss a year … or if you never have, just do it. Love that!!
Teri Lynne, I think you and I must have been cut from the same mold. :-)
I think so, my friend!!