Let me be the first to say that I am horrible at reading the Bible. It isn’t easy to read like a really good novel that you get lost in it. I need help knowing where to start, and a guided plan to help me dive in and understand God’s truths.
However, once I do dive in, I can’t get enough of it. The Word is where we meet God. We learn about who He is and who we are in Him. The Gospel is the truth by which we live by and it is also the truth that sets us free. The Word is the fulfillment that I have been longing for and I want to soak it all up!
The books and devotionals listed below challenge you to reveal the self-centered decisions that so often lead us astray from God’s will for us, and replace them with God’s narrative, the only truth we need. As I do with all things, I verify the things that are being taught or that I read, by referring back to the Word to seek out and pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal God’s truths.Â
- Humble Roots by Hannah Anderson: I read this book with a group of ladies from my church. This book was eye opening. It made me realize the many ways  that I put myself above God. Humbling yourself before God is actually the most freeing and joyful thing a believer can experience.
- Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer- I am almost done with this study and it has been SO good. Â It has actually helped me to stop listening to the doubts that Satan loves to put into our minds, and finally listen to God about whether or not He wanted me to start this blog. In this study, you will actively learn how to surrender yourself before God and discern His voice in everyday life.
- The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith- This helped me begin on my journey to changing my narrative from the world’s to God’s. The three-part series (Good and Beautiful Life and Good and Beautiful Community) throws away the notions about what we believe about God and how He works in our lives, and fills us with the truth. We should test our ideas/thoughts against the Word to see if they are aligned with what Jesus reveals about God.
-  Abide: A Study of 1, 2, 3 John by Jen Wilkin- I am currently going through this workbook in a Women’s Bible Study. I love that at the beginning of each week it asks you to summarize what you learned about God: his characteristics, what He has done, and what He will do, and what he pleases him and what displeases him. This reveals so much about who God is. The books emphasize that God is light and love and every true believer should walk in God’s light and love. I also love doing this study with other women because there is no judgment on what God is revealing to me and they speak God’s truths into me.
I schedule out everything else but setting aside time for the Bible. So my challenge for myself this year is to plan out time to read it when I drink my coffee in the morning or when I get home at night. Whether its 15 to 30 minutes (because that’s all the time I have for God?), I will glean His truths to prepare my day or to end my day on a positive note.
I challenge all of us to schedule more time for God because He is already present in every moment of our day.