Friend, Read Your Bible!

New year, new start. Who doesn’t love a fresh beginning?!

If you are anything like me, you’ve been considering your resolutions for a few days (or weeks, or months…). Your goals might help you get in shape or be a “better” wife/mother/sister/friend. Perhaps you’ve considered how you can deepen your relationship with the Lord. It won’t take long, though, for the pressures and chaos of real life to push aside these good intentions.

We (#FGNH) challenge you to consider this oh-so-simple yet oh-so-hard discipline: read your Bible this year.

Consistently.

DAILY.

With purpose and intent.

See, here’s the thing. We know we should read the Bible. We want to read the Bible. But life gets in the way. And I get it. Really, I do.

Here’s the other thing, though. And I say this with love because it’s been my past path: We often give ourselves too much grace when it comes to this spiritual discipline. We allow ourselves to believe our intent matters, even if we don’t open the physical book. We tell ourselves there’s always tomorrow, and tomorrow we will definitely read our Bible. We know Jesus loves us, and we let that grace wash over us. It’s time to stop using grace as an excuse to avoid something that is difficult.

The Bible can be overwhelming, especially to someone new in their faith. Trust me, I know! But God’s Word is a beautiful gift. It’s the story of God’s redeeming love. It’s a book of wisdom and guidance. The words are life-giving and life-changing.

The Bible is also an effective weapon. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul described the Bible as the “sword of the Spirit” (6:17). How in the world will we effectively fight our battles when we aren’t familiar with weapons?! Jesus modeled this truth when Satan tempted him three times in the wilderness. Do you know how Jesus responded? By speaking God’s Word back to him. Take a minute to read Matthew 4:1-11.

Friend, you will face hardships. Temptations. Trials. No one escapes it, and Jesus promises it (John 16:33). If you aren’t currently reading your Bible every day (and I’d even push you to open a PHYSICAL Bible, not the app on your phone), then consider joining us in doing so this year. Make 2023 the year you familiarize yourself with a weapon you can wield in the face of danger. I promise your life will be forever changed if you commit to this oh-so-simple but oh-so-hard discipline.

Blessings,

From God Not Her