I have a huge confession to make to you. I am alright with this. God knows already what I am about to type. He has been whispering it in my ear for a long time now. Even as I am typing this, He is consistently whispering about it. The confession: I have not been reading my Bible daily. Phew. Glad I put that out there in writing. It is off my chest.
I confess that I am NOT disciplined at reading my Bible, especially during the summer months. There is no set schedule. No need to rush in the mornings. It is hard to plan time to fit it into your day when both your kids are at home all day long. Excuses. These are all just excuses. I know that. And yet I continue to let dust gather on my Bible. Unopened. Sitting beside me even as I write this entry.
Why? Why is it so hard to open up our Bible and just dive right into God's Word? It's good stuff. It helps us when we are down. It gives us strength and courage. It feeds us. I feel better after I have spent time reading God's Word. So why is it so hard?
I guess it goes against what society tells us is important. To read God's Word you need to stop, take time, be alone and really read. It is not something you can do in 2 minutes. (Although if 2 minutes is all you have, take it!!) We are so trained in our society to just rush around, going from one thing to the next, never stopping.
This has been true for me this summer. I have been running, on my own, without God. And lately, I have been running out of steam. My life blood is God. Without spending time with Him and in His Word, I am not being fed. I get tired, grouchy and start to depend on my own strength, which does no good. My strength is nothing compared to God's strength.
This past week I spent all of my mornings leading children in songs of worship about God at Vacation Bible School. The theme? God's Word. I was hit with how powerful His Word is; how much we need it everyday. I felt refreshed after this past week, being forced to examine and study His Word. God's Word is True, Comforting, Surprising, Life-Changing and it is FOR EVERYONE.
At the last session on Friday, I reminded the kids to read their Bibles because it is so important. Today, I feel like a hypocrite because I have not heeded my own advice. This ends today. I am going to make time. Plan it into my day EVERYDAY. I encourage you to do the same. After all, God's Word is FOR EVERYONE, right now wherever you are at in your walk with God. Even if you do not know who God is, let today be the day you open up a Bible and find out! God will meet you there. That's a promise!
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
Praise be to you, O LORD;
teach me your decrees.
(Psalm 119:10-12)
