Word.

The Word.

We’re encouraged to be in it. By believing in and being in relationship with Jesus, His Word is our spiritual sustenance. It is where we confidently find comfort, instruction, perspective, encouragement and so much more.

If I’m honest, I am not one of those people who naturally loves scripture. I know it’s important, in fact, vital, but my interaction with it has been scattered. My connection with the Lord feels deepest when I spend time with Him in nature or writing in my journal. 

But I need the Word too. Every day.

I’ll do a Bible study, but I find that I glean so much more when the study is a specific book of the Bible rather than topical (She Reads Truth has provided some good direction if you’re ever looking for some help yourself or He Reads Truth if you’re a guy). My interaction with scripture is seasonal with where I’m invested. I’ve had seasons where each verse I read provides so much insight, whereas in other seasons it’s been tough to get myself to open my Bible at all. 

Worth noting: there is a strong correlation with when I am in community with other people who are also invested in the Word and how consistent I am with reading it.  Community helps me maintain accountability and makes me want to be in the Word more. Have you experienced that? 

Someone I knew once made a comment about how they never want to spend more time on social media than reading their Bible.

Woof. Well played.

One discipline I’ve been doing for a while is to read something from the Word every day. If circumstances cause me to need to do so from my phone, well, that’s better than nothing, but my goal is to physically open my Bible.

In a world where we are losing touch with the tangible in favor of all things digital, the discipline of feeling the physical weight of my Bible as I open it to read it helps the process feel so intentional. Phones are convenient but the use of them does not feel like it gives the time in scripture the importance it deserves, at least for me. I want to be intentional with that time rather than relying on convenience whenever I can help it. It’s an added bonus that by reading my physical Bible I am spending less time on a screen!

To conclude, I want to encourage you with two verses that have stuck with me the past few weeks (the irony is not lost on me that I’m giving topical verses when my own interaction with the Bible is best served reading one book thoroughly):

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:27

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philipians 4:7

So, what can be concluded from both of these? We are given peace as a gift, and that peace is directly correlated with our hearts. Jesus can be trusted to protect our hearts. We just need to stay connected to the one who is kind enough to provide peace, but really is so much more than that.

And how do we maintain a consistent connection to the Giver of peace?

The Word.

Word.