While this blog is mostly about writing, my writing, at its foundation, is meant to glorify the Lord. My stories are about the intersections between people's daily lives, loves, and faith.
So, this Sunday, I want to write a bit about my faith. Each morning, for the last two decades, I have read at least a page of the Bible. That may translate into a chapter, or more, or less, depending on the book I'm in. Doing this has me on my third go-around of the entire Bible and I'm happy with that feat. I started this practice on my 40th birthday, so it's never too late to start.
Over the years, I've added a daily devotion book. Then, this summer, I was asked to review a 10-week Bible study that is probably going to take me longer because some of the daily lessons are very long.
With my full-time job and writing on the side, the way I fit in my devotion time is to do so over breakfast. No one else in my family is a morning person and that time is set aside anyway so I don't forget or find myself skipping this time with the Lord (unless traveling, sometimes I don't have the time for all of it). I don't eat for very long and then focus on whatever God is telling me.
I won't say I always connect to God the way I should, or that I listen. Sometimes, I go through the motions. But sometimes, praise Him, God speaks to me in the Word and in the words. I know He's really serious when he sends a verse to me in my devotion time, in the sermon at church, and on social media. Earlier this summer, I saw a verse on Facebook that struck me so I wrote it down on a post-it note. I stuck the post-it note on my computer monitor and prayed about it. "When the time is right, I, the Lord will make it happen..." Isaiah 60:22. The very next day, God brought about several things in my family's lives that I'd been praying over for a long time.
A few times in my life, I have heard the small, warm voice of God telling me to trust Him, that He will take care of me, and He will help me through it. Each time, I was already praying.
Dear Readers, I pray this post brings you hope if you need hope, steadies your faith if you're shaken, and joy.
If you would like, please share a time when God has reached down and held out His hand to you. I'm sure the truth will lift someone else, like me.