Arise and ShineSample

The Joy of God’s Word

We might think that “shining the light” means bringing hope to people or delighting in happy moments. While I believe it is in those things, I have learned that light shines the brightest in hard situations. Just like the light of the sun piercing through the broken pieces of a stained-glass window, Jesus pierces through our dark, broken pieces and shines for all the world to see.

When we lean on God in times of darkness we will be strengthened and equipped to shine His light. One way we can draw nearer to the Light of the world is to read God’s Word.

Maybe you’ve found yourself thinking: The Bible is boring, I don’t understand it, and I don’t have time for it. But I want to ask you this: Truly, what in your life should ever have a higher priority than reading the “living and active” Word of God (Hebrews 4:12)? I don’t think this can ever be said enough: God’s Word changes everything.

Reading the Bible isn’t sup­posed to feel like a chore. It is where we get to encounter the powerful Word of God, and it is one of the ways He speaks to us. So, why would we not want to be in a constant process of communicating with God, allowing him to build us up and re­fine us? One answer: Satan. The last thing that the enemy wants is for us to put God’s Word first in our lives. So he “prowls around like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8), doing everything in his power to distract us, lie to us, and make us feel like it is okay to not make the Bible a priority.

As we all know, our phones can be one of the biggest distractions in our lives! But one way you can use your phone for good is to set a recurring reminder that says something like, “Have you read the most important thing in the world yet today?”

Reading our Bibles is 100 percent the will of God for our lives, so if we ask Him to strengthen us to do it daily, we can have confidence that He hears us.

Lord, I want reading Your Word to be something I get excited about, something that draws me closer to You every day. Thank you for speaking to us through the Bible. Help me to know You more. Amen.