Reclaimed DisciplinesSample

Prayer: Father, I praise you for the amazing gift of your Word that directs my steps and gives me life. I pray that you would open my eyes to see your glory more and more as I read, study, and meditate on it.

His Word For Life

Imagine you’ve been graciously invited to an all-you-can-eat buffet containing two exceptionally different categories of food. On one side is this incredibly aromatic, rich, artfully plated, five-star quality food unlike any you’ve ever seen. These dishes are both delicious and nutritious. The other side is quite different… it’s filled with Twinkies, Pringles, cookies, and ramen noodles. As a kid, I definitely would have gorged myself on junk food. It obviously would have tasted good, but it ultimately would have left me malnourished and unsatisfied. As an adult now, I would obviously make the better choice (most of the time, at least). Similarly, our world presents us with a “buffet” filled with enticing products, attractive lifestyles, and self-benefitting belief systems that promise to fulfill and satisfy, but ultimately fall far short. Compared to God’s Word, these things are Twinkies and Ramen.

Isaiah 55:2 puts this into perspective, asking us why we spend our time and money on that which fails to “strengthen and satisfy,” promising that if we instead diligently listen to God’s Word it will be as though we are “enjoying the finest food.” In reading God’s Word not only will we be left infinitely nourished and satisfied, but we will also be experiencing something “living and active,” never failing to accomplish its intended purpose: never failing to equip us for every good work, never failing to guide us when we need it most, never failing to draw us deeper into relationship with God, and never failing to be completely sufficient for our every need! In Psalm 1:1-3, God promises that when we meditate on His word we will be like a strong tree planted by streams of living water. Just as a tree needs water and sunlight to grow and thrive, we need God’s Word to help us live and grow more fully into the people He wants us to be. Would you draw near to the life source and spend time this week in His Word? 

Look in the Word: 

1. Read Ephesians 3:16-19. What does it mean for you to be “rooted and grounded in love?” 
2. Read Hebrews 4:12. What does it mean that God’s Word is “sharper than a two-edged sword?” 
3. Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. List out a few things the author says is true of God’s Word, and pray that God would make those things personally true in your life. 

What’s Next?

1. Spend some time meditating on and thinking about Psalm 1:1-3. 
2. Pray that God would grow your love for His word and give you the discipline to read it like your life depends on it. 
3. Make a plan. There are countless reading plans out there, commit to reading more. 
4. Don’t be afraid to start small with your Bible reading! Try and spend 15 minutes of undistracted reading time a day. Bring a friend or roommate into the process to keep you accountable and do it with you!