A Faith That Works When Life Doesn’t: Part 1Sample

The Best Way to Start and Finish Your Day

During days of uncertainty and unrest, it’s important to start and end your day by refueling your soul—the part of you that determines the way you think, feel, and choose. Just like your physical body has to be fed every day to stay healthy, so does your soul. If you're not feeding your soul, you’re going to be drained emotionally and spiritually.

So how do you refuel your soul? By getting into God's Word every day. Jesus said, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4 NIV). The Bible is life! You don’t just read it when you have a problem and need some advice. You don’t open it up only when you need a pick-me-up. You feed on it every day so that you are consistently nourished and growing in truth and love.

Don’t begin your day by scrolling through your phone or listening to the news. And don’t end your day by filling your mind with something on TV. None of those things are going to feed your soul.

If you only develop one new habit this year, let it be starting and ending your day in God’s Word. Wherever you leave your Bible, leave it open if you can. If the Bible is closed, you will have a tendency to overlook it. But if you leave it open to where you read last time, you’ll have an easier time remembering to be consistent in Bible reading.

It doesn't matter how long you read. It matters how you let God’s Word change you—how you see yourself and others in light of God’s love, how you view your circumstances, and how your relationship with God deepens and grows.

"The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will" (Isaiah 50:4 NLT).

Are you weary and worn down? Nourish your soul and stay emotionally healthy by starting and ending each day with the Word of God.

Talk It Over

• What are your spiritual goals for this year? How do you want to grow in your Christian walk during crisis seasons?
• How do you need to adjust your schedule so that you make time for Bible study and also take care of your physical health?
• This year, have you been changed more by the world or God’s Word?

This devotional © 2021 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.