October 3, 2023
Our Greatest Source of Hope, Guidance and Inspiration
ANN WHITE
Lee en español
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)
When I was a child, my mom walked me down the church aisle to receive a tiny red Bible. Though much about that Sunday morning is blurry in my memory, throughout my childhood, I always sensed there was something very special about that book.
As a teen, I regularly brought a Bible to church but didn’t know I could easily engage with it. In my mind, Bibles were meant for Sunday mornings. On every other day of the week, they belonged on end tables to be admired and respected — but rarely ever read. Unfortunately, I adopted this trend and followed it faithfully for more than 20 years.
I’ve met many people who describe similar experiences with Bible engagement. And many, like me, have often prioritized daily demands over time spent with God.
For most of my life, I believed that there was no problem too large for me to fix on my own. But by my late 30s, I had to accept that this assumption was far from the truth. When God allowed me to finally reach the end of my self-sufficiency, I was forced to turn elsewhere for help.
God led me to His Word, encouraging me to pick it up, read it, and start applying it to my life. So I did just that. I joined various Bible studies and, within a year, began teaching them. For the first time, Hebrews 4:12 became real and personal to me:
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
God’s Word was fully alive in my life; it was separating truth from lies and giving me the power to make God-honoring and healthy life decisions.
I began experiencing what the Center for Bible Engagement calls the “Power of 4 Effect” — the deep life transformation that comes when people commit to engaging with Scripture at least four times each week. My life began to look radically different; I became better equipped to resist temptation and developed a greater ability to choose a positive outlook over negativity, frustration and discouragement. Over the past 20-plus years, my life has been filled with more opportunity, purpose and joy because I've been grounded in God’s Truth.
No matter what relationship we’ve had in the past with God and His Word — or how ill-equipped we feel to approach it — we must always embrace the truth that without it, we are missing out on the greatest source of hope, guidance and inspiration there is. Therefore, let us always strive to make God and His Word part of our everyday lives.
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Word. It is a guiding light in a darkened world and is a consistent source of inspiration and wise counsel. Give me a constant hunger for Your Truth, and help me resist the temptation to prioritize daily tasks over time spent in Your presence and in Your Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
The Courage for Life Study Bible (available in both women’s and men’s editions) is designed to provide readers with practical, easy-to-understand, applicable and inspiring content that helps them grow in their relationship with God as they discover, study and apply God’s Word for themselves.
The featured content within each Bible — including book introductions, “Listen to the Word” audio prompts, “Courageous Faith” character profiles, and inductive Bible studies on every Scripture page — provides practical guidance that helps us prayerfully observe, interpret and apply God’s Word in our everyday lives.
ENGAGE
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FOR DEEPER STUDY
Luke 11:28, “Jesus replied, ‘But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice’” (NLT).
How are you putting God’s Word into practice today?
© 2023 by Ann White. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org