[𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝟺 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝟸-𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘰𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴.𝘤𝘰𝘮]

Tucked in the pages of my One Year Bible are two greeting cards with tattered envelopes and fading, handprinted messages.  One was a birthday card, the other for mother’s day – both from several years ago.  

Why do I carefully keep those cards in a place where I can find them on any given day?  I hold them close because they carry treasured messages from my kids, who took the time to express their thoughts about me as their mom.

Especially now that my young adult kids are spreading their wings and our interaction is less frequent, there are days I wonder about my place in their lives, whether or not years of pouring into them has made the impact on their hearts I have always prayed it might?

When the doubts creep in, it brings such comfort to open those cherished cards again and re-read their thoughts, written by their own hands.  Their words reassure me that they feel deeply loved and prayed for… and I am reminded how much they love me, too!

Posts on vinetobranches.com over the past few days have drawn our thoughts toward spiritual revival, rediscovering our first love for JESUS, our Savior, and how repentance (turning from whatever draws our attention or affections away from Him and turning back toward Him) can pave the way toward reassurance and joy in relationship with the LORD.

When we find ourselves a little lost or distant, we also have His Words!  The Bible is GOD’s love letter to us – His carefully chosen messages, from His heart to ours, expressing who He is and who we are to Him.  

How precious are Your thoughts about me, O GOD. (Psalm 139:17, NLT)

Much more than a one-time love note, the volume of Scripture is packed with history of His faithfulness, His wisdom, His guidance, countless reflections of the fathomless character of GOD and His driving force since the beginning of time – redemption!

How sweet are Your words… (Psalm 119:103)

Let me hear of Your unfailing love in the morning … (Psalm 143:8)

Revive me by Your Word… Encourage me by Your Word… Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles… Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path… (Psalm 119:25, 27, 50, 105) … Your Word is truth.  (John 17:17)

After a full year of Bible study, a dear friend who served as our teaching leader shared this prayer request for her summer months: “that I will be renewed by GOD’s Word … that I will rejoice in GOD’s goodness”.  Understandably depleted from a year of hard work, spending untold hours digging into Scripture, she was still yearning for GOD’s truth to recharge her heart, mind, body, and soul.  We can never tap out the resource of GOD’s own words written for us!  The more we read and ponder those words, the more we hunger for them.

When our hearts are weary, when our minds are confused, when our knees weaken, when our attentions and affections wander, there is one sure remedy – open His timeless love letter to us and read it again!  

We can ask His Spirit to prepare our hearts to drink in the reality we have forgotten.  Our GOD is truly awe-inspiring.  He is faithful.  His love for us is immense.  His ways may be mysterious, but they are eternally purposeful.  He is a good Father and a good Shepherd.  His care for us is attentive and intimate.  He will show us the right path to follow.

When we feel empty, we have a standing invitation to get alone with the LORD, read His words of grace and truth, sink into His embrace of unfailing love, unburden our hearts to Him in prayer, and learn from Him.  He will fill us to overflowing if we simply look up with open hands to receive all He wants to give us.

I have loved you with an everlasting love.  With lovingkindness I have drawn you.  I will build you up again.  (Jeremiah 31:3) … The words I have spoken to you – they are full of the Spirit and life. (John 6:63, NIV) … Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow.  Lead me by Your truth and teach me, for You are the GOD who saves me.  All day long I put my hope in You.  (Psalm 25:4-5, NLT)

.   .   .

For those who may not know where to begin, here are a few suggestions to give GOD’s Word a more regular place in your day:

• A one-year Bible will provide a passage from the Old Testament, the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs for each day of the year.

• Daily Light, a small leather-bound book, shares Bible verses of similar theme for morning and evening on each day of the year.

• The Bible App posts a verse of the day, including devotional thoughts about that verse, prayer prompts, and many, many Bible reading plans to choose from.

• “The Bible Recap” suggests a chronological reading of the Bible in one year, with links to a video summary of each day’s passages.

• Looking for a tucked away place you can dedicate to time alone with the LORD (a quiet corner of your home, a moment of solitude in your day, the local coffee shop or library, your car) can help you minimize distractions, still your mind, and be intentional, desiring to hear what He wants to speak to your heart.

• Leaving your Bible open and ready on your desk or kitchen table, or in your car, invites you to pause your day and read a few words of life!

• Keeping a journal handy will encourage you to jot down verses that speak to your heart on a given day (or a stack of index cards you can use to memorize those special love notes… or sticky notes you can post on your mirror or kitchen cabinet as reminders of His truth).

• Joining a Bible study group (locally or online) can help you dig into GOD’s Word with fellow Bible students, wrestle out truth together, pray for one another, and broaden your understanding and appreciation for the LORD as you see His Words ringing true in the lives of other believers.

• Never giving up will remind you it’s OK to begin again.  There are fresh mercies every morning.  He will be waiting to welcome you into His warm embrace.  Always!