This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to
meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything
written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.
Joshua 1:8
In Joshua chapter one, Joshua has just taken over as leader after Moses died. He instructs the people telling them to be bold and courageous. He also tells them to live by the Word, encouraging them to meditate on it and obey what is written. This is his formula for success.
This is our formula too. We need to be in the Word, meditating on it day and night, and obeying it.
There is a saying that goes, "The Bible is our daily bread, not cake for special occasions." We can't pull our Bible off the shelf for Sunday service or Easter morning and expect to know the heart of God. We need to read it daily and meditate on the words we read.
Here are a few tips to making this Book of Instruction part of our daily life:
Set a time.
Set a time that you will read your Bible each day. If you set a time, such as an appointment, you are more likely to stick to it. So decide what time works best for you, whether it's first thing in the morning, lunch break at work or while the kids nap at home, after dinner, or before bed. Whatever it is, set the time and stick to it. There will be times you need to be flexible with your time, especially if you have little ones, but sticking to your time for the most part will prove to be helpful in Bible reading.
Leave your Bible open.
When you are done with your daily reading, leave your Bible out and open. If the Bible is open, as you walk by throughout the day you can read a Scripture. When things feel stressful, what better help than to walk past your Bible and read a verse or two!
Find an accountability partner/group.
When you have a support system it is easier to follow through. Think of when you are going to the gym, when you have a partner there waiting on you, it is easier to make the move and go. Having an accountability partner who is waiting to hear from you will help. Woman to Woman offers private Facebook groups for this purpose. To join a Morning Reflections group, click HERE.
Remove distractions.
When you are reading the Bible, remove distractions. Turn off the tv and silence your phone. If possible, find a place that is quiet. Remove distractions will help you to focus on the Word.
Be intentional, not lackadaisical.
When something is important to us, we are intentional about it. The Bible is eternally important to us. It is our lifeline. We must be intentional about it. When it's hard to read, read anyway. When you don't feel like reading, read anyway. When life has you down, read anyway. When you are grieving, read anyway. And when it's too hard to read, cling to the Word and seek your accountability partner to help you through.
Let the Bible, the Book of Instruction, be a part of your life. A part of your every day.
**********
I am loving the new (in)Courage Devotional Bible! This Bible takes God's Word and adds color with book intros and verse highlights, devotions by amazing and Godly women, has journaling space on each page, and has themed reading plans. The (in)Courage Devotional Bible comes in four beautiful cover options that you will love.
I love God's Word. I love the beauty He created in this World. The two together are amazing.
Disclosure: I received this Bible in exchange for my honest opinion.
It is time for the Woman to Woman Word Filled Wednesday Link Up. We desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories in their comments.
On social media, use hashtag #w2wwordfilledwednesday!
Three rules to this link up:
1. Must be a {Christian} faith post.
2. Please link back to W2W somewhere in your post. (Feel free to use our button if you'd like!)
3. Visit and comment on at least one other blog in the link up.
Loved this post! This is my heart as well, to encourage women to read God's Word. I'm even writing a book on the subject! I especially love your last post about being intentional.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, thank you for stopping in and sharing. I'd love to hear about your book!
DeleteGreat tips, and I love "the book of the Instruction"--I've always read that verse in versions that render it as "law" which is also true, but instruction sounds completely relevant!
ReplyDeleteMichele, when I was in Bible school, our school song was this verse and we sang it as "law." So this is what I always knew as well. But I love the word "instruction" too, as you said, it is completely relevant. Thank you for stopping in!
DeleteJenifer,
ReplyDeleteI loved this post. Thank you for sharing.
Also thanks for the opportunity to win.
Julie, thank you for stopping in! God bless!
DeleteSadly, I use to ignore my Bible, but in 2014 became committed to reading it in its entirety. Journaling helped and a woman's daily devotional. Great reminder of how wonderful to read the words God and Jesus left us. Thanks for sharing the review of the book, and hosting Women to Women.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping in! Sadly, I was like that too until God opened my eyes. I’m so thankful.
Delete