Day 1
Read:
Psalm 1:1-3; Psalm 119:105; Psalm 19:7-11
Dig Deeper:
There are a lot of ideas floating around about what it means to be a Christian. Some think it’s being a really nice person–encouraging everyone they meet and giving them warm, fuzzy feelings. Some people think it means that you are really generous with your time and resources–helping at soup kitchens and volunteering at orphanages. Others think that to be a Christian involves being really pious and strict about the way that they live, the places they go, the people they spend time with, and even the food that they eat. With all of these ideas floating around, it’s important for us to figure out what it truly means to be a follower of Christ, and the only way we can know what that truly is is by being familiar with the person of Christ. And the great news is that the Bible (the entire Bible) is his story! We can learn about who He is and how we ought to live out our faith by spending time digging into his word. This doesn’t mean we just scroll through Jesustok or read the verse of the day on the Bible app. Digging into God’s Word means spending intentional time with the Bible, writing down our thoughts, asking questions about what we’re reading to God and our friends and pastors. It may mean finding extra resources to help you understand what you’re reading. And, it definitely means recalling what you’ve read throughout the day and thinking on it again. This practice is what the scriptures above call meditation. And no, it’s not like that hot yoga instructor does at your local gym. Meditating on God’s Word is a practice of mentally recalling scriptures, memorizing it, and intentionally thinking about how it applies to your life. The scriptures say when you do this, your roots will go down deep, and you’ll bear good fruit in your life–aka, you’ll start to develop that for real faith that only comes by becoming more like Christ.
Declaration: Say this next statement out loud as a declaration of what you have learned today.
Becoming more like Christ is the best thing I can do. I will know who Christ is as I spend time in his Word. Because this is so important to me, I will set aside time to read my Bible and think on what I have read throughout the day. I love God’s Word.
Pray:
God, help me to love your Word. As I open my Bible, help me to not be intimidated, but teach me to understand the things that You would want me to know. Thank you that your Spirit will guide me as I read. And, help me to know the difference between what is true and what is false in my ideas, perceptions, and thoughts. Reveal your truth to me. Amen.