Join us for Day 27 of 30 days to embracing God's disruptions and detours; a preview of our new Bible study, The Mary Answer. Today's devotion is called, "First Things First" and it includes a free tool you won't want to miss. And you can also find out how you can sign up for a free copy of our upcoming study and be a part of our launch team.
Day 27 - First Things First (transcript & links)
Read the Word: Hebrews 4:12, Matthew 7:24-27 Read today’s scriptures and take note of anything that catches your heart. What do you observe that God might want you to single out and pray about? Write down your observations.
I was engaged in a robust conversation the other day with a friend about how our kids don’t seem to know much about the Bible. It seems her husband mentioned to their adult son that a certain TV show might not be appropriate for their young children. Like many of these generational conversations go, the olders tend to point to the Bible and the youngers, even though brought up in a Biblical home, sometimes think that the “old-fashioned” version of the scriptures is too strict. But what struck me was that when both sides asked for evidence from the Bible, neither one knew where their “side” could be found.
Today, more than ever before, the Word of God needs to be evident in our lives, not just in our speech. In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus talks about the wise builder and the foolish builder. But most people I talk to remember this as a parable of the foundations—the sand and the rock. We know that the rock is a life built on following God and the sand is, well, foolish. But let’s dig a little deeper into this parable. It isn’t just about knowing what the Bible says and being able to use that in an argument—even by chapter and verse. What Jesus was really getting at here is found in verses 24 and 26. “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” I truly believe there are a lot of professed Christians who fit this verse. According to a Lifeway Research report, 12 percent of church goers in the U.S. rarely or never read their Bible. The same report said less than one-third of the whole group surveyed reads the Bible regularly. It’s probably hard to put into practice what you don’t read regularly.
In Women Finishing Well, we encourage our followers, readers and podcast listeners to adopt a routine we call First Things First. It’s a daily practice of five disciplines you can do in about ten to fifteen minutes that connects you to God directly. It is imperative that Christ followers learn how to connect with Jesus through a personal, interactive relationship with God’s Word. Why? Because a closer relationship with the Word opens the lines of communication between us and God’s Spirit in us. It allows God to speak directly into our lives; to lead us and guide us in the way we should go. (Ps. 32:8) It is about a relationship with the living God.
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12)
Notice that the word of God is capable of dividing our souls from our spirit. It is that precise and sharp. The word judges our attitudes and helps us discern right from wrong. Without reading the Bible that is all just guess work.
To go deeper with God, I recommend you consider a daily morning routine that will keep your heart and mind sharp and connected with God. I call these disciplines the 5 Ws:
If you’re interested in running through a short mini study on how to incorporate the 5 Ws into your day, you can access our mini study for free on the Women Finishing Well website. The link is in the show notes below. Once you start this daily habit, you’ll never look back. Remember, if this is new to you, start slow—maybe ten minutes a day.
Wait in prayer: Ask God to help you start a new personal habit of regular Bible study. If you already read and study regularly, ask God to take you deeper. Ask God to help you be faithful—and if you miss a day, remember God is always there waiting for you to come back. More than anything, He wants to reveal his heart to you in his Word.
Worship: Your Word performed by Hillsong
Links (click 'em, they're live):
Link to the lyric video for Your Word by HIllsong.
Bonus worship video: Thy Word by Amy Grant
Access our free mini Bible study on how to start a First Things First routine in just ten minutes a day here: https://womenfinishingwell.com/first-things-first-free-tool/
Click to sign up for your free ebook copy of The Mary Answer and join our launch team!