To God be the glory for the great things that He has done! In this week’s episode I am discussing how choosing a life verse has changed my personal life and addressed my struggle with fear. I also give great advice on how to find your very own life verse (scripture) in the Bible.
To God be the glory for the great things that He has done! In this week’s episode I am discussing who you should trust the most when your life makes no sense. My sister, if you carry worries and anxieties because of your life circumstances, you are not alone in what you are facing. God himself is your number one supporter. Let go & trust God!
Life hurts and doesn’t make sense sometimes. Would you agree?!
At the beginning of my bipolar disorder journey, nothing made sense to me. I had some successful years in high school which, continued through my sophomore year of college. I was always involved in leadership and supporting the students at my high school and college.
Then I turned 19 and, things began to unravel months later. Anxiety and depression began to transform my way of life and thinking. Things like having to leave college and move back home did not quite make sense. After all, I had worked so hard to get to college and be involved.
So life continued through the years and, still nothing made sense to me. By that I mean, I did not understand why God allowed anxiety, depression, and bipolar to happen to me. It derailed many of my dreams and, I would constantly ask God why me. “Why did my life have to get so screwed up?”
Today I am 33. A few years ago God mended my brokenness and, I became closer to him than ever before.
I want you to understand that when nothing makes sense, you should always start with God. The trust that you feel you no longer have in your life, should be put in God.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says,
5 Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6 In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].
This verse has been so meaningful to me and, I pray that you will carry it with you. No matter the circumstance, God has a plan for your life. This plan is real, whether it makes sense to you or not.
Wrap Up
So my encouragement to you is to release control.
Ask God Almighty to strengthen your faith in him as you trust in His plan. Be thankful for His will and allow him to “make your paths straight and smooth” throughout your life.
Trusting in Him has changed my life completely. I pray the same for you sister.
Before you go, do you need prayer? If you feel led to, submit your prayer request here.
If you need to know how to become a believer please click here.
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
15 but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:15-16
Has there been a time in your life where you neglected to read the Bible daily? For a good part of my twenties, I only opened my Bible when I needed an answer to something I felt I could not figure out on my own. See that? I relied on my understanding initially and wondered what Jesus would do secondarily. That is no way for a follower of Christ to live.
A follower should constantly be seeking out God’s will.
Do you agree?
Let me give you four reasons why it is imperative to read the Bible daily.
Reason number one…
The Bible is Our Daily Spiritual Nourishment
Humans need food and water to survive and prosper. The same goes for a follower of Christ. Spiritually we need nourishment for different things. Two things that come to my mind are to fight spiritual attacks and second to prosper as a disciple in the kingdom of God.
There are several other reasons that we need nourishment. I invite you to think of your own reasons and write them down.
Matthew 4:4 AMP says,
But Jesus replied, “It is written and forever remains written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’”
Next Reason,
The Bible teaches us who God is
The phrase, “Who wouldn’t want to know a God like this?!” is absolutely true. Our God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is awesome! God is multifaceted. There is so much to learn about Him. I guarantee that not one of us will learn everything about God in our lifetime.
Deuteronomy 7:9 ESV says,
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,
John 14:6 ESV says,
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Revelation 22:13 ESV says,
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Thirdly,
The Bible teaches us the truth
The Word is one of the ways that God speaks to us. It holds all truth and the promises of God toward us. God’s Word teaches us.
2 Timothy 3:16 NLT says,
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
Hebrews 4:12 ESV says,
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Lastly,
The Bible shows God’s love for us
Honestly, self-love is such a struggle for many, but we find some clarity about how much God loves us in His Word.
John 3:16 ESV says,
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 5:8 ESV says,
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Wrap Up
These are just a few reasons why daily bible reading time is important. I encourage you my sisters, to commit as much time to read the Bible as possible. If you find yourself short on time, I have two ideas for you.
Prioritize your time in God’s Word to the top of your list of things to do.
If you find time to be an issue, consider using the Bible app or another resource to listen to God’s Word. You can do this while getting ready for your day, doing chores, or commuting to work.
Before you go, do you need prayer? If you feel led to, submit your prayer request here.
5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. Romans 8:5-6
Have you ever felt a sense of overwhelm around doing personal Bible study? Do you ever feel like you need Bible study made easy.
When I started working on my relationship with God, I experienced this. I felt like I didn’t know where to start and how to study. Let the truth be told, Bible study can be made easy. It doesn’t have to be this over-complicated and daunting task.
I believe personal Bible study should be about reading and examining the Word of God. I approach it with an expectancy that I will learn from God and apply it to how I live.
With that said, one can use various methods to study the Bible. I want to share with you the Bible study method that I use regularly.
bible study made easy with the S.O.A.P. Method
The S.O.A.P. Method provides a fun way to study scripture or passages with ease. I use this method frequently.
So let’s break down this acronym!
The S in the SOAP method stands for “Scripture.” In this step, slowly read the passage aloud or to yourself. Take your time reading. Use a journal to write out the scripture(s). Writing it out is great for repetition. Be sure to grab this free resource below. It has much more ideas to use on this step!
Secondly, the O in the SOAP Method stands for “Observation.” I use the observation step to exegete the passage of scripture. To exegete means to expound or interpret. Next is where my Bible study tools come into play. I begin by familiarizing myself with the book I am reading using the notes in my study Bible. Next, I consider the context of the scriptures I have read. Most times, I read through the entire chapter or section to understand the meaning of the text.
Thirdly, the A in the SOAP Method stands for “Application.” At this time, I like to consider what the passage is teaching me about God. I write out these details in my journal. More details are available here.
Lastly, the P in the SOAP Method stands for “Pray.” When I pray, I like to have a conversation with God. During this conversation, I tell God my intentions concerning what I have just studied. I also wait to hear anything the Holy Spirit has to say to me at that moment.
What’s next?
Now that you have some basic information about the S.O.A.P. method, please grab the free resource below. It goes deeper into this style of Bible study. I also include an example of the method from my personal Bible study notes.
Well, I hope that the S.O.A.P. method will prove to be valuable to you. If you try it out, please come back and share with me what you think of it.
Before you go, do you need prayer? If you feel led to, submit your prayer request here.
“Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” Romans 12:12
Recent Comments