“There is no way to draw closer to God, to have a clean and right heart before Him, or be a forgiving person, or walk in obedience to His ways, or take control of your mind, or stand against the enemy, or make Jesus Lord of your life unless you are in the Word of God every day.  It’s your compass.  Your guide.  You can’t get where you need to go without it”. ~ Stormie Omartian, Power of a Praying Woman.

This chapter came in the nick of time.   It’s the best chapter for me by far in this book.  It’s the one that God knew I needed to hear the most.   He knew that I would have an “a ha” moment this week when I read this chapter.   He’s right.

I am the world’s worst at reading my bible.  Well, that’s not an entirely  true statement.  I do read it in church, at bible study or Sunday school.   But on my own, I don’t make the time to read it.   I guess that makes me a really sad, pathetic example of a Christian.  I have good intentions.  Really I do.  I just don’t follow through.

I think that the biggest message I pulled from this chapter was in the last paragraphs of the chapter before the prayer.    She talks about in her early days as a Christian, how she suffered from depression and anxiety.   That’s me.   There are some things about life that are so overwhelming to me right now.  But I read these words from Stormie… “All it took was reading the Bible for a few minutes, and I would feel calm and hopeful again…. It leads us away from self-destructive thoughts and enables us to enjoy a sense of well being.  It gives us hope and keeps us on course.”  As soon as I read that, I LONGED for that.  I longed for peace.   I longed to not be anxious anymore.  I longed for the symptoms of depression to GO AWAY.  It’s incredible for me to find out that she experienced that once and the Word of God made it go away.   I definitely need that.

I have decided that I need to print out and post in my office at work her “Ten Good Reasons to Read God’s Word.”  Right now #1, #3, #6, #7 and #9 sound good to me.   I am sure I need all of them, but I am willing to start these one at a time.

Great chapter!  What did you glean from it?  How does the Word of God help you?  Are you faithful in your reading?