Caution! This post contains a back to school challenge!
As I was preparing for the WMU Alabama State Leaders Conference #ALEquip2019, I asked myself, “What was the one thing that helped grow my faith?”

Now, don’t get me wrong I am a believer in deep, corporate Bible study, where we deconstruct scripture and wring every bit of meaning from each word and listening to others experiences and perspectives challenges us to interact with scripture from a different point of view. I wrote about it yesterday.

BUT, there is no substitute for simply reading the Word. Jesus tells his disciples, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you,”(Jn 14:26).

How can the Spirit bring to mind words that we have not read?

How can he comfort us with rich passages of truth that have yet to become part of us?

In deep grief over our son’s death, I sat on the back porch at 1 am, crying out to God, “The darkness is overwhelming me.” The Holy Spirit brought these simple words to mind, “In the beginning God created the earth…God made the great light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night.” It was as if He spoke to me and said, “I have authority over your darkness. I am still in control. Yes, it is dark. Yes, you are hurting, but I am in control.”

The Holy Spirit supernaturally comforted my soul as I realized the implications. God rules over the darkness. He doesn’t leave us without His light, but the Spirit could not have brought to mind these words had I not read them. Had the Word not become part of my mind, soul, and strength, I would not have had the Words ready and waiting for the Spirit’s work.

Here is the challenge. I challenge you to read the Word everyday for 10 minutes. No devotionals and bible study helpers, consider those to be extra. Before you read, ask the Holy Spirit to make the Word part of your mind, soul, and strength.

My prayer for you is that the Word of God becomes the foundation of your life. May your blood flow with scripture, may your mind be protected with salvation, and may you draw your strength from the truth of God’s word.

#10minutesaDay I would start in the Old Testament. Don’t skip the hard passages, and sometimes there is even a blessing in the boring places. Don’t give up! For every difficult and boring place, there’s a Psalm or promise that will make it worthwhile, if you don’t give up!