It’s 3:35 pm, and after a day of setbacks and frustrations, I finally opened my Bible to write today’s passage. James 1:5 is all about asking God for wisdom. Wisdom, I think, was telling me to ask God for His help at 6am instead of 2:30 p.m. today.
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Have you noticed how hard the devil works to keep God’s people from becoming students of the Word?
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I have. I think it’s by design. I think the devil knows that a Christian who isn’t in the Word is weak. I think satan is smarter than I give him credit for most of the time.
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I can only speak for my own “quiet time,” but I have a feeling I’m not alone when I say that every day, I fight with the enemy of my soul for time alone with the One who made me. I fight my flesh to spend time in the Bible. I go to war just to prioritize prayer over parenting.
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There’s always something that disguises itself as being more important.
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Laundry calls. Kids argue. Phone rings. To-do list presses harder.
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“I don’t ‘need’ to read the Bible today,” I lie to myself.
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And so, after a compulsory prayer, I turn my attention to more important, more urgent matters. School. Social media. Housework. Bills. Oil change. Grocery store. Meal prep. Bedtime. Start again tomorrow.
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After days of this, (sometimes months… if I’m really honest), I notice my ability to discern good from evil has been compromised. Little by little, my spiritual eyes grow dim. >>Maybe God doesn’t really care about this and that. Less controversy, please. More peace.<< Yes. Peace is what I want most. The demands of a culture that stands in stark opposition to what God says is right makes even the most seasoned warrior prone to discouragement, I tell myself—as I glance in the direction of my Bible.
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“Good thing my pastor is reading his Bible so he can tell me what I need to know on Sunday,” said a generation of Christians in crisis.
Heidi,
One day later, I am here doing the scripture writing and turn to James 1;5 and The Lord is loud and clear to me – This wisdom reminds why I always rest and turn to “simplicity” in everything I do from home life to homeschool even though I may look different from what everyone else is doing and that is ok. And it is because I feel like God wants to strip me down to the bare minimum because that is where I will always find Him. And this is why I need to sit with Him, make the time for Him, read His word and rest in Him. Thanks Heidi for all your own words of wisdom that you share with us. Being Mom Strong and Real moms right?
So true. So so true. We allow ourselves to get so busy..quiet time is relegated to the vert last thing we might do, Alas we end up not doing it.. And just as you rightly said. The less time we pray nd study the word..the less renewed our mind is and the more easy it is for us to lower our standards_ which are obviously based on God’s word.
The conclusion is that we need to be deliberate about our faith and relationship with God like we are about other things. So help us God
I don’t know about you!
But I get attacked so much by the enemy as soon as I start reading my Bible and fasting again, why me? I’m nobody just a baptized believer of 21 years, I know I’m special to God, but sometimes I get bombarded one after another no brake.
Please pray for my family. Thanks so much for you godly wisdom Heidi