Confession Time.
Reading my Bible is one of the hardest things to do.
Is it okay for a pastor's wife to admit that?
With a preschooler and a toddler who have entered the sweet and glorious phase of becoming playmates for each other, I spend more time training them in sharing and taking turns than reading. I am fully convinced they have a sixth sense about my movements. All's quiet and perfect as long as I'm doing some unpleasant, yet necessary task, like washing dishes or scrubbing the toilet. But if I sit down with a hot cuppa tea and my Bible and World War III begins in their bedroom.
So for the past few weeks I've thrown my hands up in resignation saying, "I just don't have time. It's impossible to have a quiet time with small children. If I can't find two minutes alone in the bathroom, then I certainly don't have 20 or 30 minutes to read and pray. I know I'm not the only one, so I shouldn't feel guilty or stress myself out." Oh, I could spend the next thirty paragraphs justifying why I haven't had time.
God desires that we use our time wisely. Psalm 90:12 says, "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." More specifically in the theme of this Psalm we are to make the most of each day, since our days are so few. I know we all speak of the brevity of life and how quickly time passes, but this Psalm teaches that God desires we fill those days for a specific purpose in our life: to gain a heart of wisdom. The heart of wisdom enables us to live by the right priorities. And wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Prov. 9:10). And don't we all need wisdom?
How can I fear the Lord if I spend so little time knowing Him through His Word? How can I gain wisdom and live life with the right priorities if I haven't been numbering my days? To what purpose do the minutes and hours tick by? Am I just getting through another day...Filling my life with chores and entertainment and fleeting things? Have I truly been numbering my days, so that I may gain a heart of wisdom?
I have allowed distractions to take precedence over quality time in the Word. Can we say Netflix? I have allowed the burden of stress to weigh me down to the point that I'm too weak to crack the cover of my Bible. I have made excuses to avoid the one thing I need to get through each day.
And I can say this because I know...I am not alone in this.
Trust me, mom of littles, working mom, full time teacher, nurse, caretaker...I know your days are busy. But let's make sure we remember to encourage another to do the one thing that must be done daily...the one thing that will bring us comfort and wisdom...read your Bible. Don't substitute the Word with Utmost for His Highest, Morning and Evening, or some other daily devotional. That's easy to do and say afterwards, "I did my quiet time." Devotionals are great, but are purely supplemental to the Word. Go straight to the source of wisdom...daily. It may be difficult, but worth the effort. And may a love for His Word fill your hearts to overflowing, dear friend. Grab a Bible. Grab a pen. And drink deeply the truth of His love from His own Word. Blessings, friend.
Reading my Bible is one of the hardest things to do.
Is it okay for a pastor's wife to admit that?
With a preschooler and a toddler who have entered the sweet and glorious phase of becoming playmates for each other, I spend more time training them in sharing and taking turns than reading. I am fully convinced they have a sixth sense about my movements. All's quiet and perfect as long as I'm doing some unpleasant, yet necessary task, like washing dishes or scrubbing the toilet. But if I sit down with a hot cuppa tea and my Bible and World War III begins in their bedroom.
So for the past few weeks I've thrown my hands up in resignation saying, "I just don't have time. It's impossible to have a quiet time with small children. If I can't find two minutes alone in the bathroom, then I certainly don't have 20 or 30 minutes to read and pray. I know I'm not the only one, so I shouldn't feel guilty or stress myself out." Oh, I could spend the next thirty paragraphs justifying why I haven't had time. God desires that we use our time wisely. Psalm 90:12 says, "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." More specifically in the theme of this Psalm we are to make the most of each day, since our days are so few. I know we all speak of the brevity of life and how quickly time passes, but this Psalm teaches that God desires we fill those days for a specific purpose in our life: to gain a heart of wisdom. The heart of wisdom enables us to live by the right priorities. And wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Prov. 9:10). And don't we all need wisdom?
How can I fear the Lord if I spend so little time knowing Him through His Word? How can I gain wisdom and live life with the right priorities if I haven't been numbering my days? To what purpose do the minutes and hours tick by? Am I just getting through another day...Filling my life with chores and entertainment and fleeting things? Have I truly been numbering my days, so that I may gain a heart of wisdom?
I have allowed distractions to take precedence over quality time in the Word. Can we say Netflix? I have allowed the burden of stress to weigh me down to the point that I'm too weak to crack the cover of my Bible. I have made excuses to avoid the one thing I need to get through each day.
And I can say this because I know...I am not alone in this.
Trust me, mom of littles, working mom, full time teacher, nurse, caretaker...I know your days are busy. But let's make sure we remember to encourage another to do the one thing that must be done daily...the one thing that will bring us comfort and wisdom...read your Bible. Don't substitute the Word with Utmost for His Highest, Morning and Evening, or some other daily devotional. That's easy to do and say afterwards, "I did my quiet time." Devotionals are great, but are purely supplemental to the Word. Go straight to the source of wisdom...daily. It may be difficult, but worth the effort. And may a love for His Word fill your hearts to overflowing, dear friend. Grab a Bible. Grab a pen. And drink deeply the truth of His love from His own Word. Blessings, friend.
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